kiev4 and puzzled

[Socke]

I saw that Kiev 4 at my "dealer" and couldn't resist. 51 Euro for a very clean camera aperantly from 1970 with a '71 Jupiter 8 without cleaning marks or scratches. Acurate viewfinder and a shutter which sounds realy good.
For another 28 Euros I added a Jupiter 12 in very good condition but resisted the Leica viewfinders :-)

The meters needle doesn't move at all, but that can be expected after 34 years.

I think I can live with the "Contax claw" and come to grips with aperture and shutter settings although changing aperture is not easy and together with the tricky shutter speed setting it is more of a camera where you wait for the light to fit your settings and use a forgiving film like XP2 instead fo Astia :-)

Ok, for changing light I stick to my Rollei 35, or get lazy and use the G2.

But what puzzles me is the exposure calculator below the rewind knob.
The outer ring just doesn't turn far enough to be of any use.

Tomorrow I rig up a takeup spool, didn't check for that, and shoot a roll. The weather report is all overcast and some snow so changing light is not a problem.

And I charge my dSLRs batteries so I can post a Camera and Coffee shot.

[Brian Sweeney]

Without seeing the camera it is hard to tell, but it sounds as if the meter mechanism is jammed.

A trick with the Selenium Cell: Give it a Massage. Move the plastic "lens" back and forth, it may be enough to clean the contacts. It worked on my COntax IIIa and the meter proved to be accurate. My Kiev 4, traded to JD as part of the M3 deal, has very lively meter. Gave very accurate readings.

Do not forget: you must wind the camera BEFORE changing shutter speeds.

[jdos2]

And it's possible to re-assemble the rewind knob area so that the calculator is in an unusable position.

Snow? Ew.

[Socke]

I rigged something up and squeezed the last milliamps out of my last bp511.

[Socke]

next one

[Socke]

third

[Socke]

and the last one

[Pherdinand]

"Do not forget: you must wind the camera BEFORE changing shutter speeds" -Brian, is that valid for the contax iiia too? Any other do's and do not 's and donuts for that camera?

[doubs43]

Socke, you may already know this but I note that you held your finger on the shutter release to take the picture while you had the camera on the "B" setting and the shutter open. Depressing the release and turning it about 1/4 turn will lock it open and your finger can be removed.

The Kiev, like the Contax it was copied from, is capable of excellent photographs. Have fun!

Walker

[jdos2]

If you do that- lock the shutter open, and you are like me, you'll wonder why the camera won't wind on...

Henry (www.zeisscameras.com) advises to always wind on before setting the shutter speed for reasons of internal tension on the shutter, for ALL models of the camera.

[rick oleson]

I've been using (and working on) Contaxes and Kievs for almost 20 years now and I can't think of any reason why you need to wind the shutter before setting the speeds.... it's Leicas and Zorkis that need that treatment. In fact, if you have an old, worn Contax II/III or Kiev, you're better off setting the speed before winding in case the opening-curtain safety catch might slip. If the camera is in good shape it makes no difference in a Contax or a Kiev.

=

[pshinkaw]

My most worn Kiev-4A jams about 1 out of every 3 times if I set the shutter speed before cocking the shutter. I then have to dismantle the winding knob and clear the jam.

I can't think of a reason why it is that way either, but that's the way it works.

-Paul

[rick oleson]

wow. strange.

=

[rick oleson]

Pherdinand:

Whatever the a cause of that issue (I'll try to figure that one out), it would not apply to the Contax IIa and IIIa, which have a completely different shutter design..... the -a series shutter speed dial works like the one on a modern SLR, pushing little cams and levers rather than actually tugging the shutter curtains up and down.

One thing to check (often) on the -a Contaxes is to make sure the shutter is opening at 1/1250. Check before each film load, and follow this sequence: Fire at 1250, fire at 50 and fire at 1250 again. Sometimes it fades more on the first shot after changing up from a slow (<250) speed. With really proper adjustment this won't happen, but it's possible for a camera to be otherwise working fine and have these little quirks.

Fading is also worse when using the self timer, so avoid the 1250 setting in self portraits.

And it's more prone to hesitant slow speeds than a Kiev or a prewar Contax. The best medicine for this is frequent use.

and the rangefinder tends to drift off vertically, and there's no adjustment for that...... live with it if you can...

: ) =

=

[jdos2]

Truth be told, I've adjusted the speeds before winding, and never had a problem.

[Socke]

Hi, reporting back from Kiev :-)

The first roll turned out, well, usable.

I "massaged" the plastic in front of the selen cell and the light meter needle does move now.

So I disassambled the meter weel and cleaned the inards a bit. I bend the contact a bit and now I can see some influence on the needle.

The scales still make no sense for me. I can turn the ring clockwise to 8 seconds at f2.8 and anticlockwise to 1/500 at f1.8 at GOST 250. A setting like 1/50 at f2 is impossible.
This can't be right.

And the next thing is ergonomics.
How do you set aperture? Lock the lens to infinity first or do you hold it and count clicks?

On my Zorki I find it easyer to change aperture to adapt to different lighting than changing shutter speed.

Man, am I spoiled -)
Cameras went a long way from the Contax II/Kiev 4 to the Contax G2.

It is realy hard to catch any moment, let alone a decisive one, with the Kiev and today people complain over 0.01 second shutter lag :-(

[furcafe]

I'm w/Rick on this 1. I lack the technical knowledge to dispute Scherer's statement, but I do know that my c.1936 Zeiss Ikon Contax II manual specifically mentions that you can set the shutter speed either before or after winding.

Chris

Originally posted by rick oleson
I've been using (and working on) Contaxes and Kievs for almost 20 years now and I can't think of any reason why you need to wind the shutter before setting the speeds.... it's Leicas and Zorkis that need that treatment. In fact, if you have an old, worn Contax II/III or Kiev, you're better off setting the speed before winding in case the opening-curtain safety catch might slip. If the camera is in good shape it makes no difference in a Contax or a Kiev.

=

[Pherdinand]

Thanks, Rick (I have only discovered your answer today! and it's way too late now).