a long story

S

spiderfrank

just a dreamer
Local time
1:30 PM
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
567
Location
Savona (Italy)
View My Gallery
Hi guys, I'm here to speak about my Kiev ( II or 2a ?), just because I cannot touch it...

I bought a Kiev 2a from Fedka, that arrived to me the last days of 2007: it was nice and smooth, and silent, and I was very happy with it, but I made some shots and found some light leaks (I also put some images here in this forum), so I sent it back to Yuri of Fedka.
His repairman worked on it, and Yuri made a test roll, but the problem is still there.
Now... He told me he will send me (instead of "my former Kiev") a tested "Kiev II" or "Kiev 2a" ( He promised to give me the best of the two ones): I know that the II is more valued, but I'm not a collector, I just want a good camera, so I leave the choice to Yuri (everybody here says he is a good guy).
Now I'm waiting and crossing my fingers... The first one was not cosmetically perfect, but was very nice to use, and after only two rolls, I was just used to hold it correctly, and fast enough to make all the operations quickly.
Me concern is: I downloaded all the tutorials from KSS, but if an expert repairman couldn't fix a light leakage from the top cover... if in the future I had the same problem with the new one, will be able to fix it? I don't want to use it as a peperweight... I want go down in the street, and enjoy taking photos with my beast for a long long time!!
 
Spiderfrank, I'd say just wait and worry if your camera has a problem before fretting over it. In the meanwhile, just try it and enjoy it.

I had a similar situation with a Leica M6TTL; it had light leaks that came and went. After having it looked at by a very reputable repair person (who still couldn't manage to fix it), I sent it to Leica for refurbishing. That did the trick... after two attempts.

In any event, just wait and see.
 
Yes, you are right, itìs just that it miss me, so I like to speak about it with somebody that don't answer "don't worry, you can use your Canon"! It's not the same thing... ;-)
I suppose that if "her majesty Leica" can have these problems, also Kiev can...

ps: I've seen your album of Barcelona: good job... ;-)
 
Brachal, I think need a really cheap and not working camera to practice, because if it works, I don't know if I'm brave enough to "do exercise" with it... I'm quite sure that in the end I'll use it to shoot !
 
I've dealt with Yuri, and he seems to be a diligent and honest person. When I ordered a Kiev 4a, I received instead a Kiev 4... I tried it out anyway and found it had shutter cocking and winding problems. Sent it back.

The replacement 4a had inconsistent frame spacing and light leaks. Sent it back.

Yuri ran a test roll through the 3rd Kiev before sending it along with the prints. It worked fine but I suspect focus calibration may be a bit off, of course more likely to be noticed at wide apertures. I should run tests to see for sure. Have not used the camera in more than three years.

Bought a Contax IIIa and a f1.5 Sonnar, and had it CLA'd by Steve Serota, who also put in a new meter cell. It works great. Ran one roll and put it away. The Leica M2 I've had for 40 years is just a better user camera, I think, and so is my CLE and a couple newer M-mount cameras.

The Kiev and Contax carry a lot of history, and are interesting to use and learn about, and demonstrate. Good luck with yours, and have fun!
 
spiderfrank said:
...........
I bought a Kiev 2a from Fedka, ...........
Me concern is: I downloaded all the tutorials from KSS, but if an expert repairman couldn't fix a light leakage from the top cover... if in the future I had the same problem with the new one, will be able to fix it? I don't want to use it as a peperweight... I want go down in the street, and enjoy taking photos with my beast for a long long time!!
Click to expand...

Hi spiderfrank,
Your case reveals several issues, but in practical terms, to my opinion, the fact that Fedka's repairman couldn't fix the light leak, doesn't speak about the KSS, but about the repairman, who seems to be no expert at all.

That Fedka is an honest man has nothing to do with his repairman.

The bottom line, skeeping many intermediate issues, is that a Kiev is not a camera for every one, but for the one ready to learn from the KSS and fix its issues by himself.

The reason is very simple. The Kievs are fully manual and very complex machines. Hence any small trouble demmands a lot of time-hours to fix. Being the Kievs relatively cheap cameras, there is no profitable proportion for sellers and repairmen between the cost of a good repair and the cost of the camera.

In order to put it in practical terms, a good Cleaning, Lubrication and Adjusment of any Kiev is an issue of some 50 working hours. Now, figure out how much a repairman should ask per hour and you arrive to a logically absurd amount of money.

Now, assume that I am exaggerating, and I don't think so, and a good Kiev CLA takes half the time I say. Even then you'll arrive to extreme cost.

Then what to do ?
Buy an additional eBay $60 Kiev 4a and use it for learning its disassembly and issues. To do it with a Kiev 2, or 2a, it will be a pitty.

One thing I can assure you: the day YOU achieve to bring a Kiev to great smoothness and accuracy, you'll feel by yourself you have a priceless camera, because you will have a great first class camera, and the knowledge of how to convert any Kiev into a first class camera.

Now, how to approach the KSS ? In my opinion the key for all is to concentrate first of all in its disassembly and re-assemble up to the separation of the shutter from the body. Remember, all operations of surgery should be performed with the shutter cocked at 1/250.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Common sense would dictate that if you purchase a Kiev or for that matter any old RF camera for $125.00 or less and even ones that have supposedly been CLA`d you are not certain it is going to be without issues.
I am convinced that whoever services these cameras do only what is outwardly necessary to make it work within reasonable tolerences . And for good reason as stated above by Ruben. It`s just to time consuming and costly even to do a partial overhaul , let alone check for sprocket leaks, film tracking, RF accuracy, etc.

It`s almost a shame to have to trash a nice Kiev only because most of the time you can buy another for less than the cost of repair but that`s the reality at the moment.
I just received what might be the most perfect ,smoothest, quietest, working Kiev (in top cosmetic condition) I`ve had yet for only $45.00, and it came with a very sharp Jupiter 8 , plus a spool , and a nice case.
John
 
spiderfrank said:
Hi guys, I'm here to speak about my Kiev ( II or 2a ?), just because I cannot touch it...

I bought a Kiev 2a from Fedka, that arrived to me the last days of 2007: it was nice and smooth, and silent, and I was very happy with it, but I made some shots and found some light leaks (I also put some images here in this forum), so I sent it back to Yuri of Fedka.
His repairman worked on it, and Yuri made a test roll, but the problem is still there.
Now... He told me he will send me (instead of "my former Kiev") a tested "Kiev II" or "Kiev 2a" ( He promised to give me the best of the two ones): I know that the II is more valued, but I'm not a collector, I just want a good camera, so I leave the choice to Yuri (everybody here says he is a good guy).
Now I'm waiting and crossing my fingers... The first one was not cosmetically perfect, but was very nice to use, and after only two rolls, I was just used to hold it correctly, and fast enough to make all the operations quickly.
Me concern is: I downloaded all the tutorials from KSS, but if an expert repairman couldn't fix a light leakage from the top cover... if in the future I had the same problem with the new one, will be able to fix it? I don't want to use it as a peperweight... I want go down in the street, and enjoy taking photos with my beast for a long long time!!
Click to expand...

I have some light leaks from the back of my kiev. I just use black tape and it's okay now , I know it isn't beautiful but it is safe 🙂
 
ruben said:
Hi spiderfrank,
Your case reveals several issues, but in practical terms, to my opinion, the fact that Fedka's repairman couldn't fix the light leak, doesn't speak about the KSS, but about the repairman, who seems to be no expert at all.
Click to expand...

Ruben, it is pretty easy to find a light leak, but depending on the cause of it, a leak can be very difficult to fix. If it is due to bad seals, as most are, that is an easy fix and only takes about an hour, at very most. If it is due to ill-fitting parts though, you either need a new part or you need to rework the part you have. That last can take some very serious expertise, because whatever you're working on has to fit tightly enough that light can't get in.

However, in general, I agree with you. Anyone who buys more than one or two low-cost vintage cameras and then pays someone several times the value of the camera to work on them has more money than sense.
 
FallisPhoto said:
Ruben, it is pretty easy to find a light leak, but depending on the cause of it, a leak can be very difficult to fix. ....... If it is due to ill-fitting parts though, you either need a new part or you need to rework the part you have. That last can take some very serious expertise, because whatever you're working on has to fit tightly enough that light can't get in.
.............
Click to expand...

I haven't had such a case, so I accept your view.

My general approach to light leaks is suspicion and prevention. I try beforehand to know all possible sources, and deal with every single suspicios one.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BTW, Franco,

the biggest amount of time in the disassembly and reassembly process is not in dealing with exhotic or complex parts, but unscrewing and rescrewing very tiny screws, with difficult heads and sometimes in uncomfortable angles.
A lot of times you may be re-installing a tiny screw five or six times until it gets into propper position for re-screwing it.

By this I mean don't be afraid about the disassembly learning. The KSS is behind you.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Thanks everybody, guys,
Fedka is going to send me a Kiev II in sostitution of the 2a, the camera is tested with film, and Yuri says it's fine, so I hope it will work well for a long time. In the meanwhile ( if I'll remain in love with it, as I think), if I find a CHEAP NOT WORKING Kiev, I'll buy it to make practice... I'm too "romantic" to sacrify a working camera just to make practice. What Ruben says about the price of a good overhaul is right, and I think it's one of the reasons of the Leica's good reliability: they are not only simpler than Kievs, but also very expensive, so people pay for the jobs when they don't work properly.
Anyway, I hope that one day I'll be able to work on my cameras, and I know you will help me ...
 
ruben said:
BTW, Franco,

the biggest amount of time in the disassembly and reassembly process is not in dealing with exhotic or complex parts, but unscrewing and rescrewing very tiny screws, with difficult heads and sometimes in uncomfortable angles.
A lot of times you may be re-installing a tiny screw five or six times until it gets into propper position for re-screwing it.
Click to expand...

Especially when everything is painted black, so you can't really see what you are doing with the tweezers very well (Moskvas).
 
spiderfrank said:
Thanks everybody, guys,
Fedka is going to send me a Kiev II in sostitution of the 2a, the camera is tested with film, and Yuri says it's fine, so I hope it will work well for a long time. In the meanwhile ( if I'll remain in love with it, as I think), if I find a CHEAP NOT WORKING Kiev, I'll buy it to make practice... I'm too "romantic" to sacrify a working camera just to make practice. What Ruben says about the price of a good overhaul is right, and I think it's one of the reasons of the Leica's good reliability: they are not only simpler than Kievs, but also very expensive, so people pay for the jobs when they don't work properly.
Anyway, I hope that one day I'll be able to work on my cameras, and I know you will help me ...
Click to expand...


Hi spiderfrank,

Fedka is not a Kiev restaurator, he just selects highly good working cameras for sale. Accordingly you are less protected than you think.

As for "sacrifyng a working camera just to make practice", this is highly unaccurate. The only risk you are really taking is to loose some screw or some spring in the process. For replacement you may buy a parts Kiev for around $10 from Alex photo goods, or some $25 from other sellers.

Today, unfortunately, there is no other way to maintain a Kiev in the long range, working as it should.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
The Kiev II leaved the custom yesterday, so I think that tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, it will be mine. My scare is exactly to loose screws or springs, but if a "spare parts" camera is only 10$... I'm much more confident on my possibilities, and of course, I can make prectice on that before to "operate" on the good camera, if it will be broken.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dogman
Contax/Kiev to Nikon Z (or others) FotodioX adapter
Replies
2
Views
255
monoburn
M
N
Kiev 4 1981
Replies
15
Views
1K
Sonnar Brian
Sonnar Brian
MNS
Киев 4 meter adjustment
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
Valkir1987
Valkir1987
C
Kiev 5 50mm lens mount
Replies
6
Views
705
Brambling
Brambling
Godfrey
A pleasant few moments today ...
Replies
3
Views
398
chuckroast
C
Back
Top Bottom