Kiev 60 or Pentacon Six ?

Mike Kennedy · Dec 13, 2005

Just wondering which camera would prove to be "the lesser of 2 evils". My hunch is the Pentacon but I thought I would ask actual "users" as opposed to basing my decision on camera reviews.

Cheers,
Mike

"Those that can,
do.
Those that can,t,
wright reviews"

eumenius · Dec 13, 2005

Mike,
Pentacon Six should definitely be the lesser evil of these two - I have repaired many Kievs and Pentacons, and I can say that the Pentacons are just better built. And it's sometimes easier to repair. So if you have to choose, take Pentacon - but again, the mechanical resource of both K and P is limited, so take one that looks fresher

Cheers from Russia,
Zhenya

Nick Zentena · Dec 13, 2005

Pentacons have the reputation of being less reliable. More fragile. You'll find whole webpages on the safe way to advance the film!

Either buy from somebody reputable or get the chance to test it before hand. A working Kiev 60 or 6C tends to just keep working in my expierence.

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 13, 2005

Having owned and used both in the early nineties, the Pentacon Six seems to me of a much superior quality (materials, aesthetics, craftmanship). I used it for years without even having idea that it should have had these famous "film advance" problems everyone talks about and, useless to say, I had no problem at all throughout all of the said years.

eumenius · Dec 13, 2005

Yes, I wonder why Nick thinks that Pentacons are inferior to Kievs - maybe his specimens were just different from the others? My own experience tells me that Pentacon was better, just my two cents.

Dave Parker · Dec 13, 2005

My pentacons have always been far better in durability that the kievs that I have owned, another alternative that has a tendancy to see less expensive is the practisix III, I have owned a couple of these and they use the same lenses and accessories as the pentacon and worked the same way, and not as well known, but is esentually a pentacon for less money.

Dave

Nick Zentena · Dec 13, 2005

eumenius said:
Yes, I wonder why Nick thinks that Pentacons are inferior to Kievs -

I've never seen claims of reliable Pentacons before -) Everybody I've known with one has had problems. OTOH my Kievs a 6C and a 60 are perfect. I just did a quick google search and found pages describing how to advance the film. I don't need to baby my Kievs. They just work.

Dave Parker · Dec 13, 2005

Well Nick, that is interesting, I have found numerous websites devoted to the gearing in kievs and have stripped the advance gears in three of them myself, I have never had a problem with any of my pentacons, so I guess it comes down to the luck of the draw, but there are many websites out their describing the gearing problems on kievs as well, that is the reason that Hartibeli and Kiev America rework them before selling them.

Dave

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 13, 2005

Same here. I wounded up films just NOT KNOWING that it was "suggested" to be done with care in the States, and not a single frame overlapped in years. In the meanwhile, the time delay gear of my Kiev 60 was reduced to pieces.

Nick Zentena · Dec 13, 2005

Dave are you talking about the 88s or the 60/6C? The frame spacing on the 60 or 6C is usually an issue with the cameras being setup for Soviet film. Easy enough that I managed to fix it.

If Kiev America is Kiev USA I'd suggest being carefull with them. Or at the very least ask how they handle warranty exchanges/repairs.

Dave Parker · Dec 13, 2005

Nick, I am talking about the 60/6C and I have never had a problem with Kiev USA, if I had meant the 88 I would have said the 88, I have had a few of them as well. its not a point of contention, just a different experiance than you have had with yours as opposed to mine...it is the same with anything in cameras, one persons gem is another person piece of junk, that is all.

Dave

P C Headland · Dec 13, 2005

I've looked at and handled both, and ended up with a P6 along with 50, 80 and 120mm lenses.

The standard Kiev has a brighter focus screen, but feels bigger, heavier and somewhat cruder in my hands. You can have the focus screen in the P6 swapped to something brighter (e.g. a Kiev screen, Rollei, etc.).

Whichever you get, buy from a reputable place, and get one that has preferrably been checked or CLA'd.

Foto Ludens · Dec 13, 2005

I echo the suggestion to get a CLA'd one. I've had a P6 which had film advance issues from day one. The film counter did not work either. Of course, this was probably a busted specimen (from a seller with questionable feedback). The camera takes fine pictures, and I really liked the single coated Biometar. I recommend flocking the interior of the camera, though.

Just my 2c.

André

zenrhino · Dec 14, 2005

Mike Kennedy said:
Just wondering which camera would prove to be "the lesser of 2 evils". My hunch is the Pentacon but I thought I would ask actual "users" as opposed to basing my decision on camera reviews.

I have a love-hate relationship with my Kiev 60.

I love the lens (arsat f2.8 80mm) and bright focus screen.
I hate the seismic mirror slap, non-working self-timer, and near-random frame spacing problems.

But that lens and the negs it gives me...wow.

Kiev 60 or Pentacon Six ?

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