Kiev 4 shutter ribbon repair

[joshw]

Hey everyone.

So I received my first Kiev 4 (3rd FSU RF overall) a few days ago. Took it out of the envelope and it looked to be in great condition. Fired the shutter a couple of times and it was as smooth as butter, sounded real clean. Everything seemed clean and working. I was about to pop open the champagne, as I thought I'd just snared a great camera at a bargain...

Then, obviously, one of the ribbons broke! :bang::bang:

I had a few options. First was to send it back to the seller in Ukraine, but it would be from all the way down here, in Australia. Not worth the time or money.

I don't think a repair is feasible either. I've only been playing with FSU RFs for a few months, don't think there are many Aussies who can give me a hand (but please do if you're out there!). I don't want to send the camera overseas; I'm pretty sure postage would cost more than the camera itself!

So it has inevitably dawned upon me that the only way out of this is to fix it myself. In the long term, this is probably the best option so I can be more self-sufficient. I have little experience: I'm 18 and I've only done some basic adjustments on my FED-2, and so this Kiev has me feeling a bit out of my depth.

I've had a quick look on the Kiev Survival Site and I guess the repair seems feasible with some steady hands.

So the big question is, where do I start? Am I making a big mistake?? I plan on having a lot of questions, so I thought this would be a good place to ask them. I need to buy some ribbon soon, any tips (either craft store or original factory)?

And perhaps most importantly, what are the chances that I'll end up ruining the camera?

Thanks in advance for any help; it's greatly appreciated!

Josh

 

[ludoo]

Ribbons here

http://www.okvintagecamera.com/kievparts.php

and a repair manual here

http://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Contax-...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290434244&sr=8-3

As for most repairs, get decent tools especially jeweler's screwdrivers: there's nothing worse than a stripped screw.

I have a Contax II in the same condition, and hope to find the time to get down to it sooner or later.

Edit: a couple more references from Rick Oleson's site

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-92.html
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-29.html

 

[sevo]

As for most repairs, get decent tools especially jeweler's screwdrivers: there's nothing worse than a stripped screw.

Right. You'll also need a couple of good tweezers (two locking ones among them). Medical supply stores have them much cheaper than the usual camera and electronics repair suppliers - and if you already shop there, get some small non-absorbable surgical sutures as well...

Besides Oleg, whose ribbons are originals, which is nice from a restoration point of view but implies that they have already a decade or two of aging behind them, Microtools and Aki-Asahi also sell suitable silk ribbon.

 

[Dralowid]

Try The Kiev Survival Site

http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/

...and good luck, even |I mamanged it!

Michael

 

[joshw]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the help and suggestions so far.

So I found some ribbon that seemed similar to the original factory stuff and decided to give it a shot.

So far, I've managed to remove all of the old ribbon and get some new ones on. But I untensioned the spring that tensions the ribbons... which may have been a mistake but it made it a lot easier to thread the ribbon. Anyway, my problem is getting that tension back into the spring... how do I do that? I feel like I've made a bit of a mess :bang:

Also, the top shutter only goes up about half-way before the shutter is cocked. Is this normal?

 

[ZorkiKat]

I use the shutter ribbons from Aki-Asahi. They fit the Kiev very well, and AFAIK, being made of real silk, will be more robust than the acetate Arsenal ribbons. The Aki Asahi ribbons are usually bundled with their cloth shutter material. These are thinner, so a bit of crimping may be needed on the shutter clips to make the first (lower) blind cling on the ribbons instead of sliding down too quickly.

The AA ribbons are also lower-priced than the Arsenal material: The last time I ordered, it was US$6.00 for a two-metre length; shipping included.

Ribbon thickness is critical. If it's too thick, it can jam the shutter, or may require more tensing than usual.