The
Kiev 4 is a well known
Russian (Ukrainian to be politically correct) Contax III copy. It was
the third Kiev model equipped with a light meter. This was a long running
production model - with some slight changes Arsenal factory in Kiev produced
it from 1957 to 1980. Kiev-4 is very similar to its predecessor - Kiev
IIIa, but it adopted some features of the postwar Contax IIIa - a more
compact light meter housing and a simplified meter dials / rewind knob.
The lens was also modernized - the aperture dial was engraved on both
sides of the lens, so the setting is visible regardless of the lens position.
The aperture was set in the fixed (with stop-clicks) position. And, of
course, the name was changed to Jupiter-8M. All these changes made a proven
Contax design more convenient to use.
There were two major Kiev-4 variations
- the original Kiev-4 (1957-1974) and the Kiev-4 type 2 (1974-1980). In
the Kiev-4 type 2 the Arsenal engineers finally admitted that the top
speed of the shutter was seldom as fast as 1/1250, and a more realistic
1/1000 was engraved as a top speed.
This Kiev-4 was made in 1963,
it is a type 1 model.
- Shutter speeds: B, 1/2 - 1/1250
- Rangefinder base: 90 mm
- Lens: coated Jupiter-8M, F
= 5 cm, 1:2, coated, a copy of Zeiss Sonnar
- Built-in uncoupled light meter
- Flash synch
- Self-timer
The camera comes with a clean
leather case.
As well as any Soviet Contax copy,
the Kiev-4 is a rugged and precision camera, equipped with a great lens.
It is capable of taking advantage of modern films, and is simply a
great fun to use.
? 2001
fedka.com
Text and photograph
