? about Kiev4a

[Brad Bireley]

I know you are to wind the shutter first then set the shutter speed. But if you set the shutter 1st then wind the shutter what happens?
Thanks,
Brad

[Stu W]

I have several Contax rangefinders and I never had a problem setting the shutter speed before or after winding. Stu

[Jocko]

I have several Contax rangefinders and I never had a problem setting the shutter speed before or after winding. Stu

I entirely agree: I don't think it matters, although winding and setting seems more comfortable to me, simply because it's what you do on FSU LTMs.

Cheers, Ian

[xayraa33]

the 1/1250 (1/1000 on 4M &4AM), 1/500 and 1/250 shutter speeds can be set before or after winding, the other shutter speeds should be set after you wind the camera.

[rpinchbeck]

Please see the following article for the full scoop on this topic:
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/changing%20shutter%20speeds.html
Nothing will break if you change speed before winding but you may not get the right speed selected.

Cheers,

Russ Pinchbeck

[dll927]

There seems to be an old saw that if the shutter speed dial revolves when the shutter is released, one should wind first. This would appear to be true of LTM Leicas as well. But it seems that with Contax (or Kiev), the matter is in more dispute. I don't remember just where, but I read an article by a camera repairman who had worked on Contax/Kiev over 20 years, and he said he saw no reason to worry about it either way. Come to think of it,m that may have been right here on these forums some taime back.

[Pherdinand]

If you figure out how the shutter and speed selection works in a kiev/pre-ww2 contax (not a big deal, really), you will immediately have the answer to the question.
If you are not interested in the details though, then just take russ pinchbeck's answer as it is.