Kiev 4 ,experience so far.

-doomed- said:
i actually have my kiev for sale , i havent really been able to really use it since i need to redo all the light seals ,i never got to use the j-12 i sold it off already , oh well , maybe one day ill fix one of these , or if this one doesnt sell ill fix it
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Dear doomed,

My humble advice is that you don't sell your Kiev, for which you will get pennies and pain, but leave it resting at some closet, as a spares camera, untill the day you feel you want to buy another Kiev and renew your fixing and CLA attempts.

Because even if you get some 20 bucks back, you will be throwing away something 10 times more valuable: your gained experience so far.

You look to me to be a bold person ready to enter fixing adventures. I myself am of slow tech understanding, and quite clumsy in the art of looking-thinking-understanding-and not touching unless you know what you are going to do. Therefore my moderate skills with the Kievs evolved occasionaly along three years. It seems to me you are a better runner.

But what the Kievs may give you back, the day you achieve a certain minimum - no money will measure it. It is not about owning an oldie. It is about owning a precision camera half obsolete and half unsurpassed, working like butter.

Be confident you arrived to Kiev lands not by chance. Be confident you went to fix it not by chance. All you need now is what all amateur fixers need with Kievs - a rest untill you hear the syren call back.

Cheers,
Ruben

PS
Just in case I happen to convince you - two minor advices to follow religiously: a parts box of at least 20 sections, and a second Kiev for parts, which you will decide if it is your actual one or another to buy.
 
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Universal viewfinder finaly arrived :)
67263568kc7.jpg

40152031ek8.jpg
 
@ Ruben ,
Its funny you mention not selling it , because at the moment that ive decided to keep it , it didnt cost me that much in the first place and if i buy the correct spool and new light seals it will be as good as it can be.

I also contemplated a parts camera as well

Well it hasnt sold yet so im still haning on to it ,im going to redo the light seals and give it a go , the ad is going to be deleted tonight , i took the camera out of the case again and decided id try and get it working well . The shutter seems to be correct , so once i reseal it ill give it a go again.

Ive since repaired the back cover, and looked into reskinning and repainting the body.
 
Put some more effort into the Kiev today, replaced a major light seal, hoping to run a test roll trhough soon and finally post some shots from this camera
 
Not to make you desperate my friend, but take into account that much of the light leaks in the Kievs are to be dealt dismounting the top casting. There, at the side of the smaller front window, there is a lot of work to do, since this is a "free tax zone" where much light goes down via the sprocket axis and surroundings.

By the way, owners of Kievs 4AM/M (i, e, the latest models with plastic rewind crank): Much of the light leaking into the film, in case you have this problem at all, penetrates via the hot shoe, in addition to the "free tax zone".

Cheers,
Ruben
 
ill probably have to tear into it again , but id just like to see how it does ,if its really bad i know ive got more work to do.

Ive not given up on it yet
 
So I ripped the top casting back off , then dismantled it some more , and replaced all the light seals , if it leaks light now ill live with it
 
I finally got back my first roll of film from the Kiev 4 I bought from Oleg a few months ago. Thanks to all who have answered my Kiev questions on RFF and offline. I put a few photos on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnmleung/tags/kiev4/

I started off using my Nikon FG as a light meter, but ended up borrowing my brother's Gossen digital light meter. It's been fun, thanks !

Ming
 
You should be able to get the meter on the Kiev 4 to work accurately. Oleg has replacement cells. Not that it would be as sensitive as a CdS cell meter, but for daylight work it should be accurate.
 
Thank you, Santafecino. My Kiev 4 is meterless (no bump on top). No light leaks, seems to work nicely, like my Zorki 1 and Fed 2 from Oleg. Ming
 
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