Roger Vadim said:
Hi, I just developed a roll of my newly CLA'd Kiev 4, very nice and beautyfull Sonnarish pics...
But: the "bang" of the shutter seems quite extreme (for a RF) and it seems like you need at least a 125th sec to don't get blurred, shaky images.
Do you feel the same? the mass of the shutter, and its vertikal traveling feels like a shake-improver... (thats not the case with my zorki 4 for example)
what do you think?
Sorry, I am not a native speaker, so the terminology might be wrong.
cheerio, Michael
Hi Michael,
In order to check we both are singing the same tone, when you write that
"it seems like you need at least a 125th sec to don't get blurred, shaky images.", I do understand that you refer to the impression left by the shutter sound.
If my understanding of your message is correct, then several things:
It is the usual for Kievs that the speeds of 1/50 and lower sound like a "zzzzzzzzzzz", being this a feature many fans find of their taste. It is normal for every Kiev due to its special and sophysticated shutter, and your camera will not blurr any image at 1/50 handheld. You can rest in peace here, and don't give much importance to eventual champions testifying about their own handholding capabilities.
But I would be somewhat worry about your feeling of a strong massive shutter at higher speeds. Because there are several possiblities.
One case can be that the same as with the "zzzzzzzzzz", you are new to the Kiev feeling at high shutter speeds.
Other possibility is that your feeling here is correct and then it means that the shutter is over-tensioned, producing a strong impact, much stronger than necessary. Shutter over tension is not a built in characteristic of the Kievs, but a very common desease produced by either previous owners or sellers, or not enough knowledgeable fixers, or the tragic combination of them.
Over tension is felt as well at the second stage of the winding, when the shutter mechanism is lifting up the curtains. Therefore, take the back off the camera and feel the winding while the camera is lifting the curtains. If you feel it is too hard to wind, this may be a sign of over-tension.
Over all, a gpod CLA performed on a Kiev, MUST left it smooth in EVERYTHING. High speeds should feel as a short and smooth impact, but SHORT AND SMOOTH, very far from what you describe.
Now one thing more. I live in Jerusalem, Israel. I think there are around a million folks who migrated to Israel from the FSU. There is no single camera fixer, knowledgeable of Soviet cameras, available to the public. But there is one in Jerusalem, with a square sign reading both in English and Hebrew "Zenit" camera repairs. No matter the sign, the guy has no idea about Soviet cameras too, prompting me to learn the trade myself, hopefully for the benefit of RFF.
Cheers,
Ruben
