Kiev GAS :)

[darkkavenger]

Yesterday I bought two Kiev cameras in Prague, while on my way for lunch (I spent most of my lunch time over there anyways, returned to work almost with nothing in my tummy)...

got a Kiev-2 from 1955 and a Kiev-4 from 1970. Much to my surprise, it seems that the metering device is still operating... I will have to check this vs a digicam though.

It was interesting to compare the camera and lenses with my Kiev-2A. The Kiev-2 has a Jupiter-8, a bit different in build, and the Kiev-4 a Jupiter-8M, that seems a bit shorter (and coated).

I'm very happy with that, and monday I will purchase a Contax-S 😀
My only sadness is that someone bought the Jupiter-9 before I could get a hand on it.. *sighs*

Ah well!

Just me being a maniac... :angel:


//max

 

[hugivza]

If you save up and get the set, you can probably trade them in for a set of steak knives! The Kiev 2 seems a fine piece of machinery, I guess you will be taking it out for a test drive this weekend?!

Enjoy

 

[varjag]

Congratulations with the purchase Max 🙂

The old J8 should be coated too.. there were no uncoated versions of Jupiters, and in fact all post-war Soviet lenses came coated. Albeit maybe they slipped in a fake Jupiter made out of pre-war Sonnar 🙂

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Your Jupiter-8 has a non click stopped aperture and non linear scale? Its a copy based on the 50/1.5 Sonnar and 50/2 collapsible Sonnar barrels/optics, albeit an aluminum copy rather than the extremely heavy chrome on brass construction of the prewar Sonnars. My prewar 50/1.5 only had f/stop to f/11 with a 14 blade aperture.

I don't think that Carl Zeiss made any rigid 50/2 Sonnars prewar, hence the long preamble above - all of mine are of the collapsible variety, going to f/22 with a 10 blade aperture. The prewar 50/1.5 is rigid, big, and HEAVY, 20-30% heavier than the postwar Opton model. Sharp too!

BTW - wish I could shop for FSU cameras on lunch! Not in this country - hard enough to find any classic cameras besides ebay.

 

[darkkavenger]

Hello folks!

hugivza : I will be testing the Kievs this weekend, I need however to get some C-41 bw film, to have quick results 🙂

varjag : my dear Eugene, I'm glad to hear from you! Yes, all are coated 😉 I don't know what silliness made me mention that the J8M was coated, since all are 😛

Mike : I'll reply in a little moment, the time to unpack all my gear! (was going around also with my Pentacon Six MLU this afternoon 😉 )

 

[darkkavenger]

Hello Mike,

I own two Jupiter-8 lenses, and a Jupiter-8M :

1: JUPITER-8 1:2 F = 5CM N°5506299
2: JUPITER-8 1:2 F = 5CM N°5613084
3: JUPITER-8M 2/50 N°7033099

I'll be discussing mainly about the original J-8 lenses.
Both have a non-linear scale for F-stops, non click-stopped.
They seem to have 9 blades, and both are coated.

Regarding the external appearance, although the optics seem to be exactly the same, the metallic ring above the aperture ring differs. The 1956 J-8 has it black and lower (about 2mm) while the 1955 J-8 has it chrome and about 3-4mm. On the 1955 J-8, the decimals on the F scale seem smaller.

Besides this, I do not feel any difference in terms of weight. Both are equal. The lens feels heavy, although I'd rather opt for aluminium instead of chrome brass.

I have heard indeed that the lens design were copied after Carl Zeiss optics... I have seen a pre-war Contax-II with a collapsible 50/2 Sonnar, however at that time I couldn't afford it and someone bought if from the shop, leaving a scar in my heart. (really!) The camera looked beautiful...

I will have to test the speeds on that Kiev-2 because I'm not sure if all is well. Maybe Oleg will be helpful on fixing both the Kiev-2 and Kiev-4. Regarding the Kiev-2, it has no flash sync, accordingly with the year of production. Everything seems to be working accurately, and so far it seems that it will not leak. The markings on the speed ring are in black (vs. high speeds in red on the 2A), shape of the arrow on the rewind knob is an arrow with a circle on the middle and three arrows on its tail.

I am actively looking forward to get a pre-war Contax-II/III (seems to me that the IIa and IIIa are smaller) but it will depend on my budget. I hope, like I said above, to stop by the shop tomorrow and fetch that Contax S slr (marked with the Zeiss-Ikon logo and a little 'D' below the logo). It looks in very good shape!

And yes, I'm lucky to live in Prague!!!! 😀


[while playing with the cam I messed up the 2 and 2A, and I just messed up two frames on the 2A with tri-x 400 film 🙄 😉 ]