Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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Paris,
The Kiev 88cm is a great camera if you understand how to use. It is not a 35mm slr by any means and it requires you to think differently when shooting. I have both the 88cm and the 60, I find the 60 easier to use in the field and the 88 easier in the studio. The 88 has a TTL meter (if you buy the full kit) and its ok as far as being correct. I would still use a handheld meter (or a 35mm camera) as a backup until you learn how the meter is acting. The meter on mine is right on when set to ISO100 but anything else it?s off by two stops. There is a fix for that but I am to lazy to do it as I have a Minolta hand meter.
It is not a fast camera to use, first off it?s all manual, and so when you set the meter to a reading it does not set the f-stop or shutter speed. You need to set them yourself before you take the shot.
The best thing about these cameras is the lens they use. You can get excellent Carl Ziess glass for them at a very reasonable cost. An 80mm f/2.8 cost about $70 (compare that to one for a Blad, which would be around $500).
As a final note here is the bad news, these cameras are made in Russia, the quality slides from camera to cameras (one will work great and the other might not work at all), there are no NEW cameras as they have not made them in years (82-89 being the best years as far as quality goes).
Here are a couple of links to look at:
www.kievcamera.com (dealer)
http://kievaholic.com/ (Great site for tons of info)
www.kievusa.com (dealer)
Hope some of this helps...
BTW... They take great picture, just as good as a blad or anything else; you just need to know how to use them.
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Greg O'Conner
(K=2398) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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I would recomend against a Keiev. They are increadably tempting, but I've heard horor stories about them. I would recomend a good TLR (Twin lens reflex), they are the recangular ones with 2 lenses on them. Yashica 124 is a good one, can be had for $100 on E-Bay.
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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There are bad storied about them but again I have two that work great(aside from the meter on my 88 and I use a hand meter for studio work anyway). I think if purched from a dealer you get a better product and a great picture taking machine.
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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I just rethought my reply and I hope I didn't come off sounding harsh. A TLR is a good choice also, it does have some serious limitation but it is also very simple to use. I was very critical of Kiev?s when I thought about getting one. But when I saw sample shots from one I was hooked, I also love the fact I could get Ziess glass for them (I know East German Ziess is not the same as Ziess now). There are problems with them but they can be fix or you can get one from a good dealer then has been checked out and cleaned.
BTW... I have a Lubitel 166b TLR that I got on Ebay for $20. It takes great shots too :-)
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Paris Tsantis
(K=5) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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The TLR ones look easy and cheap. I just found the Yashica model on E-bay! Do TLR cameras have light meters to assist me in exposure? What about focus? Is it manual? Will TLR cameras produce sharp photos?
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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Paris,
Most TLR have a very basic light meter in them, it will help with exposure but not if your shooting slide film. I know the Yashica Mat 124G has a meter. The Lubitel 166 I have does not. As far as sharp pictures go that depends on the lens. I think the Yashica has a fairly sharp lens on it and some of the older Rollicords do to. If you want to buy new take a look at the Seagull line of TLR's. Shuttbug Mag did a review of them and said they are not bad.
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/29/2003
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I forgot to mention, yes the meter is all manual!
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Greg O'Conner
(K=2398) - Comment Date 1/30/2003
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My Yashica has a meter, but I'm guessing it stopped years ago. Most of them dont work. I thought this would be troublesome, but you get used to it. Light meters used can be very cheap, and they also come very small.
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Paris Tsantis
(K=5) - Comment Date 1/30/2003
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Well I bought a Yashica MAT-124G from E-bay! The shutter supposedly works flawlessly and the light meter is adjusted to work with 1.5V batteries.
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 1/31/2003
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Paris,
Good luck and enjoy.
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Zarazka Zarazkovich
(K=1510) - Comment Date 2/2/2003
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I have used 6C, 88 and Moscow-2 cameras. All of those worked very well. 88 is definitely not a field camera, although it has a lot of advantages over 6C and M-2. One of the things I don't like about Russian cameras is that after some use it feels like they are falling apart (and this feeling will not leave you for the next 20-30 years the camera will serve you).
As for TTL light metering on Kiev camera - I would not trust it a bit. I had several power elements and each of them resulted in different readings under the same light conditions.
Also it took me a while to get used to focusing correctly with Moscow-2.
My final suggestion is, take a look at alternatives. I got all those cameras while I still was in Russia and it cost me my hourly wage here. But if you buy the equipment in North America, you will be ripped off. After long research into the prices, I honestly think that you can get superior alternatives in same price range.
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Nancy B Brannaman
(K=445) - Comment Date 2/9/2003
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I have a Kiev 88 that I bought from the factory in Kiev, Ukraine. I am fairly certain that the camera and lenses are still manufactured. I read someplace that the serial numbers start with the year of manufacture. I can't find my camera's "passport" (instruction booklet) at the moment, to check the manufacture date. The instruction book is all in Russian, but the camera is really simple.
The kit I purchased came with TTL light meter, 2 film backs, the 80 mm lens, 2 filters, the vertical view finder, and a strap. I think it cost about $350. The camera has a flash shoe on it, too.
I check Ebay once in a while in hopes of finding a recently-manufactured 250 mm Kiev lens. The news about the Carl Ziess lenses fitting the Kiev is terrific.
Chris, can you provide any more details?
I read that the Kiev 88 can take a specific type of Pentax lens, too. Anyone know which kind?
The warnings about spotty quality are valid. The Soviets were never good about producing high quality, highly engineered consumer products. I don't know if that has changed much since the break-up.
However, I think I lucked out and got a good camera. I have been pleased with the pictures I have taken, and I don't have much experience with it. I use a tripod most of the time, and a shutter release cable. The cable is handy because I feel I have to push the shutter button hard since the camera is totally mechanical.
I had to use a dab of super glue to stop the shutter speed indicator ring from moving. Until I did that, I was never sure if I had the correct shutter speed or not. I bracket a lot. In true Kiev style, my camera has the faux-alligator covering.
I would like to purhase the Kiev 60 someday, too. Maybe on my next trip to Kiev.
In general, I think the Kiev 88 is a good intro into medium format. Rember that you get what you pay for, and the Kiev is not a Hasselblad (my ultimate dream).
I'll try to post a couple of photos that I have taken with the Kiev 88, when my donor paperwork has gone through.
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Nancy B Brannaman
(K=445) - Comment Date 2/9/2003
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Here's a shot of the National Bank of Ukraine taken with the Kiev 88.
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Nancy B Brannaman
(K=445) - Comment Date 2/9/2003
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One more photo. This is a shot of a couple of headstones in a cemetary in Kiev, Ukraine. A facinating place to spend the afternoon.
The photo foreground is pretty sharp. The graininess comes from scanning. I should have gone for a deeper depth of field....
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Nancy B Brannaman
(K=445) - Comment Date 2/9/2003
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It helps to check the box! Sorry!
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Taras R. Hnatyshyn
(K=4055) - Comment Date 2/15/2003
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http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/kievbron.html
Here is a link to a page comparing the Kiev to a Bronica. There are other links to Kiev pages there.
Taras
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Scott McFadden
(K=5663) - Comment Date 2/21/2003
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Seems to me this has become a kiev fans
collection of sorts.
I bought one a while back... came with two ziess lenses
The body really did suck unfortunately.
As Luck had it I bought a D100 and got an adapter to fit these quality lenses onto it.
My Favourite of the two has to be the 180mm sonnar.
I Definately recommend this lense just not sure about the bodys.
I hear you can get souped up / serviced versions from somewhere check the kievaholic link up top.
proably worth the extra but a big recommendation on the ziess glass from me.
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giuliano colivicchi
(K=2880) - Comment Date 6/4/2003
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I own a Kiev 60 and i find it a very good compromise!
The lenses are chips but very very good!
I have a 80 mm (very sharp) a 30mmm (fish eye superb!)
The only trouble is the space from photograms that is not regular and occasionally may overlaps the corners of photograms.
The body is very solid (heavy too) and the TTL is good.
The feel is of a larger and heavier 35mm.Bue the shots are very good and the camera is very very chip.
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giuliano colivicchi
(K=2880) - Comment Date 6/4/2003
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I suggest kiev 60 and not kiev 88.
The kiev 60 is more affidable and takes goos shots
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Caesar Biesiadecki
(K=30) - Comment Date 7/12/2003
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Please check out the following Kiev equipment related source: http://araxfoto.com/. From what I understand, these enhanced cameras greatly surpass their respective originals in terms of the reliability while keeping the cost on par.
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greg W:-)
(K=193) - Comment Date 4/18/2005
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For reliability and overall great value for money go with the Kiev 60 but dont expect a good camera for 150 bucks ..spend good money and get a good camera , and totaly forget about the internal meter and go with a quality hand held item instead.
Check out my Kiev60SLR web site for more info and DIY help.
www.geocities.com/kiev60slr/
gregW:-)
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Mark Beltran
(K=32612) - Comment Date 4/19/2005
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go to araxfoto.com, because they work on them to iron out the kinks. What you get is a Kiev the way it should function. My friend Chricel Portela has dealt with them.
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