and now... My new little toy !!!

[spiderfrank]

Hi guys, this is my "new" Kiev IIa: just arrived from Fedka... Tomorrow I'll test it... It's a beauty, isn't it? ;-)


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/Kiev_IIa_2_web.jpg
The camera is from 1956, the lens (Jupter-8) from 1957, and seems to be very clean

[spiderfrank]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/Kiev_IIa_1_web.jpg

[spiderfrank]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/Kiev_IIa_3_web.jpg

[spiderfrank]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/Kiev_IIa_4_web.jpg

Ok, the back is not perfect, but nobody is perfect!! This is a 51 years old lady...

[Keith]

It's a handsome beast ... I got one of these from Fedka a year or so ago and it is incredibly smooth. I don't know if the cameras are CLA'd before they're sent but it's that good that I decided to keep it and sell my Contax ... I liked the feel of the Kiev better for some reason. I love the noise they make at lower shutter speeds ... sort of sounds like a small animal sneezing! :p

[spiderfrank]

Pitxu, I bought the hood from Fedka, with th camera: the have different types of cheap new hoods, look in "accessories"

Keith, that bzzzzz at low speeds is really, hmmm... Sexy! ;-)

[nzeeman]

congratulations - it looks very nice - cant wait to see results

[gb hill]

Looks like it will make a fine shooter. You should feel proud of your new ol lady.:D

[Peter_Jones]

One fine looking camera :) Bet you can't wait to run some film through it.

[Mr_Flibble]

Yours looks a little worse-for-wear then mine...I figured out yesterday that my Kiev 2A and Jupiter-8 are from the same years as yours.

The only feature I 'dislike' about this camera is the infinity lock. Nothing I can get used to though ;)


Happy snapping Frank!

[spiderfrank]

Ok... Just made the first test-roll (Kodak bw400cn): the camera is incredibly smooth and silent... A joy to use, and no problem also shooting at 1/10" handheld, but there is a strong problem of light leakage :bang: . In a lot of photos (70%) I had a big "white flame", aways in the same position... I hope it's only a seal, but I've just wrote to Yuri of Fedka to know what's to do (to send it back or to try to fix?) .

Its a shame, because the lens is really good, for what I'have seen...

Did anybody have the same problem?
Any suggestions?

Ciao
Franco


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/File0463.jpg



http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/File0453.jpg



http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/spiderfrank/File0450.jpg

[Keith]

Wow ... that lens is sharpish! Pity about the light leak spoiling your excellent pics and the BW400CN is a fine black and white film. I used to use it all the time before my life became chemically enhanced and I'd forgotten how much I like the look of it!

I hope you sort out the light leak ... maybe the yak string fell out of the groove! :)

just looking at the flare ... it shouldn't be too hard to find the source, by where it is in the shots it will be top right looking at the back of the camera.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Yesterday I got this one from France. It came with a CZ lens and also with a Jupiter 8 (2 lenses that what made me decide for this cam). Camera sounds good. Its my first Kiev; is this a 4A?
When my wife saw the camera standing near my Zorkis she instantly said that she finds the Zorkis more beautiful, actually she finds the Kiev too big (for her hands).... Well anyhow I will test the Kiev this week

Spiderfrank, I really like your pics. Perhaps you can save last pic since leakage is 'just' in the air

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kpmg0072/Cameras/Kiev%20klein.JPG

[Jean]

Hello franco,

I've had exactly the same issue with 3 kievs. Good news : to me it's an easy fix but (bad new) you'll need to dismantle the camera. You don't need to change the seals.

See the KSS :
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/fixing%20light%20leaks.html

Sending back the camera to the seller is the best option.

All the best,
Jean

[spiderfrank]

Jean, if the problem is there, I'll send back the camera to edka for the repair job. Thank you for your help, now Ill do some more test...

Ron, I think your beautiful camera is a 4a: if you look on the top , the first 2 digits of the serial number are the year of production, and... Your wfe is wrong: Kiev is much more beautiful of every Fed or Zorki! ;-)

Ciao
Franco

[Jean]

Hello Franco,

No need to do more test : you'll waste film, really.

All the best,
Jean

[Jean]

Hello f2eyelevel,

Nice pictures !

That's sad you failed in repairing your Kievs. I wish I could fix those light leaks :)

all the best,
Jean

[spiderfrank]

Thank you everybody for all the tips!
We found the light leakage is from the top cover, so yesterday I sent back the camera body (kept the lens) to Fedka for the repair job. I didn't ask for another camera, because this is so smooth, and I don't care about wear and cosmetic issues, the camera is not really "twisted and lifted" . Yuri told me he will test the camera after the job, now I've to wait....

Franco