The life and death of a Kiev 4A

[royalrat]

Here I’ve got a sad story about the last roll a camera took before dying in my hands…

It wasn’t a love story of any sort, and when I looked at her for the first time she didn’t leave any impression at all. Leonid told me that in those days (early 70th) he used to shot with his Zorki, but when he got a job with the Russian news company he was given a more professional tool – The Kiev camera. It was a crude beast in comparison to the Zorki, but considered by the craftsmen’s of the era to be a working horse. Since then he had a few Kiev cameras, but they all died on him eventually. “It is possible to fix the camera”, he said, “but it is too complicated operation, getting inside this body stuffed with little parts, and fishing for that torn spring. Better to let her rest in peace. Be glad that she gave you this last roll”.

When working with old cameras you should be very careful; any wrong turn of a button could lead to a disaster. I’m not sure what the turning point with this one was, but when unloading the film it suddenly happened, I couldn’t wind it anymore, and it just kept turning to no end. A sad moment indeed, but I didn’t have any real feeling for this one. It was hard work to shot with, it’s heavy and you have to do the focus from above, which is just hell to get used to. I wasn’t sad about her death, just disappointed…

But then I got the roll back from the lab. Of course the film had many flaws – Flashes of light at the sides, dots, scratches, and an ugly horizontal line which went all over the negative that was caused in the cassette chamber when I rewind the film. But still, I just loved the photos. At that moment I felt the sting. I’m not sure I’ll go searching for another Kiev, but I sure will miss this one.

To see the photos and read the full review:
http://royalrat.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/kiev-4a/

 

[Dan Grisez]

Very nice story and photos! Somewhat sad, too. Thanks for sharing. My 1974 Kiev 4A is still one of my favorite cameras. It's heavy and a tad awkward, but there is still something satisfying about shooting with it. I wonder how the Helios 103 compares to the Jupiter 8 that I have. I've heard the Helios is a bit more sharp.

 

[vrgard]

Nice story. Makes me want to break out my 4A and shoot a roll with it. I, too, found it to be a rewarding camera and experience.

As for J8 vs Helios 103, I did a rough comparison a few years back and definitely found the Helios to be a bit sharper.

-Randy

 

[btgc]

This days, seeing local ad for Kiev4 with J-8 lens for eq. of $10, I decided not to engage with another relationships, remembering stories of silk ribbons by Ruben. It's nice camera, I think, when it's been serviced but I don't feel I'm going there for it.

 

[Brian Legge]

I have a similar relationship with one. It works at 1/50th and faster - and the Jupiter 12 I have for it stellar - but after losing a roll due to rewinding with the shutter open, I lost faith in it. I've thought about getting it serviced but found I just preferred the ergonomics of the LTM cameras.

After shooting with a Canon P though, I may come back around to it at some point. If the Contax IIa worked with the J12, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.