Just finished rebuilding my Kiev 4a

[Spyderman]

Hurray! my first successful Kiev repair attempt 😀

Hi guys,

just about half an hour ago I finished this project - Kiev 4a.

I disassembled it as far as I could - removed the shutter mechanism, cleaned, lubed according to Ruben's recommendations, distensioned the shutter spring from 10 turns originally to 5 turns now. As you can see in the pictures, I even removed the entire self-timer and flash sync socket - it looks and holds much better now. The last job was to recover it with some soft black leather from some ladies' boots.

BTW: this is the camera for which I needed the focussing wheel sprocket. I managed to adapt the wheel from Michael (outfitter ?). It's smaller diameter and has some play, but works... at least for now.

I have yet to do the test of shutter speeds... and hope ther won't be light leaks ... but winding is smoother, and shutter is quieter than it was before this treatment.


I know you all want some p0rn, so here are the pictures:

 

[FrankS]

It's a beauty! Good luck with trying film.

 

[TVphotog]

Hey, I haven't gotten a chance to send out the part for you, but I haven't forgotten either. I was gonna send both the gear you needed and the focusing wheel that attaches to it. That way you would have a matched part. I plan on getting it in the mail to you tomorrow afternoon. I will PM you with the pertinant information tomorrow.

Oh yeah, compared to my 2A, my 4A is a jewel. I hope to have my 2A comparable to the 4A after the project. I was shooting with the 4A a couple of days ago and got freaked out. The shutter is soooo freakin quiet. I almost took out the film just to check that the shutter was working. I am quickly becoming a Kiev convert. Just gotta get a J-8 with click stops😀

Ken

 

[shadowfox]

Wow, you are brave and skilled !! Congratulations!

You do know about the missing screw on the lower left plate, near the focusing wheel, right?

 

[TVphotog]

That screw isn't a big deal. It just keeps the front plate on. It does not secure anything else. Let me know if you have lost it as I have plenty of extra ones that I can send along with the other parts.
Ken

 

[Spyderman]

Ken (TVphotog): It's not necessary anymore... but I might use it if I ever decide to open it again...

I bought the camera on a camera show already without the screw... but I hope I can get one from a local camera repairman - at least I hope so. If not - I'll let you know.
(BTW it's one of the shorter screws - there are 4 longer and 2 shorter securing the front plate)

And thanks all for the praise 🙂

 

[TVphotog]

I will still send it out to you. If you are anything like me, that wobble will bother you...😉 The Job looks nice and if you have gotten it soft and quiet, it will soon become a favorite shooter. They are just too much fun.

 

[Santafecino]

Truly nice work. There is something very all-together about these cameras.

Now how about one with a meter?

 

[Spyderman]

You guessed it 😀

that's my next project - not just a Zorki or FED with TTL meter, but also a Kiev with TTL meter 😀 Only problem is where to put the stupid battery...

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Great job---good luck with the 'test flight'.

Brian.

 

[dee]

er ... bootifull ?

 

[outfitter]

Glad to hear it lives again - great work


Michael

 

[misok]

Nice job Ondrej..

i couldn't fight temptation to re-skin my Z4, stripped it, cleaned, stored that old
covering for a template use.. now i'm searching for some nice piece of leather but
i'm not sure about the adhesive. What would you suggest ? i have plenty of strong foil-thin double-sided tape..but then i couldn't make corrections. so would be liquid adhesive a better choice?

thanks a lot,

m.

 

[Spyderman]

I used Chemoprén OBUV (for shoes). It's transparent when dry. Instead of applying on both surfaces, I just applied it on the camera and attached the leather. I wonder how long it'll last...

 

[ruben]

wow !

my best congratulations !
Ruben

 

[TVphotog]

Well, that 4A I spoke so lovingly of, kicked the bucket this week. It did not die, just caught a bit of a bug. The shutter has started to work intermitently. I have decided to crack it open tonight and see what the problem is. It is really a shame as everything else is great.

 

[misok]

Thanks Ondrej for tips, i threw the result here http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=587243#post587243


cheers,
m.

 

[Spyderman]

The first rebuilt Kiev now has a sibling - another Kiev 4a:

In fact, the history of these two cameras is a bit more complicated... First I had a nice smooth Kiev 4a. Then I bought another one (a rough one) at a flea market. I rebuilt the rough one so that it was quieter and smoother then the first one, and now I did the same treatment to the good one (my first).

From the first one I removed the self timer and the flash sync, now I decided to keep the flash sync, so I removed only the self-timer. I tell you - it handles much more comfortably without the selftimer lever on the front.

I think this one will be a dedicated camera to be used with Jupiter-12 (an early one made in Arsenal factory) which I bought from Max (darkkavenger) some time ago...

Now I only have to check it for light leaks and then take it out for some street photos 😉

 

[Peter_Jones]

I do like the look of Kievs without the self-timer. 🙂 very sleek, I reckon they would look really cool in black too. 😉

 

[john_van_v]

Nice job Ondrej..

.. now i'm searching for some nice piece of leather but
i'm not sure about the adhesive. What would you suggest ?

thanks a lot,

m.

Yes great job, you are inspiring me to see what I can do for my own Kiev; it is a beautiful camera.

I happen to be experimenting with "Shoe Goo" to fix a broken side skirt on my Tiburon sports car; it is made of a particularly nasty plastic called TPO. I will let you know how well it works.

But... I happen to love the rubber grip foamy feel of the Bessa R. I can easily see buying a sheet, cutting it w/ the old skin as a template, and beveling the edges.