kiev 5 question

[ruben]

Many thanks for the details provided, Zhang.

Yet several questions:

a) do you have to lift up the speed knob in order to change speeds ?

b) what kind of winding lever is it ?, single stroke, ratcheted?

c) what is the idea of having both a winding lever and a winding knob ?

d) is the rewind knob strong enough to resist years and years or rewinding ?

e) can you see the light meter indicator within the viewfinder window?

f) is the shutter as quiet as in any other Kiev ?

g) has this camera solved the issue of frame spacing via different design ?

h) is the standard lens heavy ?

Sorry for the bulk, and thanks again,
Ruben

 

[Xmas]

Ruben

http://cgi.ebay.com/VERY-RARE-Colle...2023257QQihZ018QQcategoryZ30028QQcmdZViewItem

Noel

 

[zhang xk]

Many thanks for the details provided, Zhang.

Yet several questions:

a) do you have to lift up the speed knob in order to change speeds ?

b) what kind of winding lever is it ?, single stroke, ratcheted?

c) what is the idea of having both a winding lever and a winding knob ?

d) is the rewind knob strong enough to resist years and years or rewinding ?

e) can you see the light meter indicator within the viewfinder window?

f) is the shutter as quiet as in any other Kiev ?

g) has this camera solved the issue of frame spacing via different design ?

h) is the standard lens heavy ?

Sorry for the bulk, and thanks again,
Ruben

No problem Comrade Ruben.

a, yes, you set the speed the same way as a Kiev 4.

b, single stoke, and can be inched if that is ratcheted.

c, I don't know why it still has a nob wind. Both wind quietly. Much quieter than a Zorki-4K.

d, The rewind crank is well made, and if it broke, I think it can be replaced with one from a ragefinder camera with a similar crank.

e, No meter reading can be seen from the viewfinder.

f, Yes, they have the same shutter.

g, Is the film spacing a design problem or a quality issue? I think the early 1960's back with an additional spring under the pressure plate may help keep the film in place, so that an even spacing?
Sorry, I never used this camera because I thought they would perform about the same as a Kiev 4.

h, The lens is heavier than a J-8M, but about the same as a normal SLR lens.

It seems to me that you are seriously considering buying one, so please feel free if you have more questions.

Cheers,

Zhang

 

[ruben]

i) rangefinder baselength and the 135mm lens ?

j) yellow patch contrast vis a vis the brighter window ?

 

[zhang xk]

rangefinder baselength and the 135mm lens ?

You mean the rangefinder base is not long enough for a 135mm lens? I will have to check. I think the rangefinder magnefication is about 0.85 and the base length is about 55mm. It should be more accurate than a Zorki 4.

The double images for rangefinder is easy to see for me. Somehow the yellow patch is more distracting for view finding than a Leica M3 or Zorki 4.

 

[zhang xk]

I forgot to mention a detail. The shutter button can not be locked for B setting. That is a useful feature for long exposures at night on a Kiev 4.

 

[nzeeman]

it all looks like almost pefect contax mount camera - we just need to find some working samples. 😀

 

[JasonC]

Hi Zhang,

Any idea on how the rangefinder could be adjusted? Thanks.

Jason.

 

[zhang xk]

Hi Zhang,

Any idea on how the rangefinder could be adjusted? Thanks.

Jason.

Sorry, Jason, I never opened its top cover so that I have no idea how to adjust. I would also like to know its rangefinder design, and if it also has a very brittle metal frame like those Leningrad's. I assume it is similar to those Leica M's design.

regards,

Zhang

 

[zhang xk]

I forgot to mention a detail. The shutter button can not be locked for B setting. That is a useful feature for long exposures at night on a Kiev 4.

Yet another detail. The frame counter only has a dot for every two frames,and numbers 12,16,20...so it is a bit uneasy to read.😀

 

[zhang xk]

it all looks like almost pefect contax mount camera - we just need to find some working samples. 😀

I think it is more a collectable camera as the "most complex rangefinder camera" ever made.😀 For use, I still prefer an early 1960 Kiev 4A or a later Kiev 4AM.

 

[ruben]

I think it is more a collectable camera as the "most complex rangefinder camera" ever made.😀 For use, I still prefer an early 1960 Kiev 4A or a later Kiev 4AM.

I think you said that a super wide aperture standard lens was designed for it with an outer bayonet.

This lens should mount into a Kiev-4 too....

Cheers and many thanks again.
Ruben

 

[Xmas]

Ruben

A camera only using the outer mount need not have a narrow throat, like the Contax, so a lens for the 5 need not be constrained, and a F/1 lens will be big.

Noel

 

[jlw]

Still gathering digital dust on a webserver, my visual tribute to the Kiev 5 I no longer own:

Click here

Click any of the smaller images to see a larger one, with a brief caption.

Yes, the Kiev 5 has got some nice modern features, and yes, it's interesting to see what happened when someone finally tried to extend the original Contax II concept with 1950s technology.

But I still say, if you're looking for the most usable FSU cameras, I prescribe Drugs. (Sorry, we '70s types can never resist a Drug joke.)

No projected-frame finder (reflected bright lines instead) and no parallax compensation, but I think they're more practical cameras.

 

[nzeeman]

But I still say, if you're looking for the most usable FSU cameras, I prescribe Drugs.

one question about drug - how that trigger winder work - i have never seen that. i mean what is the procedure for winding?

 

[rxmd]

Hi Srđan,

winding on the Drug works like this. You flip out the trigger winder lever (it flips out to the left). You take the lever with your left hand and pull it horizontally along the slit to the left; this transports the film and cocks the shutter. At the end you hear a nice clunking sound. Tthen the lever becomes free and you move it back to the right and are ready for shooting.

Philipp

 

[ruben]

Still gathering digital dust on a webserver, my visual tribute to the Kiev 5 I no longer own:

Click here

Click any of the smaller images to see a larger one, with a brief caption.

Yes, the Kiev 5 has got some nice modern features, and yes, it's interesting to see what happened when someone finally tried to extend the original Contax II concept with 1950s technology.

But I still say, if you're looking for the most usable FSU cameras, I prescribe Drugs. (Sorry, we '70s types can never resist a Drug joke.)

No projected-frame finder (reflected bright lines instead) and no parallax compensation, but I think they're more practical cameras.

Hi JLW,
Many thanks for your photo-homage to the Kiev-5.

In case you have used it, it will be of the highest interest for many of us to hear your experiences.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[ruben]

Hi Zhang,

I am very curious about how a mind like yours didn't attempt to dismount the Winding knob and lever, and mount it in a Kiev 4am/m...

Yet instead of apologizing you could give me the size measures of the Kiev 5 body.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[ruben]

Black Kiev 5

Black Kiev 5

Had I painted it.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[ruben]

And some day we should deal with the failures of the Kiev 5 and the R2C. It may be dramatically interesting.

Cheers,
Ruben