mike goldberg
The Peaceful Pacific
Post #1
I must say that Ruben is a great innovator who has devised some amazing solutions for me over the years. So, happily satiated with Jerusalem shtrudel this morning, we set about getting a few captures of his deceptively simple setup for one-handed carrying and focusing a Kiev. NOTE his little finger in the loop attached to the self timer screw, for stability.
I must say that Ruben is a great innovator who has devised some amazing solutions for me over the years. So, happily satiated with Jerusalem shtrudel this morning, we set about getting a few captures of his deceptively simple setup for one-handed carrying and focusing a Kiev. NOTE his little finger in the loop attached to the self timer screw, for stability.
Attachments
Last edited:
mike goldberg
The Peaceful Pacific
R
ruben
Guest
Hi folks,
I asked Mike to post these pics, upon our shtrudel meeting, to show several details to be explained.
I will start with the last pair of pics (Mike's post #2). Here I tryied to show the gripping of a Kiev for shooting with a single hand.
Notice several things:
a) the two fingers on top of the camera are absolutely free. One will fire the shutter release with the joint, the other focus the small wheel. As you remember I have said the small focusing wheel is for slight adjustments only.
b) Therefore the whole weight of the camera falls upon the thumb (pic on the right - we continue concentrating on post #2) and the other two minor fingers as you see on the picture at the left.
Very obviously the two fingers at the pic on the left are the weakest in our hand, therefore they play only as a counter pressure, a secondary role to the real hero, our thumb, pic on the right side, who effects the real pressure/force in holding the camera.
c) Notice that as I said in a previous post about the single hand shooting, that not only our thumb is pressing but also some part of our hand next to the thumb. Notice the difference about it, between the right pic of post # 2, and the right pic of post # 1.
d) Also in the single hand shooting the two top fingers are free. One to fire with the joint, the other for the small wheel.
Now lets' go for the small innovation, quite hard to notice in the pic, but I will try my best explanation. We are now at Mike's post #1, pic on the left
It consists in a thin plastic strap, attached to the self timer on both ends of the strap, making a kind of loop, to insert our small finger, when we walk with the camera on hand, arm down.
This small strap, I hope you notice, serves both to balance the camera, give a rest to our right hand, and be at the same time quite close to the controls according to the Contax grip.
Unfortunately the problem with the pic is that the small black strap merges accidentally with the black wrist, obstaculizing the clear visualization.
The wrist is there for safety. This is not the safest way to get rid of the wrist.
If you want to try it on your Kiev you will have to find a thin material, be it plastic or leather, make a hole, and then unscrew the big self timer screw for insertion, between the self timer lever and the screw.
I have been repeating thin, because you must enable the maximum posssible extension for the screw to enter to its original place. The female thread tube is quite weak.
To end, have an overall look at this strange camera.
It is a Kiev 4AM, black, with a square front plate (not the low triangular shaped as the originals for the 4AM/M models), which looks to me much more elegant.
Alex photo goods sells these black front plates for pennies.
Then notice the re-wind knob, original from an Olympus RD, but black painted as well.
The camera case, is from the old Kievs IIa, (what a beauty !). Of course, its not kept in place by the lower big button, which has been extracted, but by the pressure of the lugger rings on the leather. If I hold this combo with a neck strap, the pressure of the lugger rings will even increase.
The original self timer of the Kiev 4AM/M was exchanged for a full chrome one, and on this one the flat part of the lever was black taped, leaving only 2 chromed circles.
Finnally notice the red painting on the Cirillic logo, done with a felt pen, over the original white one. Mike finded it lovely.
Thanks to Mike for making and editing these pics ! The strudel was great too.
Cheers,
Ruben
I asked Mike to post these pics, upon our shtrudel meeting, to show several details to be explained.
I will start with the last pair of pics (Mike's post #2). Here I tryied to show the gripping of a Kiev for shooting with a single hand.
Notice several things:
a) the two fingers on top of the camera are absolutely free. One will fire the shutter release with the joint, the other focus the small wheel. As you remember I have said the small focusing wheel is for slight adjustments only.
b) Therefore the whole weight of the camera falls upon the thumb (pic on the right - we continue concentrating on post #2) and the other two minor fingers as you see on the picture at the left.
Very obviously the two fingers at the pic on the left are the weakest in our hand, therefore they play only as a counter pressure, a secondary role to the real hero, our thumb, pic on the right side, who effects the real pressure/force in holding the camera.
c) Notice that as I said in a previous post about the single hand shooting, that not only our thumb is pressing but also some part of our hand next to the thumb. Notice the difference about it, between the right pic of post # 2, and the right pic of post # 1.
d) Also in the single hand shooting the two top fingers are free. One to fire with the joint, the other for the small wheel.
Now lets' go for the small innovation, quite hard to notice in the pic, but I will try my best explanation. We are now at Mike's post #1, pic on the left
It consists in a thin plastic strap, attached to the self timer on both ends of the strap, making a kind of loop, to insert our small finger, when we walk with the camera on hand, arm down.
This small strap, I hope you notice, serves both to balance the camera, give a rest to our right hand, and be at the same time quite close to the controls according to the Contax grip.
Unfortunately the problem with the pic is that the small black strap merges accidentally with the black wrist, obstaculizing the clear visualization.
The wrist is there for safety. This is not the safest way to get rid of the wrist.
If you want to try it on your Kiev you will have to find a thin material, be it plastic or leather, make a hole, and then unscrew the big self timer screw for insertion, between the self timer lever and the screw.
I have been repeating thin, because you must enable the maximum posssible extension for the screw to enter to its original place. The female thread tube is quite weak.
To end, have an overall look at this strange camera.
It is a Kiev 4AM, black, with a square front plate (not the low triangular shaped as the originals for the 4AM/M models), which looks to me much more elegant.
Alex photo goods sells these black front plates for pennies.
Then notice the re-wind knob, original from an Olympus RD, but black painted as well.
The camera case, is from the old Kievs IIa, (what a beauty !). Of course, its not kept in place by the lower big button, which has been extracted, but by the pressure of the lugger rings on the leather. If I hold this combo with a neck strap, the pressure of the lugger rings will even increase.
The original self timer of the Kiev 4AM/M was exchanged for a full chrome one, and on this one the flat part of the lever was black taped, leaving only 2 chromed circles.
Finnally notice the red painting on the Cirillic logo, done with a felt pen, over the original white one. Mike finded it lovely.
Thanks to Mike for making and editing these pics ! The strudel was great too.
Cheers,
Ruben
Last edited by a moderator:
mike goldberg
The Peaceful Pacific
Just imagine... to be carrying a Kiev with a wrist strap, and bring it up to the eye, ready for a shot in street photography, with one's right hand. My one Kiev is being happily utilized by an RFF member in the UK, because I had difficulty with focusing [me; not the camera] and changing speeds.
Attachments
Last edited:
R
ruben
Guest
Well Mike,
I am not sure what you say is possible. Because you are saying something slightly different: walking with a Kiev, holding it ready to fire with a single hand.
No doubt this I can do for short times, but I don't think I can do it beyond let's say a quarter of hour.
With this let me clarify:
the first two pics you display (post#1) show a way to hold the camera, in which with a quick help of the left hand, before or while raising the camera to eyelevel, you will be easily placed within the contax grip, one handed if you want.
And as said, the ready to one hand shooting way, is not easy to walk with for long periods - for long periods it will require a lot of hand strength.
But, I am new in these issues. I would concede the last word to our friend VinceC, if he finds this thread, or if he is asked by any reader.
Cheers,
Ruben
I am not sure what you say is possible. Because you are saying something slightly different: walking with a Kiev, holding it ready to fire with a single hand.
No doubt this I can do for short times, but I don't think I can do it beyond let's say a quarter of hour.
With this let me clarify:
the first two pics you display (post#1) show a way to hold the camera, in which with a quick help of the left hand, before or while raising the camera to eyelevel, you will be easily placed within the contax grip, one handed if you want.
And as said, the ready to one hand shooting way, is not easy to walk with for long periods - for long periods it will require a lot of hand strength.
But, I am new in these issues. I would concede the last word to our friend VinceC, if he finds this thread, or if he is asked by any reader.
Cheers,
Ruben
charjohncarter
Veteran
Mike you look like a West Texas Gunslinger in West Jerusalem. Neat trick Ruben.
dazedgonebye
Veteran
Brilliant...but won't that lens cap get in the way?
R
ruben
Guest
Hi Steve,
Unles you are kidding, I don't follow...
Cheers,
Ruben
Unles you are kidding, I don't follow...
Cheers,
Ruben