Kiev eyepiece question

[wolves3012]

I have only two Kievs, a 4 that I inherited from my father and a 4A that I bought. They are dated 1975 and 1978 respectively. I've noticed that the 4A has a circular VF viewing aperture rather than the square one of the 4. Looking at others on eBay etc, the square seems to be the norm. Do I have something unusual here or what? It doesn't appear to have been modified and the circular aperture seems to me to be easier to use.

Thoughts of the Kiev experts please?

[rolleistef]

really strange..; could it be a modified eyepiece? My 3a has a squarish eyepiece aperture too...

[Peter_Jones]

I have three spares Kievs, late 70's all are 4A's and all have a round eyepiece.

My user (when I sort shutter out) is a 64 with a rectangular eyepiece.

I think the 4A's have round as standard but perhaps someone has a definitive answer ?

[Nikon Bob]

I think it is normal to find early Kievs with the square VF and latter ones with the round. Why this was done I have no clue but prefer the round VF.

Bob

[Peter_Jones]

I too prefer the round one, I may modify my Kiev with the eyepiece from a scrapper. :)

[ruben]

Some time after the mid seventies all Kievs carry a circular eyepiece. All the 4am models do as well.

I have submitted a question about it to our coffee expert Peter Dechert

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44608 post #3,

asking why the former rectangular eyepiece was designed that way and his answer was to position our eye right on track to the yellow patch.

Strangely or not, I don't find any special problem with using the rectangular one.

Cheers,
Ruben

[Nikon Bob]

Ruben

I have no special problem using either the square or round eyepiece but just find the round one less squinty to use. Both work equally well and it is just an matter of personal preference.

Bob

[wolves3012]

Thanks for the answers folks. I wasn't expecting to have some super-rare Kiev, must have been coincidence that all the pictures I saw had the square window! I do find the round one less squinty but it's no big factor.