Parts Kiev Sources?

[rxmd]

Hi,

I've been looking at alex-photo's listings on an on and off basis and he never had any of his rumoured $7 parts Kievs for sale (or I'm blind, a bad trait in a photographer if I might add). Has he stopped selling them, or do they just appear and disappear?

And what state are they normally in? I understand they're not working cameras, but is it possible, say, to salvage a working Kiev out of four $7 parts cameras (supposing a hearty investment of time), or do they typically all come with stripped lens mounts and otherwise complete?

(The current motivation is that I saw a nice 1964 Kiev-4 at the flea market last Sunday for $10, which had a mechanism in working order, but was badly beaten up and looked like it could use a CLA, which would provide a nice entry into Kiev surgery and into camera painting territory. As I've got one Kiev on my customs declaration that I can export, it's either that one or an early 1950s block-letter one proposed by my dealer here where I don't know the price yet.)

Philipp

 

[Spyderman]

They usually come without lens mounts and mostly with non-working shutters... they appear and disappear... but AFAIK alex is on a vacation now...

 

[Nog Bluteau]

Why not email some of the bigger eBay sellers of FSU cameras and ask them if they have any junkers they want to sell cheap?

 

[rxmd]

Why not email some of the bigger eBay sellers of FSU cameras and ask them if they have any junkers they want to sell cheap?

Either that, or ask for specific parts on RFF; there's probably a large number of parts Kievs floating around in cardboard boxes here.

It's a bit absurd that I in principle there is no shortage of cheap junk FSU cameras here either, but that I can't get them through customs 🙂

Philipp

 

[varjag]

I had one parts Kiev from Alex. Aside from lens mount missing it was in great condition and fully functional. Those are the donors for HK Contax->Leica adapters I assume.

 

[Peter_Jones]

I got three, one with a non-functioning shutter (that I have stripped to learn how it works) but good ribbons, two with shutters functioning at higher speeds but needing new ribbons (one of these is smoooooth !) , all 3 with AWOL lens mounts. Good for learning, you can get a shutter ready for transplant 🙂

 

[tburns]

I recently bought three from Alex. One had a bad shutter, one has a bad speed select mechanism, the third seems to work perfectly. The lens mounts were missing on all three.

Tom