Kiev 4A Rewinding Question

[spieg16]

I had a quick question regarding the rewind mechanism on my Kiev 4a. It seems like I need to hold the rewind button in the entire time I'm rewinding the film, to keep the advance sprocket disengaged. This really threw me the first time I went to rewind, since I'm used to the button just staying down until the next time the shutter is cocked on the rest of my cameras (I actually ended up tearing my film because of that).

Is this normal behavior for this camera, or is there something up with mine?

 

[markjwyatt]

I had a quick question regarding the rewind mechanism on my Kiev 4a. It seems like I need to hold the rewind button in the entire time I'm rewinding the film, to keep the advance sprocket disengaged. This really threw me the first time I went to rewind, since I'm used to the button just staying down until the next time the shutter is cocked on the rest of my cameras (I actually ended up tearing my film because of that).

Is this normal behavior for this camera, or is there something up with mine?

I must admit I have never thought about it, but that is what I do on my Kiev 4a and my Contax iia. In fact I think I do that on all my older mechanical 35mm cameras...

 

[Elmar Lang]

Yes, it's pretty normal and that's the same also with the Contax-IIa/IIIa.

Even the Contax-S need to keep pressed the sprocket disengage button for the whole rewind operation.

The Italian Rectaflex, contemporary to the earliest Contax-S had a lever to be moved (similar to screwmount Leicas and early Zorki/FED) so that the photographer had an easier operation.

Best wishes,

E.L.

 

[nhchen]

On my early Kiev 5 there was a spring installed in the back plate which would hold the button down once you pressed it. But it was removed on a Kiev 5 I have made a few years after.
Nathan