Underestimated Kievs ?

[dee]

I wonder if the sheer number of ex USSR cameras tends to marginalise their age and qualities ?

Also , do we tend to forget that many were constructed under difficult conditions 30 / 40 years ago - yet can be coaxed into creating excellent photographs ?

My 1951 Kiev II , 1954 Kiev III are ancient compared with most SLRs of the 70s , yet still work perfectly ... even a humble and plentiful Kiev 4 / 4a is probably pre-1980 .

They are an affordable entry into a bygone age of photography , and I treasure this opportunity created by a strange time warp in camera manufacture ... thanks to a Kiev , even my Contax II will live again

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

I think the quantity of cameras produced in the former USSR definitely reduces the perceived qualities of its cameras. True they are quite old these days and because of the numbers produced there's very little value placed on the cameras. They can be bought cheap but if they don't work well, it either gets tossed or becomes a repair in process.

They can be repaired but often the value of the camera to the user is not enough to justify sending it out to be repaired. I have two FSU cameras, a Fed 2 and a 59' Kiev4a. Both eventually started showing problems, I like them a lot so I sent them out to be repaired. I thought about buying other FSU cameras to replace them but decided to keep the ones I have in top condition.

I like shooting with them, I'll keep them in good condition. Their worth every penny I paid, including the repairs. Though that's still not a whole lot of pennies...

 

[dll927]

Depending on whom you read, Kievs have an interesting history. The earlier ones were supposedly made from parts and equipment 'ripped off' from Germany, and they have a pretty solid reputation, since they are sort of Zeiss. I've seen reports that repairmen could barely tell the difference on the early ones.

Later on, it seems to depend on how much vodka the comrades sipped the night before.

But all in all, we are talking about cameras that by age are pretty old-timers, so there is probably some luck of the draw with individual samples. And who knows who the owner(s) was and how he used or treated that camera?

 

[bgb]

" I wonder if the sheer number of ex USSR cameras tends to marginalize their age and qualities ?"

Interesting idea down here in New Zealand FSU cameras are not all that common, my Fed 2 was the first one i had ever seen and i purchased it because the trader seemed honest ... he was and it was beautiful.

Old Japanese slr's sell for bugger all here now and point and shoot cameras can be had in good condition for pennies

Easier and sometimes better value to buy from Yuri or Oleg than take the risk with a "i don't know anything about this camera" special

Back to the subject of Kiev's ... never seen one ... want one especially and early one and will most likely have to buy it from Yuri as he has some real beauties.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Last night, someone brought a 1937 Contax. Had its back removed and laid it next to a Kiev-2 (1951). We had people see it and asked them to identify which one was the Contax II and the Kiev-2. The people we asked are no strangers to the "quality" of Soviet cameras (they have FED-2s, Zenits, Zorki, Kiev, as well as Leicas and Rolleis as well). Everyone took a long look at the cameras. Decided and mused. All picked the Kiev-2 as the Contax II and the Contax II as the Kiev-2.

Laid side to side, they look virtually the same. Only the leatherette, the chrome finish and the quality of the aluminium used for the back varied. Both felt the same way when handled, purred the same way when their shutters were fired, and their backs would even interchange.

 

[dee]

zorkikat -
This has been my percepton of my 1937 Contax III and it's 1954 KNeB III '' sibling ''
[ which is the same quality as my ' 51 Kiev II ] .
My Contax happens to be a highly polished version , and I prefer this finish , but otherwise they match perfectly ... it will be interesting to see a Kiev III a stripped of it's identity and painted light metallic blue - to see if the finish makes it my favourite Kontax !

Considering that a Kiev IIIa with a CLA through Mike Haley in Ukriane can be bought for around £120 , this must be a Bargain Buy for a Klassic 1930s Art Deco camera - irrespective of the name on the front , and it's point of origin !

 

[dll927]

bqb - You say that "old Japanese SLRs sell for bugger all". Forgive my lack of fluency in New Zealand slang, but what does "bugger all" mean? I would assume something like "next to nothing".