About Kiev Cameras
The data below are taken from "The authentic guide to Russian and Soviet cameras", JLPrincelle, Le Reve publishing.
- Kiev Contax "47": under 100ex between 1947 and 1948.
- Kiev "48": less than 2000 in 1948.
- Kiev "49": less than 2000 in 1949. Made with parts from CONTAX. From late 1949, early 1950, the Kiev are made entirely by ARSENAL
- Kiev II: 1950-1955. Almost identical to previous models
- Kiev III: 1942-1952. The same, with lightmeter on the top cover.
- Kiev IIa: 1955-1959. Adding a flash sync to KievII.
- Kiev IIIa: 1955-1959. Adding a flash sync to Kiev III.
- Kiev 4: 1957-1974. New meter, smaller and improved. The sole of the body is now flat.
- Kiev 4a: 1958-1974. The same without meter.
- Kiev TTL: prototype 1962. Light metering through the lens. Never mass produced. It's a shame.
- Kiev 5: 1967-1973. Trying to get out of the Contax look, viewfinder and larger meter included in a larger hood, cocking lever. Ugly.
- Kiev 4 type 2: 1974-1980.
- Kiev 4a type 2: 1974-1980. Small cosmetic changes: the modified facade covers the boss of focusing wheels on the left of the lens (as with 4m), new selftimer lever, with a plastic part. From this model, the covering is synthetic rather than real leather.
- Kiev 4m: 1976-1987.
- Kiev 4am: 1980-1987 (without meter). New shutter speed selector - cocking knob and rewind crank, black; synchronized flash shoe, fixed take-up spool. Part normalized sequence of shutter speeds , 1/1000s max instead of 1/1250s.
The Contax was conceived in the 1930s to compete with the Leica. Main characteristics (and therefore characteristics of Kiev): The standard lens has no helical thread, it is incorporated into the body, the focusing is done with a knob on top, the whole is coupled to a broad base rangefinder: 100mm (rangefinder base= distance between the 2 windows).The shutter has metallic, vertically moving curtains.
These are really curtains, made of thin strips hinged together , in the style of a roller shutter. These curtains do not overlap, they join end to end, and there are caches to make light tight at this point (see above). While cocking, the bottom curtain stops once the exposure window covered, the other curtain continues to curl up on its drum, creating a "window" of variable width depending on the chosen shutter speed (left image). Consequence: you must choose the shutter speed before cocking, unlike the Fed and Zorki using a Leica type shutter.