dee
Well-known
... i bought a supposedly poor [ indistinct photos ] Kiev II from an ex-USSR vendor through e-bay -for parts ... or worse .
I just unwrapped a 1952 Kiev II with clean 1957 J8 and no take up spool .
It seemed reasonable at £60 all in , considering that any K II is over £100 these days [ my CLA 1951 was £130 ]
It is SUPERB .
Other than a small mark on the face plate , some tiny marks on the leather and one corner , the paint and leather are pristine .
The paint is still shiny , the leather is crisp - hard and tight with all of the grain intact [ unlike a carefully used camera where the grain is worn a little and the leather stretched etc ]
There are just a few marks on the otherwise pristine matt black blind ... and the case is perfect except for careless scrapes across the front ...
the edge of the cream lining is unsoiled where it joins the leather ... as if the camera had never left the case for decades .
I could use it , it all works exquisitely - the rangefinder bright , like new .
But it feels dry , desperate for attention - and no way would I want to intriduce wear onto a camera in this condition .
If it were a Contax , it would be £500 ? As it is , with CLA , I have a superb new camera with all of the style of a Contax - at minimal outlay
It's not fair - having deecided to go with a bitsa Contax , needing some Kiev parts ... a lovely Kiev IIa comes along followed by a superb, and early , Kiev II , just deemanding CLA ...
Recently I found a Kiev 4a 1979 in it's original UK box , as new .
There is no way that I would ever have anticipated finding a Kiev II from 1952 in similar condition .
Not that I am komplaining though ...
I just unwrapped a 1952 Kiev II with clean 1957 J8 and no take up spool .
It seemed reasonable at £60 all in , considering that any K II is over £100 these days [ my CLA 1951 was £130 ]
It is SUPERB .
Other than a small mark on the face plate , some tiny marks on the leather and one corner , the paint and leather are pristine .
The paint is still shiny , the leather is crisp - hard and tight with all of the grain intact [ unlike a carefully used camera where the grain is worn a little and the leather stretched etc ]
There are just a few marks on the otherwise pristine matt black blind ... and the case is perfect except for careless scrapes across the front ...
the edge of the cream lining is unsoiled where it joins the leather ... as if the camera had never left the case for decades .
I could use it , it all works exquisitely - the rangefinder bright , like new .
But it feels dry , desperate for attention - and no way would I want to intriduce wear onto a camera in this condition .
If it were a Contax , it would be £500 ? As it is , with CLA , I have a superb new camera with all of the style of a Contax - at minimal outlay
It's not fair - having deecided to go with a bitsa Contax , needing some Kiev parts ... a lovely Kiev IIa comes along followed by a superb, and early , Kiev II , just deemanding CLA ...
Recently I found a Kiev 4a 1979 in it's original UK box , as new .
There is no way that I would ever have anticipated finding a Kiev II from 1952 in similar condition .
Not that I am komplaining though ...
