The Mischievous Kiev 4a

[Basil]

Hello eveybody, just wanted to share my story with you.
Well, as you may have guessed by my post count, I am new to this forum, but due to some mighty powerful factors you all know from experience like love for masters of documentary photography, a sudden strike of rangefinder obsession and GAS and also you people being such nice and interesting people to read and your photos being interesting to look at, I bought myself an RF camera - a Kiev 4a. With Jupiter 8m. Disassembled the thing, cleaned it inside & outside, was amazed at the engineering complexity and precision, and custom covered it with red fake leather (a schoolbook cover torn apart 😛 )
You may have a look, isn't it just beautiful 🙂

And then, when I test-fired the shutter several times, the shutter band just ripped apart :bang: :bang: :bang:

The good thing, of course, that here in Russia I can buy a 4am replacement for even less money -about $15. The 4a had cost me $20

So, who wants to have it? 😛

 

[Pherdinand]

Hm, yesterday i have just repaired the shutter ribbon of my kiev 4. It's not a big deal to do it, except re-tensioning the shutter springs.

How much do you ask for this one?
EDIT: you can keep the lens if you wish... i have a j-8 already...

 

[atelier7]

Hello fellow Kiev fans, I've just received my Kiev 4AM in the mail today! (and a Fed 2b, and a Zorki 4k.... )
Anyhow, I need help!
how do I winder the shutter or set the shutter speed? I know that i'm supposed to wind the shutter first before changing speeds... but where's the indicator to tell me i've advanced the film by one step properly?

 

[Pherdinand]

atelier - you can't wind it longer than one step, unless something's broken. Just rotate the knob until it stops, then the shutter should be tensioned and the film should be wound. After that, lift up the wind button (its top part) and rotate it to the desired sh.speed by looking at the little dot engraved on its side, It should show some resistance when you go from higher to lower speeds.

 

[Basil]

Selling it? No 🙂 I thought of giving it for free to some member of this fine community, but if it is actually repairable, I'll try to repair it first 🙂

 

[Pherdinand]

Basil, i uised the info on these two sites to do the stuff:
http://www3.telus.net/public/kaylalyn/the basics back film plane casting removal.html - accessing the shutter from the back
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-29.html - replacing the ribbon.

New ribbons i bought from alex-photo on e-bay, ukraine. You could find some locally, though.

 

[atelier7]

When changing shutter speeds, do i need to go in a particular direction? ie clockwise or anti-clockwise?

 

[Pherdinand]

You can't rotate it further than the B or the 1250 signs, so there's only one way to set the speed - the shorter way.

 

[varjag]

When changing shutter speeds, do i need to go in a particular direction? ie clockwise or anti-clockwise?

That depends on the shutter speed you want to set 🙂 You can't rotate the speed dial directly from 1/1250 to B.

 

[atelier7]

Sorry if i'm hijacking this thread. but this 4AM of mine is going to keep me up till 4 am if i can't figure it out!

1. after i fire off a shot, the knob is stuck. i can only move it after i depress the shutter again. Is this normal?

2. then while as i turn the knob, there is a click. Should I then lift up the knob to set the shutter speed at this point?

3. or keep turning as if can still go round (but gets more tension)? At some point its so tense I cant get to the B setting. It seems to be more tense as i turn to slower shutter speed.

 

[Pherdinand]

Here's what I can help:
1. Nope, it's not normal. It happens on my Kiev only when i have the back off and keep the shutter from rolling completely down with my finger.
2. Click is fine I think. When you wind, first only the film is wound, then the shutter starts to be cocked thus you start to need more force to wind. You have to turn until it stops.
3. When you really can't wind further, the little dot shows the actual shutter speed. NOW you can lift up the knob and set the desired speed. If you go for slower speeds than it was, you will feel resistance in setting the speed. If you go for faster speeds, it will almost go by itself. This is related to the way the speed setting works: for slower speeds, you wind the second(top)curtain MORE up so there's a larger gap between the two curtains. This needs more action on the shutter springs.
The faster speeds, the other way around: you reduce gap, you reduce a bit the tension in the springs.

 

[atelier7]

Thanks Pherdinand for your help.
I was trying it with the back open. I put it back on. Still, after i depress the shutter and it opens and closes, I am only able to wind the knob forward by a little before it gets stuck.
I think something is wrong with it.

 

[dll927]

What Basil and Atelier seem to need is a good Russian version of the instruction booklet. Given their locations, that shouldn't be hard to come by. I got one with a Zorki 3 that I ordered on e-bay. Now if someone would just TRANSLATE it.

 

[kiev4a]

What Basil and Atelier seem to need is a good Russian version of the instruction booklet. Given their locations, that shouldn't be hard to come by. I got one with a Zorki 3 that I ordered on e-bay. Now if someone would just TRANSLATE it.

I've got Russian manuals for the Zorki 1 and Kiev. The women in the manual illustrations look like they could probably whip anybody on this forum -- wrestling or fists. 🙂

 

[atelier7]

I finally worked it out! (and now the 4AM designation has a different meaning to me. Yawn!)

Rather than look for a russian manual and then a russian woman to translate it, i went to someone who doesn't need manuals and knows these cameras inside out... Oleg @okvintage!

Turns out, the problem was I didn't depress the shutter release button all the way. Even though the shutter fired, i should have pressed a bit harder for it to release the film advance knob. Maybe they should make a minisoftrelease for this? This camera is really tough on the fingers!

and yes, i did get my kiev from okvintage. Thanks again Pherdi for all your help!

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Um...I know that I may be too late, but if it's still up for grabs I'll take it. I mean, I could always use one more camera.

Oh, and if you fix it I will actually PAY you for it. 😛

And one more thing: considering it's my birthday soon and that I had to give up the Oly for financial reasons, this would be a nice thing to replace it with. 😀

 

[Pherdinand]

Stephanie, LOL! Good luck 😀

 

[akalai]

Hi Basil....welcome to the RFF I think you'll enjoy the camaraderie here!

Also a very nice offer of yours! Cool to have some one from Moscow too.... might be able to answer some of the more tricky FSU questions.... like are there really any 20mm Russars for Kiev mount cameras.... 🙂

Cheers! AKALAI

 

[Basil]

Hehe Akalai, ask any questions you'd like. I can act as a translator here too, sometimes. Regarding Russar and other rare lenses - it's the same thing here of couse, with the help of some quick-witted Western collectors many they have graduated to "purely legendary" status 😀 In fact I was kind of surprised by RFF members having amassed more Soviet gear than it seems to be possible to find here at the homeland 😱 😱 😱

 

[Stephanie Brim]

As I said...I'll take this if you want to get rid of it. Just tell me.

But do fix it first. I can't really use it if it hasn't been fixed and there are no camera shops around here. 🙁