40oz
...
I'm posting this for others who might have given up on one they own. And to celebrate a modest victory 🙂
I've had a Kiev 4A for a while that always left light marks on the rebate, very rarely intruding on the frame.
Well, the negatives hanging in the bathroom are proof that the light leak is no more. I had been using half a Contax/Kiev take-up cassette as a temporary solution, as it encloses the top and sides of the winding spindle, and cannot discount this as the real fix (I keep no real records of this kind of thing). But I am pretty sure the leak was coming through the winding sprockets, which the take-up cassette doesn't address. I'm pretty sure I've ran a few rolls showing leaks through the camera while using the half cassette, but can't guarantee it. Regardless, I noticed the screws holding down the shutter surround were loose and I was missing one, so the shutter surround was lifted by the spring under the shutter button. I tightened the two remaining screws so the surround would remain seated in the appropriate position, and voila, no light leaks. This is the first roll through either one of my Kiev's that need no excuse. You might imagine how nice a feeling that is, to open the can and find zero light leaks from one of your favorite cameras.
I have a Kiev 4 that suffers from a very similar leak, and after checking, noticed that the surround on that one was also loose. No test rolls yet from that one, but I'm thinking I now have two cameras that are better than me 🙂
BTW, the half-cassette is elegant. I simply obtained one of these: http://www.fedka.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=417
I used only the outside half, which covers the top and sides. The spindle that came with the cassette was designed to accept standard tongue 35mm film, so I used that as well. It actually makes loading a bit easier with the better spindle, as my camera came with one that attached the film in the center, requiring taping or folding and tearing. Overall, my Kiev 4A now regains the pedestal it should have sat on from the start 😀
I'm pretty sure the problem was the loose surround all along, but it's a moot point. The half-cassette "solution" is transparent in usage anyway, and might help someone else. Did I mention Fedka rocks?
I've had a Kiev 4A for a while that always left light marks on the rebate, very rarely intruding on the frame.
Well, the negatives hanging in the bathroom are proof that the light leak is no more. I had been using half a Contax/Kiev take-up cassette as a temporary solution, as it encloses the top and sides of the winding spindle, and cannot discount this as the real fix (I keep no real records of this kind of thing). But I am pretty sure the leak was coming through the winding sprockets, which the take-up cassette doesn't address. I'm pretty sure I've ran a few rolls showing leaks through the camera while using the half cassette, but can't guarantee it. Regardless, I noticed the screws holding down the shutter surround were loose and I was missing one, so the shutter surround was lifted by the spring under the shutter button. I tightened the two remaining screws so the surround would remain seated in the appropriate position, and voila, no light leaks. This is the first roll through either one of my Kiev's that need no excuse. You might imagine how nice a feeling that is, to open the can and find zero light leaks from one of your favorite cameras.
I have a Kiev 4 that suffers from a very similar leak, and after checking, noticed that the surround on that one was also loose. No test rolls yet from that one, but I'm thinking I now have two cameras that are better than me 🙂
BTW, the half-cassette is elegant. I simply obtained one of these: http://www.fedka.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=417
I used only the outside half, which covers the top and sides. The spindle that came with the cassette was designed to accept standard tongue 35mm film, so I used that as well. It actually makes loading a bit easier with the better spindle, as my camera came with one that attached the film in the center, requiring taping or folding and tearing. Overall, my Kiev 4A now regains the pedestal it should have sat on from the start 😀
I'm pretty sure the problem was the loose surround all along, but it's a moot point. The half-cassette "solution" is transparent in usage anyway, and might help someone else. Did I mention Fedka rocks?
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