Does anyone know how to use this RF?

[infosecgeek]

My grandmother passed last year and my mom was just cleaning her house when she found this.... I can't seem to find any directions on line....

I can make out Aperture (markings exist), but shutter speed doesn't have a corresponding marking. I can also tell that the film counter is manual. In that case how do I advance the roll? There seems to be a meter on top, but I'm not sure if it is working.. Focus seems to be similar to my M6 (Although the focus patch is way brighter when I don't forget to move my finger lower)..

Also what kind of mount is this? Can I use the lens on my M6 or E-P2?

Any help would be appreciated...

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

It' a Kiev. Use the search here, you'll find a lot about it.

 

[rbsinto]

This is a Kiev, which is a Russian-made copy of a Contax camera. The Russians "borrowed" a great deal of German technology and industry at the end of the Second War by simply bundling it up and carting it away as war booty, and this particular camera is the result of that policy.
It uses the Contax mount lenses as well as a great number of Russian made optics. It is also capable of mounting the Nikon-s mount rangefinder optics but because of a different pitch to the helicoids, Nikkor lenses shorter than 50 mm will appear to, but will not focus properly.
If you re-post this in the FSU (Former Soviet Union) forum, you'll get all the useful information you need from people who collect and use these cameras..

 

[katcons]

Beautiful. I think it's a Kiev4, with light meter (probably dead).

Here's the instruction manual: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/kiev-4M/kiev-4-splash.htm

With Helios 103 lens

And with the Jupiter 8 (Agfa Vista 200):

Check if it still has the spool inside. Good luck and congratulations on the find. 🙂

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

here I have found an instructive video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8tsf90q3Vk

 

[infosecgeek]

Thank you all so much.... Can't wait to load up some TriX and try it...

 

[batterytypehah!]

Brighter finder than an M6, huh? I think you are very lucky.

I have a postwar German Contax. Looks nearly identical but is in fact a complete redesign, due to the factory, blueprints, parts, even the staff (!) being moved to Kiev after the war.

You already found out about the "Contax grip" (keep the fingers off the RF window). Watch for the loose spool as you load film. Also, with 50mm lenses, the whole lens rotates as you focus, which means your aperture ring and any filter and hood also rotate. To me, those are the major things to get used to.

Vintage lenses also don't have click stops for aperture, so make sure you don't move the aperture ring as you focus.

 

[Whateverist]

Vintage lenses also don't have click stops for aperture, so make sure you don't move the aperture ring as you focus.

While that is generally true, the 1971 lens he has should have click stops.

It's a really good camera you have there. One of those was my very first manual rangefinder and I've used it to take some of my favourite pictures.

 

[xxloverxx]

Do not change shutter speeds before tensioning the shutter

 

[ZorkiKat]

Do not change shutter speeds before tensioning the shutter

With these Contax-derived Kiev, changing speeds before or after cocking doesn't really matter. Sometimes it's easier, and less strenuous to the mechanism as well, to change shutter speeds with the shutter uncocked.

 

[ErnestoJL]

With these Contax-derived Kiev, changing speeds before or after cocking doesn't really matter. Sometimes it's easier, and less strenuous to the mechanism as well, to change shutter speeds with the shutter uncocked.

I definitely agree with ZorkiKat in regard of shutter speed setting either before or after shutter cocking. It´s a lot easier to do it before than after.
When I bought my first Kiev 4 in 1982, I played for some time with the camera before loading any film in it. It means I´ve been setting shutter speeds before and after rotating the film advance knob. Nothing deadly happened to the camera. BTW, the ZI Contax behaves the same.
So, play as long as you need to get used to the (in)famous Contax grip, put some good film in it and enjoy!
Cheers

Ernesto

 

[xxloverxx]

I definitely agree with ZorkiKat in regard of shutter speed setting either before or after shutter cocking. It´s a lot easier to do it before than after.
When I bought my first Kiev 4 in 1982, I played for some time with the camera before loading any film in it. It means I´ve been setting shutter speeds before and after rotating the film advance knob. Nothing deadly happened to the camera. BTW, the ZI Contax behaves the same.
So, play as long as you need to get used to the (in)famous Contax grip, put some good film in it and enjoy!
Cheers

Ernesto

Interesting. I may be wrong, but I don't want to risk it with my Kiev, and I had a friend who “broke” her Kiev by changing shutter speeds with an uncocked shutter.

 

[heespharm]

nice i just got one of these last night for 20 bucks.. can't wait to play with it...

 

[ErnestoJL]

Interesting. I may be wrong, but I don't want to risk it with my Kiev, and I had a friend who “broke” her Kiev by changing shutter speeds with an uncocked shutter.

At the time I bought my Kiev, I knew nothing about it´s shutter, so I did what I usually did with other cameras, it is to play with it.
Much later I found here in RFF an old ad (1941) from Zeiss Ikon which stated "safe to select speed either before or after cocking the shutter" (or at least a phrase with the same meaning), in an obvious reference to the Leica II type shutter which was damaged if done before advancing film.

Cheers
Ernesto

 

[xxloverxx]

At the time I bought my Kiev, I knew nothing about it´s shutter, so I did what I usually did with other cameras, it is to play with it.
Much later I found here in RFF an old ad (1941) from Zeiss Ikon which stated "safe to select speed either before or after cocking the shutter" (or at least a phrase with the same meaning), in an obvious reference to the Leica II type shutter which was damaged if done before advancing film.

Cheers
Ernesto

After reviewing the Kiev 4 manual, I think you're right - ‘The shutter speed can be set with the shutter either cocked or fired. However, it is recommended that the shutter speed be changed with the shutter cocked.’
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/kiev-4/kieva-a.htm

:bang:

 

[wolves3012]

From what I understand, the speed can be changed before or after cocking the shutter. BUT...for speeds below 1/125 it's recommended to cock first. There's a complicated explanation here:
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/changing shutter speeds.html

 

[fanshaw]

From the Kiev-4/4a instruction booklet in English published by V/O Mashpriborintorg in Moscow:
"It is recommended:
when changing from higher to lower exposure time settings to turn the shutter cocking knob so that the black dot is somewhat farther than the selected exposure time value and after that, rotating the knob in the reverse direction (clockwise), to align it with the desired mark and lower the knob; set the exposure time after shutter cocking."

 

[ErnestoJL]

It seems that I was a lucky man with my Kievs, (´62 and ´66).
But as I don´t trust in everlasting luck, I´ll follow the recommended procedure.