Kiev Infinity Lock

[robbiechad]

Hi all, Just a thought on the dreaded Kiev Infinity lock, which can be an absolute pain at times, especially if you hav'nt mastered the Kiev Focus hold! When your going out shooting as a temporary method of disabling the focus lock, try putting a small piece of plastic cable, piece of wood whatever between the spring loaded lock mechanism and the lens mount body. It stops the lens locking at the infinity position and is easily removed when not wanted. I used a small piece of electrical cable (see picture) just press the infinity lock button next to the focussing wheel and insert the cable between the lens mount and the body. The spring pressure keeps it in place. Job done...

[Spyderman]

Great idea and thanks for sharing. I've often thought about filing it off, but this is simpler and easily reversible :)

[giovatony]

I thought I was alone on this but obviously it`s a PIA to others too.
IMO, the lock itself is probably the worst nuance of the Kiev.
John

[Ducky]

You just push the little thinggy down when you turn the little focus wheely thing. This is a PIA?

[robbiechad]

Ducky, Yes you just push that little thingy down near the focus wheel, thats the infinity lock release plunger thingy for the use of quantity one. LOL

[spiderfrank]

Come on... It's not so ifficult to learn the "Contax-hold": your finger will automatically go on the infinity lock, and never in the front of the rangefinder window: I think it works really well once you are used to it

Franco

[oftheherd]

Come on... It's not so ifficult to learn the "Contax-hold": your finger will automatically go on the infinity lock, and never in the front of the rangefinder window: I think it works really well once you are used to it

Franco

The first couple of times I too had a problem with holding the Kiev and not blanking out the rangefinder window. At first I thought there was something wrong with my then newly acquired Kiev. I have since learned to either curl my middle finger more, or use my middle finger on the focus knob and my index finger on the shutter button. I rather prefer the former.

That do you others do (besides rant at the designers :D :D)?

[newspaperguy]

Nice leather on that Ukranian, Robbiechad!

[newspaperguy]

BTW - As you acquire lenses for that lady,
you will appreciate that lock more... it's a
REAL PITA to replace the lens without the
infinity lock holding the mount in place.

PS - It's really not that hard to develop
the dreaded KIEV/Contax 'hold.'

[Roberto]

Come on... It's not so ifficult to learn the "Contax-hold": your finger will automatically go on the infinity lock, and never in the front of the rangefinder window: I think it works really well once you are used to it

Franco

I agree 100%.. infinity lock is an absolutely lovely useless feature..

[ruben]

Touring far distances with the small focusing wheel should release the user from being locked at infinity.

Nevertheless, this issue of the infinity lock is of great interest to me from the point of view of why it was designed at all.

And the idea of overcoming it is no less interesting.

Cheers,
Ruben

[Ed S.]

A quick examination of my Kiev 4 reveals that when I attach my J9, 11 or 12 (all of which can focus like an SLR style lens: base locks to body, optics rotate) the infinity lock can be used to ensure that the lens is focussed correctly.

Without the infinity lock, it is possible to turn the lens relative to its base, then use the focussing wheel to adjust the rangefinder. This is likely to result in bad focus.

Alternatively, with one of these lens mounted and infinity lock not connected, trying to focus using either the focussing wheel, the base of the lens or the lens snout does not necessarily yield a rangefinder change. If there is a change, it feels unreliable.

I’ve also found that infinity lock makes switching switch lenses easier, as least among the J9, 11 and 12. With no lens on the camera body, I set the camera mount to infinity, set the lens to infinity, align the red dots on the lens mount and camera, insert and twist to lock. This seems to always work (one or both NOT set to infinity seems to usually generate a problem of some sort), and the infinity lock question disappears, since I focus using the lens snout.

[chikne]

I stepped into the Kiev world a couple of weeks ago.

Do you guys really use that tiny wheel to focus the lens? My hat off to you if you can do it that way, as for me I simply focus the same way I do with my Leica =)

[wolves3012]

I found a small brass insert that slips over the lock...yes it's a PITA for me too otherwise! The lock has one use, in my view - to lock the lens when removing it. I quite like the Jupiter 12 since it defeats the lock!

[Roberto]

I stepped into the Kiev world a couple of weeks ago.

Do you guys really use that tiny wheel to focus the lens?



Yes, with absolute pleasure... :) it's faster and assures a better grip on the camera, since you'll use your left hand to hold tight the camera.

[giovatony]

My problem with the lock is that I rarely manage to hit the wheel/infinity lock squarely when I go to focus in a hurry, with the result that I have to move my finger again and deliberately push down on the lock. Since I only use a single lens on the Kiev, there is no use for the lock and I've used various ways to defeat it. This one seems like one of the better ideas.

This is exactly my problem too. Maybe on those heavily used cameras this lock could get worn and not be as tightly locked but my 2 Kievs are mint and the lock does need to be depressed squarely and deliberately from the top.
But it is a moot point when my Jupiter 12 is mounted . The lock is not employed with that lens.
John

[januaryman]

When I am trying to get off a quick shot and need to set the exposure AND focus quickly before the defining moment passes, the infinity lock is just one more hurdle that I need to jump before pressing the shutter release. In whose world is that a good thing?

[ruben]

Hi folks,
A Kiev is a camera combining highly developed features that have stood the test of time, alongside other features that time and development of the camera industry have turned into almost absurd.

In view of this situation we can follow two approaches, or a third one combining the two. The first one will be to trick the camera with small inventions of our own, and I too have done here some nice tricks.

The second, which to my opinion is the hardest one, is through continuous use, trying to understand how "absurd" things for us were supposed to work at the time the prewar Contax was designed, and depending on the case, use it or not.

Thus, for example, it is my strong intuition that the far distances were supposed to be focused with the small wheel, and thus clearing the focusing lock from being an obstacle.

Incidentally, lately I have been thinking if there is any relationship between the infinity lock and the lens f/stop scale, as if the implication was supposed to be: start with your f/stop, and start focusing from infinity. There is a certain logic here, but these are just divagations and not serious thoughts.

[dee]

It's an ancient design - just be gratefull that it is still working , and love it for what it is !!!

dee

[ruben]

Today in my way back home, I hapenned to make an interesting experiment.

For the first time in my Kiev life I focused a statue some 20~30 meters away from me, while holding both the lens mount and the small wheel. This time the lens was a bit more like the driving force, while the small wheel was a kind of controller, or brake. I worked very nice without any locking.

Enboldened by it, I went to focus a farther object, a bright sign at some 60~90 meters away, using the same method. Here the interesting thing stopped to be the lock issue but the fact that the scale didn't arrived at dead infinity. Not the scale, nor the yellow patch juxtaposition.

Therefore I thought perhaps my camera went out of alignment, and using both hands again I focused much farther building lights - resulting in dead on rf alignment with end of the threading..

Cheers,
Ruben

[robbiechad]

I also have a J12 which I use, but I only need my little adapter when I use my standard 50, and as said it is not a permanent feature or alteration it is easily removed and replaced when needed to no detriment to the camera.

[ruben]

Somehow this thread touches three fundamentals of the camera industry. (Kindly take into account I am far from giving hard fact knowledge)

One is technological development. The second is users market fashions. The third of course, profit making.

Consider for example the recent speculation about a new Fujifilm folder. Many folks at the corresponding thread said they are ready to pay hard money for such a Medium Format. Why?

Because beyond fashion, trends, digital revolution etc, film is still good, and a FOLDER camera as a viable COMPACT MEDIUM FORMAT camera, remains a good idea, a convenient thing.

Like bicyclets, good things are going to stay, or come back again.

Following this thread, I would say it is rather doubitable weather the infinity lock is going to be back some decade ahead. But the small focusing wheel - its day will come for sure !

Cheers,
Ruben

[dll927]

At least on the Leicas, the rationale behind the infinity lock was to make un-screwing the lens easier. On many of them, and also on many FSU cameras, the lens has to be at infinity or it won't screw back in right. So its existence was not primarily a focusing matter, but a lens-changing matter.

[Kino Glaz]

Hi dll927

I'm new here. My first post...

From what I read in the net, when mounting on FSU Leica copies, the lens must be set to minimum focus before it's screwed on to avoid "messing" up the rangefinder- whatever that means... :-)

I've just discovered FSU cameras, and I like the Kiev very much. I have two now, and I think they're the best of all. The Zorki-4, I think is inferior in terms of build and function. I don't trust the cloth shutter of the Zorki. The metal clad shutter of the Kiev looks invincible! :-)

[SolaresLarrave]

There must be something seriously wrong with me... I kinda like the infinity lock in my 4AM! :eek:

[blw]

Try mounting a 50mm lens without it or the body set to infinity and then you will learn the value of the infinity lock. It can be a pain, but not near so much as when you want to change lenses and the bayonet won't line up.

apples vs oranges