Kiev rangefinders and shutter cocking.

[Sid836]

Collecting information about my Kiev rangefinders (3, 4 Type 1, and 4 Type 3), I have come across a site mentioning that for the slow speed I should cock the shutter first and then select anticlockwise the slow speed. Is that possible? To all of my Kiev cameras after cocking the shutter is impossible to change speed. Am I doing something wrong? Could that denote a possible damage?

 

[Sid836]

I have just discovered that I can do this only when with the shutter not cocked, go all the way to B, cock the shutter and then go anticlockwise to the selected speed. If I cock the shutter then the only possible way to turn it is anticlockwise up to the mark of 1/1250s. Is this how it should operate?
(Pardon my ignorance)

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I've sent you an e-mail or PM.

Regards, David

 

[sevo]

I have just discovered that I can do this only when with the shutter not cocked, go all the way to B, cock the shutter and then go anticlockwise to the selected speed. If I cock the shutter then the only possible way to turn it is anticlockwise up to the mark of 1/1250s. Is this how it should operate?

Sounds like a gummed up mechanism to me - turning downward is easy as the spring on a cocked shutter will drive the knob, turning to the long times should be harder as it goes against the spring load, but it is possible and permitted in all original manuals.

 

[Sid836]

Many thanks to all for the help. David had just sent me a scan from the page of the manual that shows how to properly cock the shutter on the Kiev cameras.
I feel so stupid that I just had just to apply a bit more force to turn it anticlockwise when the shutter was cocked!
I have already damaged a Fed 5V by incorrectly cocking the shutter and selecting the speed and I was afraid to give it that harder push on my Kievs.

Thank you!

 

[catintheflat]

You can change shutter speeds in Kiev when it is cocked or uncocked. I saw this construction inside and there is no way to damage it when you change speeds when shutter is uncocked. I read about this in orginal manuals and russian books about cameras and everywhere permitted to do this.

 

[Sid836]

After damaging my Fed 5V, I'd rather go by the manual. On my Kiev IIIa, I thought that the slow speeds were dead. After trying cocking the shutter first and then select any of them, they all work fine. I am not sure if that denotes some trouble with it, but I am not willing to stress her any more.