Need Kiev 4 Survival Tips

[Kingston]

Thank you for the link, I already saw it before but I didn't have an used film spool nor do I have a saw!

I think I'm doing rather fine with just cutting the film leader by now. Maybe I'll just buy a zorki or a fed later and end up with a better take up spool.

I put my second film as I wanted to shoot while on vacation in Eastbourne.

As for the first roll, it should not be as bad as my last post suggests, I think I managed to rewind most of the film and only the first pictures would be ruined because they were exposed to light (it was very dim light but maybe it's enough). In any case, I will know next week.

I thought I would be able to find an easy way to get the film developed in Toulouse, my hometown, but it was very disappointing.
I called them and asked if they still do it, they tell me they do. I go there and it turns out what they do is they send the film to a company in Belgium as they don't process them anymore and it costs 35 euros and takes 15 days... what a rip-off. But I had no choice. Next time I'll either find a place where it's cheaper or doing it myself if I find the time and the products.

 

[Highway 61]

Re. the take-up spool : Mike Elek's method is the best out there. Don't bother with the useless spool you've got !

OTOH I've read that entire thread carefully twice and can't believe that nobody drove you there so that you know all what you ought to re. how the Kiev works and can be fixed :

http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/

Pour conclure : je ne sais pas qui te prend 35€ 😱 pour développer un film à Toulouse, mais à ce tarif de voleur tu as tout intérêt à apprendre fissa à développer tes films noir et blanc toi même !

😉

 

[Kingston]

Thanks for the link! I remember finding this website before, it has quite a lot of good information.
I'll first see how my first shots go and then maybe I'll also get a zorki or a fed, and I'd like to get a Jupiter 12 on them, so maybe I'll have a better take up spool in the end, ideally not requiring to cut the film leader!

C'est Rigaud Photos, c'etait une reference avant, maintenant ils sous-traitent en Belgique, et oui c'est bien trop cher ! Si tu as de bonnes adresses a Paris je suis preneur. Je pense effectivement les developper moi-meme, mes parents doivent encore avoir le materiel et connaissent la technique, me faudra juste les produits ! 🙂

 

[newspaperguy]

FWIW - a one inch (25 mm) long piece of masking tape will secure the film to the take-up spool with no cutting at all.

 

[Kingston]

Thank you newspaperguy.

Actually, were there FSU RF whose original take up spool do not require cutting modern film leaders?

 

[Highway 61]

Actually, were there FSU RF whose original take up spool do not require cutting modern film leaders?

There is at least the FED-2 and probably some others, yes.

If you get an original metal (marked KИEB on its bottom) Kiev take-up spool, you'll be able to use it without messing with the film leader.

 

[newspaperguy]

Actually, many others,
ONLY the bottom loading Leica clones - the FED and Zorki model 1's - require a special trim. (And the 'wrong' spool you;re stuck with.)
If you want to give me a mail address in a PM, I'll make you a Kiev spool this weekend and send it to you.

 

[Kingston]

Thank you for your answers, seems like I was just unlucky with my take up spool then!

Thank you newspaperguy for your very generous offer! But I do not want to waste your time and money on this, it is not an issue that prevents me from using my Kiev 4 🙂

I'm really looking forward to seeing what will come out of my first roll, then I'm likely to start a quest for the perfect fsu rf like so many of you certainly did here, and get a fed or zorki to see if I like it better. I'm still a bit concerned in the long term with my method of having to set the shutter speed before cocking the shutter.

 

[Kingston]

Finally received the results of my first roll! I think it's not too bad, there is no blur problem, but most of them are maybe overexposed or something, there is a lack of contrast, and I don't know why because it seems not to depend too much on the parameters I had.

Here are some of them:

The shard in London. f2.8 1/1000

A church in Toulouse. f8 1/250

Boats in South of France. f16 1/500

The ones I took indoors were not included, I don't know why they were failure. I think I'll try to buy a leningrad light meter, should be a good investment!

 

[Erik van Straten]

Finally received the results of my first roll! there is a lack of contrast, and I don't know why because it seems not to depend too much on the parameters I had.

The results are quite acceptable, they only need some post-processing for use on the web.

It is always better to develop and scan the films yourself.

Erik.

 

[Kingston]

Thank you Erik. Yes I will try to develop them myself soon. For scanning, I won't be able to invest in a very good scanner, I used the one I have for these but it's a cheap and common scanner/printer unit. I guess I will also have to look at the available softwares to improve the quality of pictures before posting them.

 

[wolves3012]

Actually, were there FSU RF whose original take up spool do not require cutting modern film leaders?

Only the bottom-loading FSU RFs require the leader to be cut longer. That means FED/Zorki 1, Zorki C, 2, 2C and 5. All other FSUs accept the "modern" short leader found as standard. All of that is, of course, with the correct spools!