Kiev 4am light leak!

[Huss]

Good luck on the RTV sealant. I'd be leery of it out-gassing onto the lens.


PF

It was only two tiny drops, and I had the back off for a day while they dried. So I don't think there is much chance for outgassing to get through the body, past the shutter and into the lens.
Just checked it again in the dark with an LED light, and I no longer see the light leaks that I saw before. So I'll run another roll through it but I am hopeful it is fixed.
I'll let you know if I'm going to unload it. There are certain design elements that I have not yet jelled with - the infinity lock and the shutter speed dial.
The 53 1.8 lens is very nice though:

 

[Huss]

Finished the second roll, so I'll soon see if the fix is 2 legit 2 legit 2 quit.

The kamera is starting to grow on me, I mean it is stll a total pain in the a$$ with the focus lock, fiddly shutter speed dial and rf window that is blocked if you hold the camera normally. But it is still starting to grow on me.

 

[Huss]

My attempted fix did not work.. same as before. I'll be unloading this pretty thing as I have too many other cameras that work perfectly to be bothered with this!
Shame as the lens is excellent.

 

[Glen851]

That's too bad about the light leak. I have yet to put a roll of film through my 4a, but I agree with PITA assessment. I fiddle with it regularly but compared to the FEDs and Zorki, I'm not bonding with this box! Good luck!

 

[Huss]

Yeah my Fed2 and Zorki4 are kameras that just work and give great results. And this is w/o taking the light leak issue of the Kiev into account. The Kiev gets in your way shooting, not out.
But it looks cool.
😉

 

[yorksteve]

This thread may have saved another Kiev from the cupboard of forgotten cameras. As soon as I saw those shapes in the bottom left of the negative in the top post, I recognised them from the ones which turned up on some (but not all) of the film I just put through a Kiev 3A.
And after shining a torch through the rangefinder window, yes, a tiny pin-prick of light is coming through that hole in the top sprocket wheel. So I have a project...
Also, the wool/yak hair seal in the groove where the back meets the top, is completely missing, so that's another job.
Hoping that this one will be back to full health soon.

 

[Huss]

Steve, where r u based? York, England?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Huss, you could find, afford serviced Contax IIa. I have seen, hold in hands this kind of camera in 2016. Still impressed. Kievs are too crude, IMO, to joy. I have II serviced before I got it and serviced in Kiev while I used it. Shutter selection was still too crude for my taste. On Contax IIa it is same as on M5.

 

[yorksteve]

Steve, where r u based? York, England?

That's right.

 

[yorksteve]

Here is a problem I am seeing on some (not all) frames taken with my Kiev 3A. The top half of the photo is fine, but the bottom half completely overexposed. Looking at the negatives, I can't see any leakage over the sprocket holes or between the frames. This was shot at 1/500, as were the frames which came out OK.
This same camera had an issue with light coming in at the top sprocket wheel (see my post a few above), but that has been fixed with some black acrylic paint. At the same time I added some black cotton yarn in the slot where the back meets the top, as there was none at all. But I still get this problem. So...should I add a thicker bit of yarn, or could it be a shutter problem, with it running more slowly over the top half of the negative.
All theories gratefully accepted!

 

[retinax]

Here is a problem I am seeing on some (not all) frames taken with my Kiev 3A. The top half of the photo is fine, but the bottom half completely overexposed. Looking at the negatives, I can't see any leakage over the sprocket holes or between the frames. This was shot at 1/500, as were the frames which came out OK.
This same camera had an issue with light coming in at the top sprocket wheel (see my post a few above), but that has been fixed with some black acrylic paint. At the same time I added some black cotton yarn in the slot where the back meets the top, as there was none at all. But I still get this problem. So...should I add a thicker bit of yarn, or could it be a shutter problem, with it running more slowly over the top half of the negative.
All theories gratefully accepted!

A light leak should be visible outside the frame as long as it's not coming from the lens (or lens mount area), a shutter problem not.

 

[farlymac]

Here is a problem I am seeing on some (not all) frames taken with my Kiev 3A. The top half of the photo is fine, but the bottom half completely overexposed. Looking at the negatives, I can't see any leakage over the sprocket holes or between the frames. This was shot at 1/500, as were the frames which came out OK.
This same camera had an issue with light coming in at the top sprocket wheel (see my post a few above), but that has been fixed with some black acrylic paint. At the same time I added some black cotton yarn in the slot where the back meets the top, as there was none at all. But I still get this problem. So...should I add a thicker bit of yarn, or could it be a shutter problem, with it running more slowly over the top half of the negative.
All theories gratefully accepted!

Not a light leak at all, but a shutter running slow over the upper half of the frame causing an overexposure. Second curtain release is getting occasionally delayed. $0.02

PF

 

[yorksteve]

Not a light leak at all, but a shutter running slow over the upper half of the frame causing an overexposure. Second curtain release is getting occasionally delayed. $0.02

PF

I was heading to this theory too. Is there a fix for this?

 

[farlymac]

I was heading to this theory too. Is there a fix for this?

A CLA by someone who knows their way around a Contax, Steve. Not something I would want to take on, as my experience with Zeiss 35mm repairs are limited to a Contaflex II overhaul, and fixing the frame counter on a Contax IIa. And both involved undoing what someone else did.

PF

 

[yorksteve]

A CLA by someone who knows their way around a Contax, Steve.

I suspected as much. I may use this as a learning exercise in exploring the inner workings. I have a couple of other Kievs I can use in the meantime.

Thanks for pointing me at the real problem.

 

[Brambling]

I suspected as much. I may use this as a learning exercise in exploring the inner workings.

🙂
Yes, this is clearly a shutter error.
You should check this with a test film at all shutter speeds on a mid-gray subject.
Then I would do so - you need to remove the top cover and frame of the box (along which the film moves). Do not remove the shutter.
1. Carefully blow out all the mechanisms and gears - there may be sand, thickened grease, pieces of film.
2. with a pointed wooden stick (a toothpick?) Try to remove debris that is not blown away by air. (pay attention to the condition of the tape - webbing)
3. blow out air again
4. Try to clean dirty areas with clean gasoline. (through a spray gun and a thin tube, very little, wiping off excess gasoline with cotton wool on a stick) Replace the crown and use the shutter several times to observe the movement of the blinds.
5. blow out air again
6. Carefully install the frame box and top cover. (pay attention to the movement of the curtain at the moment when the shutter starts to work, the operation of the hook holds the curtain)
7. Check again with test film at all shutter speeds.
This is the minimum that can be done.

Sorry for the auto-translation and I wish you success!

 

[oftheherd]

I would start with fresh light seal on the body Chanel at perimeter of removable back.
Black wool thread is what was and is in use.

I couldn't find any Yak yarn so I had to fall back on black yarn which I then covered with black marker. Worked for me, but I can't say it will work for anyone else.

 

[farlymac]

🙂
Yes, this is clearly a shutter error.
You should check this with a test film at all shutter speeds on a mid-gray subject.
Then I would do so - you need to remove the top cover and frame of the box (along which the film moves). Do not remove the shutter.
1. Carefully blow out all the mechanisms and gears - there may be sand, thickened grease, pieces of film.
2. with a pointed wooden stick (a toothpick?) Try to remove debris that is not blown away by air. (pay attention to the condition of the tape - webbing)
3. blow out air again
4. Try to clean dirty areas with clean gasoline. (through a spray gun and a thin tube, very little, wiping off excess gasoline with cotton wool on a stick) Replace the crown and use the shutter several times to observe the movement of the blinds.
5. blow out air again
6. Carefully install the frame box and top cover. (pay attention to the movement of the curtain at the moment when the shutter starts to work, the operation of the hook holds the curtain)
7. Check again with test film at all shutter speeds.
This is the minimum that can be done.

Sorry for the auto-translation and I wish you success!

Replace the gasoline with naphtha, it's safer to work with.

PF

 

[yorksteve]

🙂
Yes, this is clearly a shutter error.
You should check this with a test film at all shutter speeds on a mid-gray subject.
Then I would do so - you need to remove the top cover and frame of the box (along which the film moves). Do not remove the shutter.
1. Carefully blow out all the mechanisms and gears - there may be sand, thickened grease, pieces of film.
2. with a pointed wooden stick (a toothpick?) Try to remove debris that is not blown away by air. (pay attention to the condition of the tape - webbing)
3. blow out air again
4. Try to clean dirty areas with clean gasoline. (through a spray gun and a thin tube, very little, wiping off excess gasoline with cotton wool on a stick) Replace the crown and use the shutter several times to observe the movement of the blinds.
5. blow out air again
6. Carefully install the frame box and top cover. (pay attention to the movement of the curtain at the moment when the shutter starts to work, the operation of the hook holds the curtain)
7. Check again with test film at all shutter speeds.
This is the minimum that can be done.

Sorry for the auto-translation and I wish you success!

Thanks for all of this. It maybe some time before I have a free day to get on with this, but I will report back if/when it happens.