I like the term introduced by Dee: KONTAX

R

ruben

Guest
I love Kievs. I accept forcefully by theory and gladly by perestroika that Contax may be better and despite it I love Kievs. I dont take Contaxes as "the real thing" and Kievs as the substitute. Both cameras are of Zeiss design, but produced in different countries under different technologies, and prospected to different markets.

I find symphaty for the Soviets trying to make them more accessible to people's pockets, even if it was only the result of circumstances, an on account of quality, let's say up to the end of the sixties. Had it been otherwise the whole project may had collapsed or remained highly unaccessible.

Of course I deeply respect the Zeiss company too, for its technological research and achievements.

And I say all the above only for one reason. There are times when I want to write or refer to the Zeiss basic design of the Kievs, or to features common to both cameras. Then usually I have written "Kiev/Contax". But there is a personal problem here. I have never owned a Contax, and therefore feel myself taking command of an authority I am not sure about.

Here Dee's new word KONTAX comes to my rescue. Somehow it doesn't betray the FSU family, nor intrudes into the Zeiss one.

I wanted to post something of technical character regarding both cameras, using the word KONTAX. But I found appropriate to forward this thread first.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Go for it Ruben - I am using a rigid , ugly bug I 50 on a new Leica M 8 which I bought simply because I can't connect to electronic '' cameras '' - so I do not think that you will upset anyone more that I try to do !!! My Autism means lost of word play so the Kontax Konundrum was all too obvious .
I have found someone in Uk to cla my Kievs - about £100 each !!!
But I will have two done before my inheritance money is used up ! I still love the Kiev Konnection !
Respect dee
 
dee said:
Go for it Ruben - ......
I have found someone in Uk to cla my Kievs - about £100 each !!!
......Respect dee


Thanks.

BTW, to my humble opinion $200 cla per Kiev it seems pretty close to the price of Henry Scherer, or in any case not specially cheap, although not crazy if the work is proportionally done. So it will be of great interest for me to be updated in case the results match the price.

And it will be thrilling to know any connections between the fixer and the TOE company.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Ruben, I have both and the difference is not that great

Ruben, I have both and the difference is not that great

I have a Contax II and III (1937) and several Kiev's (2, 3a, 4a type 1 and type 2) as you know. The earlier Kiev's as everyone says, are much closer in feel and weight to the pre-war Contax cameras. My smoothest camera is still the Kiev II (1954). The shutter on this camera is so quiet that sometimes I even wonder if the shutter is working, especially after using the other cameras. There is no 'tic' sound but just a very soft 'woosh'. So I guess it all depends on the camera. I think the quality really starts to drop after 1974 with the introduction of the kiev 4a type 2.
 
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