Kiev 60/88

[teke2007]

Hi, anyone used these cameras before? Any advice as to how sturdy they are and where to get them locally/overseas?

I have read that one can get a good deal for kiev 60/88 from the following site:
1) www.araxfoto.com
2) http://www.kievusa.com/
3) Hartblei.com
Any comments?

[Verticoastro]

Originally Posted by teke2007 Hi, anyone used these cameras before? Any advice as to how sturdy they are and where to get them locally/overseas? I have read that one can get a good deal for kiev 60/88 from the following site: 1) www.araxfoto.com 2) http://www.kievusa.com/ 3) Hartblei.com Any comments?

I used to have a KIEV 88... I got quite a good copy of it... only the film back give me a little bit of problem... the film overlap a little bit... about 1 to 3mm between inmages... for image wise still ok... heard that this film back has plently of light leaks... but the above three mentioned website seem to sell the better version... I mean improve version..

[hacknet]

i was looking at the 88 for a while a couple weeks ago. but reliability seems iffy. there seem to be a couple sets floating along ebay cheap. interested to buy one to try?

[enivre]

my advice is to stay away from them UNLESS you can gurantee a good copy. Maybe a tried and tested one for example.

I bought one that leaked from every possible angle, no amount of flocking seemed to help. In the end sold it off at a loss.

[hacknet]

was it a problem with the film back? or was there somewhere else that light was leaking from..?

[cullenjeremy]

wah! i wanna try medium format. these cameras look good. non ttl prisms means theres no metering right?

[enivre]

Originally Posted by hacknet was it a problem with the film back? or was there somewhere else that light was leaking from..?

I sent both in for flocking, nothing helped. It could be I got a lemon, but I won't take my chances again.

[waileong]

Forget the Russian/Kiev cameras.

[csisfun]

Originally Posted by waileong Forget the Russian/Kiev cameras.

Agreed! The chance of getting one that does not function well is too high, and it gets frustrating when you have no where to turn to fix it.

[Pixture]

I 2nd to this reply... don't play with fire, will cost u a hole in your wallet.
save your $$ for a better one. It juz don't last, pic quality i should say not
too bad.

Originally Posted by Verticoastro I used to have a KIEV 88... I got quite a good copy of it... only the film back give me a little bit of problem... the film overlap a little bit... about 1 to 3mm between inmages... for image wise still ok... heard that this film back has plently of light leaks... but the above three mentioned website seem to sell the better version... I mean improve version..

[PTCtan]

I know a guy who is thinking of selling off a modified 6x4.5 Kiev60 camera cheaply. You can pm me for his contact number, if interested.

Many users of Kiev60 also use the compatible mount Pentacon lenses, which have some very good lenses.

Tan

[sim4nee]

Hi this reply might be late but just want to let you know Arax is good cause I bought 1 and used it quite a lot, very happy with the result, until I broke the film advance crank(forced too hard) I like the operating so much that I started to look for the legendary Exakta 66 to replace it. After 6 months finally I found 1 in Ebay.

Arax is actually modified Kiev(Arax 60=Kiev 60, Arax88=Kiev 88),basically the light leak, and film overlapping problem solved. 1 of the best thing about this camera is the lenses, with Pentacon six mount you can find a lot of the former East Germany made Carl Zeiss Jenna lenses in ebay for very cheap but good quality. Anyway either Kiev 60, Exakta 66 or Pentax 67 are all base on Pentacon Six TL(the German even remake it during the 80's with modern design call Exata 66 using Schneider-Kreuznach lens, drool!!)

Anybody who like to know more about can check out http://kievaholic.com/, a lot of stuff to read there.

[hacknet]

ohh.. great stuff! thanks!