Kiev 4a aka "World's Finest 35mm Rangefinder Camera"

[CameraQuest]

Russian No Name Kiev 4A
Protax 4A proclaimed "The World's finest 35mm Rangefinder Camera"
For those endlessly losing sleep determining whether the Leica M3, M2, M4, or MP is the World's Finest 35mm Rangefinder, go back to sleep. This question was decided long ago. In 1983 the good folks at Cambridge Camera in New York City gave that championshp title to this version of the Russian No Name Kiev 4A. Only $129.95 - while supplies lasted.

For the lost newbies, a Kiev 4A is a Russian made 35mm camera inspired by Zeiss Contax II -- whose tooling dies were hauled off to Russia as a war prize after WWII. Yep, Kievs take classic Zeiss Contax lenses, and likewise the Ruskie Kiev lenses will fit classic Zeiss Contax. Not really known as high precision cameras and lenses, this Ruskie still offered a lot for the money: 1983 Prices: New bodies $129, 35/2.8 $89, 50/2 $49, and 85/2 lenses at $98. Apparently there are at least 3 variations of the "No Name Kiev," ie Kiev camera without name plate. After WWII one variation was made using mostly original Germany parts. Another version appeared in about 1963. This version appeared in NYC in 1983 - notice the self timer is not all metal as the 1963 version.
Only the last 1983 version, however, proudly shouldered the title of "The World's finest 35mm Rangefinder Camera."

Ad copyright Cambridge Camera, all Rights Reserved

Addendum
__________

I'm sure this ad was written from the word go as Over the Top Entertainment
-- much like the Fiats going over the Italian cliffs to motor to the US in today's TV ads.

My congrats to Cambridge and the copywriter for providing laughs 30 years later!

Stephen

 

[yossarian123]

This ad is comedy gold. "There is nothing to get out of alignment." I better call DAG and get back the sh**load of money I spent because my Leicas were out of whack.

 

[farlymac]

I remember reading this advert when it came out. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Stephan.

PF

 

[RWaldron]

Wow, here I always thought that the 1963 No Name was the only No Name Kiev. I'm not sure this one wins the prize for best anything, but I wouldn't laugh too hard over the 'nothing to get knocked out of alignment' claim. The Kievs, like the original Contax II, do have a great deal less moving rangefinder parts to get knocked out of whack than other rangefinders. Still, I don't think the folks at Leica were as intimidated by this camera in 1983 as the earlier folks at Leica were in 1936.

 

[ssmc]

Good to know salvation is (or was) at hand - I never enjoyed being scared by the array of incomprehensible dials and numerals on my X-700... 🙂

Thanks for posting this - I badly needed a laugh today!
Scott

 

[Rico]

Copywriter earned his day's pay for that one! Free pierogi lunch for anyone who can work "brainwashed" into today's ad. 🙂

 

[steveniphoto]

well better dump my M5 and pull the Kiev 4 out of the cupboard.

 

[pakeha]

So in 1983 some Americans in New York said the worlds finest 35mm camera came from the Soviet Union...just too funny

 

[btgc]

To me this looks like a Ken Rockwell's early write-up...well, or he must have started his style from this masterpiece 🙂

 

[Red Robin]

Love this AD . Sounded like one of those "Now the truth can be told. .. .... " story's. Good stuff, lets hear it for the ad men.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

hehe that is absolutely true..PROVIDED you take following details into account:
-It does not apply to cameras produced on mondays, the workers were still dead drunk of vodka in the weekend.
-It does not apply to cameras made in the end of "five year plan" the tools and drill bits were too wacky and out of measurement that the parts hardly fit or were like "gravel treated"
-It does not apply to cameras that had the traditional russian camera lube, you could not breathe having th camera under your nose, the smell of that rancid lube was so bad.
-It does not apply to any other camera that wasn`t assembled for Party Honchos. They had some quality control.. Otherwise the technican would go straight to Siberia on those camps that "Teach good communistic behaviour"
- I hope Cambridge camera had good relations with those "Party officials", otherwise.. no hope to live to that promise...

 

[dabick42]

I hope the advertising team responsible for promoting these paperweights went on to bigger things afterwards - like running presidential election campaigns, perhaps.... (!)

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

If it's printed on a newspaper and/or posted on the Internet, it must be true.

 

[sevo]

Wow, here I always thought that the 1963 No Name was the only No Name Kiev.

So did I. It certainly still is the only one sold globally through several sellers.

 

[ray*j*gun]

A great example of US media quality and truth in advertising.

 

[bobby_novatron]

This ad made me chuckle ... a lot of marketing hyperbole, to be sure.

Actually I quite like the Kiev 4A, I've bought a couple of them. They're fun to use, although by 1983 the 4A was hopelessly outdated.

Funny to think that at the height of the Cold War, there was an American retailer that was pushing Soviet-made cameras.

I wonder if they ever came out with a special edition a la Leica? Maybe the 'Brezhnev 4A', with real Yak leather and hammer-and-sickle detailing? 😀

 

[CameraQuest]

Addendum
__________

I'm sure this ad was written from the word go as Over the Top Entertainment
-- much like the Fiats going over the Italian cliffs to motor to the US in today's TV ads.

My congrats to Cambridge and the copywriter for providing laughs 30 years later!

Stephen

 

[jack_to]

1983-the Nikon FE & FE2s were competing with the Olympus OMs, the canon F-1 and AE-1, Pentax MEs, etc., these are all great cameras, most probably still in working order today. Price-wise, well you simply can't compete with slave labour, as an economics professor once told me, but for quality product, you can't compete with competition.
I thought the writing was horrendous. Clearly they were overstocked with "Protaxes" & hoping to dump them. Was any kind of warranty mentioned in there??

 

[btgc]

Was any kind of warranty mentioned in there??

Do world's finest RF camera really needed it? Only second and third tier stuff needs warranty 😉

 

[porktaco]

in soviet russia, range finds you