My new black Kiev 4a "Contax" works!

[justins7]

I bought this from a forum member, thinking it would be more of a toy. While it's not quite up to my Leica M6 standards, it works fine. I am surprised that the black paint is not as bad as I expected, and the fake Contax paint is actually engraved! I wonder if people were really trying to pass this thing off as the real thing.

The funny thing is that I went to a camera show over the weekend in NJ, where there was nothing much I was interested in. But at the end, a friend and I rummaged through the trash (where unwanted camera parts were disgarded) and I came upon an original Contax rangefinder take-up spool that fit perfectly in my new Black Contax.

$45 total!

 

[vrgard]

Congrats on your "new" Kiev 4a. While others have denigrated things about the Kievs and I agree that it's not up the standards of a Leica M6, I still say it's a great camera particularly when you consider how little it costs to put together a complete outfit. Guess I'm just partial as I have a 4a and a 4am myself. And I love the old-time look of some of the shots I get with the older glass.

 

[Dougg]

I have one of these fake black "Contax" cameras too, even with a fake "Sonnar" lens on it. I knew it was fake when I got it, no surprises. Some folks have suggested that the worst of the Kiev bodies are more likely to show up as fakes, as this covers cosmetic damage and the internal workings may not be all that important either as they're more likely to be "shelf queens" anyway, owned just for display to impress visitors. Might well be true of mine, as it works well only in the mid-range shutter speeds. I'm tempted to send it off for a CLA but would be slightly embarrassed to do so...

Good that yours is apparently fully functional!

 

[ErnestoJL]

When I bought my Kiev 4 back in 1984, I thought (almost like you) it was just a Contax look alike and kind of a disposable camera, it is a camera I wouldn´t cry if it breaks.

After the first Ektachrome slide roll, my thoughts became very different, honestly the opposite.

Later in 2005 I got the real thing. This Contax was made in 1937 with a coll. Tessar 2.8. I didn´t find any significant difference between them. Both cameras are really good performers.

When the Contax was introduced, it was the competitor to Leica, and at the same quality level. The Kiev is "not a russian camera, instead it is a german camera made in Ukraine", so you can expect a little less than you would expect from a Contax.
Don´t forget that the original Contax design is 45 years older than the M6, but anyway, if you get used to the contax grip, you´ll love it.

Good luck and enjoy it!

Ernesto