Kiev 4a Shutter Speed Question

In anticipation of Red Oktober I have been cleaning up and testing my Kievs. In doing so I have run across an odd situation and am wondering if there is an easy fix for it.

The camera in question is a 1964 Kiev 4a. While testing the shutter speeds all the lower speeds from 1/2 through 1/125 I found they were almost exactly correct. The funny business started at the top 3 speeds. For each subsequent speed starting at 1/250 the very first shutter actuation is wildly inaccurate on the fast side. This occurs at 1/250, 1/500 and 1/1250. Each time for each of the three speeds the first shutter speed recorded was always about 1/4750. However, for each speed the subsequent shutter speeds were very close to accurate. At 1/250 the average of 5 tests was 1/247. At 1/500 the average of 5 tests was 1/553. The fastest speed, after ignoring the intial 1/4750 reading, the speeds settled in at 1/1485. This is admittedly too fast but in my experience it is not unusual for this speed to be unreliable.

Does anyone know why this is happening? Is it something that can easily be corrected or should I just plan on wasting a frame each time I adjust the shutter to one of these three speeds? I plan on using this camera for October if possible because the shutters speeds are very accurate with the exception of this odd problem.

Thanks for any hints or suggestions on what to do to correct this problem.

It is probably a lubrication issue. This might help:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rwrede/albums/72157642028918354/

The first curtain isn't starting until the second does, on that first exposure after changing the speed. I'll agree with Kino, it's probably in need of a CLA. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a shop in the USA that will even look at a Kiev.

Yeah. That was what I was afraid you guys were going to say.

Since I have a 72 that is semi-operational (everything works except for the fastest shutter speed) maybe it is time for me to dig into a Kiev and see if I can do well enough to get a shutter cleaned out and lubricated (shudder.) The 64 has been a very good camera for me for several years so I guess it is time it received some attention beyond that required to load film and push a shutter button.

Time to search out some DIY information. I mean, it can't be too bad can it?

I think the site is down now, but the Wayback Machine should be able to find the Kiev Survival Site, which has well photographed and explained documentation going as far as shutter cleaning and lubrication. Lots of little parts and they have to go back just so (as one might expect of a slightly updated pre-War Contax design), but few if any "jack in the box" springs, and the whole thing is within reach of mortals (provided you don't have too much kitty assistance).

Of course, there's also the option to get an actual Contax, which shops will work on. Last I looked, you could get a pre-War Contax II or III for around $200 on eBay, with a little patience, and then another $125 (and up) for the CLA it will probably need after 80+ years...

Donald Qualls said:

I think the site is down now, but the Wayback Machine should be able to find the Kiev Survival Site, which has well photographed and explained documentation going as far as shutter cleaning and lubrication. Lots of little parts and they have to go back just so (as one might expect of a slightly updated pre-War Contax design), but few if any "jack in the box" springs, and the whole thing is within reach of mortals (provided you don't have too much kitty assistance).

Of course, there's also the option to get an actual Contax, which shops will work on. Last I looked, you could get a pre-War Contax II or III for around $200 on eBay, with a little patience, and then another $125 (and up) for the CLA it will probably need after 80+ years...

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll check on the Kiev Survival site.

Oh, I do have a Contax...or two...or three...

...and they work just fine.

But once every year in October I try to spend a month working with my Soviet era cameras like the Kiev. Besides, I actually rather enjoy using them, especially the lenses.

Won't hear me arguing. I have two Kiev 4s, with duplicate Jupiter 8 50/2, as well as a Jupiter 12 (and another waiting for me to figure out a way to test if a glass swap from an LTM version improves things) and a Jupiter 11. Had to get a Leitz viewfinder to cover those, though, because the Argus one I got first had too small an eyepiece to see through.

You could try emailing Advance Camera in San Francisco. Yakov did a good service on my Moskva a few years ago. I don’t know how busy he is, though. Website is http://www.camerarepair-sf.com/index.html

Thanks. I'll give them a shout tomorrow. It doesn't appear that their e-mail is working right now.