Topic: shooting with a kiev

[jojonas~]

contax grip time!

thought I'd continue a OT conversation in a more appropriate thread

byron, thanks for the long explanation. and I quite liked that quote you dropped in. makes me think a bit... the only camera that I have got any clear opinions on like what films suit it is my yashica tlr, I'd always rather have colour in it than black and white. I dunno why really?

by the way, how are you liking your kiev? and what lens(es) do you use with yours? I've got a 4am myself (currently undergoing repair though)

That "I dunno why really" is pretty much what I experience, it's just this feeling that I go along with.

I've honestly only shot three pictures with the Kiev so far, so I can't offer my opinion on the results it gives yet. I will say that it was a big pain to get working even relatively properly -- the included take-up spool did not work at all, so I had to fashion my own out of a disassembled 35mm canister and on top of that I had to exercise the shutter for about a day before the speeds got remotely close to what they should be. That's all from a Kiev that was sold in "perfect mechanical condition". It's the price I pay for picking up a cheap soviet rangefinder, I suppose. It seems to be working alright now, although I can't be certain until I develop the test roll.

I will say that ergonomically, it threw me for a loop! When I first got it, I couldn't get the rangefinder patch to come up and after frantically googling "make kiev rangefinder patch appear" and finding no results, I thought I had received a busted model. I found out a bit later that I was unintentionally covering one of the rf windows with my finger. I've experimented with the "Contax grip" a bit, but it's not really working out for me so I'm holding the camera pretty much as I would hold any other with the exception of having to make sure I don't cover the rf windows.

Ah, I forgot to mention: I'm using the Kiev 4 with an earlier chrome Jupiter-8 50/2. I also figured if I was going to go in for a penny, i should go in for a pound so I'm using a Sverdlovsk-4 soviet CDS meter (which nearly exploded on me when I was trying to get it to work initially) and for outdoor use, I use a deep red filter that seems to have been made by the "LZOS" or "ЛЗОС" optics company.

Did you get a chance to shoot at all with your Kiev before sending it in for repairs? What do you think of it? Any particular lenses you're fond of? The Jupiter-12 35/2.8 seems awfully nice...

I've shot a bit with mine and I quite like it. I've had to fix it with some nailpolish and a match though. currently it is not advancing properly.

I've got the helios lens with mine, lovely! it's a 53mm f1.8 -if I remember correctly.. and I added the jupiter-12 35mm f2.8 last summer. a good lens but a bit getting used to with changing the aperture, having to check it from the front.

I haven't uploaded that many shots from it but here's a redscale panorama from before I fixed the frame advance

^{http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonasfx/7976612180/sizes/o/in/photostream/}
that was shot with only the helios. this picture though was shot with the jupiter-12 and rollei 400s infrared film 

[Fluminian]

Nice shot, jojonas~. It seems that poor man's contax rangefinder fires
with all cylinders so to speak. 

[jojonas~]

thanks, fluminian! when it works -it sings

and now.. we can't have a thread about shooting with a kiev without showing off the contax grip, right?

[Rafael Morales]

I have to fix mine the rangefinder wheel is out of sync and does not turn the lens. I don't know if that is an easy fix. I am thinking of taking it out to shoot zone focusing it and seeing if it is worth fixing it too. Great photos btw!   

[jojonas~]

yeah, I usually zone focus with mine most of the time and use the rangefinder for the critical shots. the rangefinder is real good though! confidence inspiring when I'm able to focus on different parts of a door knob.

by the way, have you checked the kiev survival site? http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/index.html

[Fluminian]

thanks, fluminian! when it works -it sings

and now.. we can't have a thread about shooting with a kiev without showing off the contax grip, right?

Indeed. Is it Kiev 2 you're shooting with?  I don't like Kiev rangefinders with a light meter.

[jojonas~]

it's a 4am I've got actually. got it from urban here on the forum

was one year ago now that I think about it!

the lightmeter in the picture is one from an argus. I don't use it that much as I've gotten better at sunny-16.

[Rafael Morales]

Lc3 meter?

[jojonas~]

Lc3 meter?

yup, some nut sold it and the argus matchmatic as two separate auctions. I tried to bid on the camera too for the sake of keeping them together but lost that one.

[Fluminian]

it's a 4am I've got actually. got it from urban here on the forum

was one year ago now that I think about it!

the lightmeter in the picture is one from an argus. I don't use it that much as I've gotten better at sunny-16.

It's a beauty! Was it originally black?  I haven't seen black Kiev rangefinders so far.

[Rafael Morales]

I have the one with a dead meter on top in black. I think it is original black.

[Aksel]

How are those beauties to shoot in dim light like Pubs gigs etc. comparing to more modern rangefinders?
Been lusting for one for years but never got around to buy one. Want something to bring along for those nights I now tend to grab some inexpensive SLR that would not mean the end of the world  if I lost or if it got stolen.

[jojonas~]

fluminian: yeah, I think they made some of them black originally.

aksel: I haven't tried shooting with it much in the dark yet. just focusing in a dark room and I don't remember any problems with that. it feels solid though with a smooth travel of the curtains so it doesn't seem to shake much with either fast or slow shutter speeds.

[byron]

Sorry, I need to check this forum more often!

Jojonas, I like that second shot a lot! Infrared really works for it.

The Kiev is a neat camera, and I'm glad to hear that other people enjoy it as well. I've been getting out and shooting a bit more, I'm about 20 frames in to my first roll. I bought this camera to see if I would enjoy shooting with a rangefinder, and so far I definitely am!

As a glasses wearer my only complaint is that the viewfinder is a bit squinty, but I suppose that's true of most cameras from this era.

Aksel: I think in dim light you'll be alright, but once you get around 1-2 EV it gets pretty tough. That being said, I have modified my Kiev a bit  by putting a piece of tape on the viewfinder over the rangefinder spot to boost its contrast, so I'm not too sure how good it is "stock".

[Aksel]

Thank you both for the feed back - guess I "need" to get my self one of those then.
 Just the look of them - so beautiful, and could really be a new pint-time favorite 

[Urban Hafner]

Ah that Kiev! I need to get another one. It was a beauty but the broken film advance was driving me nuts. So i sold it to Jonas. I enjoyed my 5 rolls of Velvia i got in return much more

The rangefinder is really tiny and not ideal for people like me that wear glasses. But the contrast is really good and i had no problem in a somewhat dimly lit pub.

And no, black cameras where never produced in factory. It was an after market paint job.

[jojonas~]

And no, black cameras where never produced in factory. It was an after market paint job.

I see! well, they did an okay job with it.

[Fluminian]

And no, black cameras where never produced in factory. It was an after market paint job.

I see! well, they did an okay job with it.

Told you. 

[jojonas~]

Told you. 

it's something with your avatar that makes me question anything you write
haha not really though

[Steven.]

it's a 4am I've got actually. got it from urban here on the forum

was one year ago now that I think about it!

the lightmeter in the picture is one from an argus. I don't use it that much as I've gotten better at sunny-16.

beautiful! i have a 4M laying neglected on my shelf. thinking of picking up a jupiter 12 and 35 finder and taking it out for a spin.

[Fluminian]

Told you. 

it's something with your avatar that makes me question anything you write
haha not really though

You're. right. There's a side of me that corresponds well with my avatar. The other side... well...

[Fluminian]

-----8<-----8<-----8<-----
beautiful! i have a 4M laying neglected on my shelf. thinking of picking up a jupiter 12 and 35 finder and taking it out for a spin.

Listen carefully and you'll hear a tiny voice "Take me out! It's boring here."

[jojonas~]

mmm.... 35 finder~

gotta get me one of those. I'm feeling a bit too cheap though for the prices they come up on! haha.. maybe I'll finish the roll in that disposable and see if I can hack something

[Fluminian]

mmm.... 35 finder~

gotta get me one of those. I'm feeling a bit too cheap though for the prices they come up on! haha.. maybe I'll finish the roll in that disposable and see if I can hack something

I remember having a revolver-like viewfinder for Zorki-4. You would change lens and
then rotate the viewfinder until appropriate position for that particular lens came.

[byron]

I had a major disappointment earlier today -- I thought I had rewound all of my film back into the canister, but it turns out I hadn't and ended up exposing a good portion of my roll to the sun. That's the first time that has happened since when I first began shooting film years ago. All of the normal signs that the film was back in the canister were there -- there was lack of tension on the rewinding knob and I was sure I had heard those small "pops" indicating the film jumping off the take-up spool and then back into the canister. I'm still not entirely certain as to what happened, but I'm pretty distraught.

The Kiev is certainly interesting to work with...

[jojonas~]

byron: bummer! I've only had that happen to me with some film that I had loaded in the canister myself and had too little tape that got loose - wasn't while using the kiev though. maybe roll a bit extra next time or practise with a roll in it? I've got a rerolled film that didn't develop that I use to practise and exercise the camera.

still, looking forward to seeing if any shots came out
rafael, steven: same goes for you too! I'd like to see how your cameras look too~