Kiev 88 with digital back

[Kievmarc]

Hi everyone,
almost a month ago I saw, almost by chance, the "new" Hasselblad CFV system, which can also be used with analog cameras. My passion for technology and my vintage soul were thrilled to discover the union of medium format and digital photography. Since we're talking about Hasselblad, the cost of this plug-and-play system is high and out of my budget, but I didn't give up, and by searching here and there, I learned about Arsenal and Kiev 88.
I won't deny that from that fateful day until today, it's been a real roller coaster of emotions for me, because on alternate days I thought I had everything figured out and on others, nothing seemed to fit, combined with the fact that it takes me forever to make a final decision on the subject.

I'm therefore opening this thread to ask for help from those familiar with the Kiev 88 and digital backs to plan and complete this project, particularly @itsdoable who I understand has done something similar.

I should point out that I don't have any materials yet because I want to be sure of the compatibility of the various parts and their availability on the used market, and I don't know how quickly I'll be able to proceed.

Essentially, I'd like to connect the body of a Kiev 88, chosen for its affordability and the various lenses, its Hassy-chic look, and its robustness (at least once repaired), to a digital back. Since Phase One P45 or P65 backs with a Hasselblad V mount aren't available anywhere in Europe, I've opted for the Sinar Sinarback eVolution 75+ (Sinar backs are generally more readily available and more affordable) with the appropriate adapter.

Since I don't even own a Kiev 88, I've been looking at various offers, and now I have two options:
- the first is to buy a complete kit consisting of a camera body, two film magazines, a TTL pentaprism viewfinder, a waist-level viewfinder, Volna, Kaleinar, Zodiak, and Mir-26, 28, and 36 lenses for the super price of €500. This would be the perfect choice, except that it only has X-sync and no FP;
- the second option is to buy a camera body that doesn't work with both X-sync and FP, send it to Arax, and essentially upgrade it to an Arax CM: the entire deal costs about €680. This is in the price range of a Hasselblad 500C, but obviously you can save some money by purchasing Arsenal lenses (I'm not sure if Zeiss Jena lenses are cheap, to be honest).

So I ask @itsdoable : is FP sync really necessary for the digital back to work (I don't think there's any difference between Sinar and Phase One)? In theory, you can't set shutter speeds faster than 1/30, since that's the maximum shutter speed the shutter can be fully open.
Perhaps it's used to send the wake signal to the digital back?
In that case, can't a wake-up cable connected to a standard x-sync cable be used?

 

[F4U]

I learned a hard and bitter lesson owning ONE old Soviet camera. I shall never own another, much less spend money on an expensive digital retrofit back. I can think of no surer way of throwing good money after bad. On old genuine Hasselblad is bad enough. They are prone to jam, need service, and are not particularly convenient to use. If you want to pursue your idea the right way, get a genuine Hasselblad, have it professionally serviced, THEN continue with your digital back idea. As for the old Soviet replicas, they appear to be just as pretty, but if you've ever worked on cameras, you will see what complete junk they are.

 

[B.S.Kumar]

As @F4U writes, Kiev cameras are a bit of a gamble. You might get a good performer, you might not. But if you do want a Sinarback, I'm thinking of selling my 54H and 75H backs. Both have Hasselblad V mounts.

Kumar

 

[Kievmarc]

I learned a hard and bitter lesson owning ONE old Soviet camera. I shall never own another, much less spend money on an expensive digital retrofit back. I can think of no surer way of throwing good money after bad. On old genuine Hasselblad is bad enough. They are prone to jam, need service, and are not particularly convenient to use. If you want to pursue your idea the right way, get a genuine Hasselblad, have it professionally serviced, THEN continue with your digital back idea. As for the old Soviet replicas, they appear to be just as pretty, but if you've ever worked on cameras, you will see what complete junk they are.

As @F4U writes, Kiev cameras are a bit of a gamble. You might get a good performer, you might not. But if you do want a Sinarback, I'm thinking of selling my 54H and 75H backs. Both have Hasselblad V mounts.

Kumar

Thanks for the reply.
I'm aware that Soviet cameras, and especially the Kiev, don't enjoy a great reputation, particularly for their reliability. However, it's also true that these defects are due more to a lack of final quality control and maintenance than to design (they copied the Hasselblad 1000F after all). In fact, I don't think anyone in the past has ever decided to spend $80 to $120 to fix cameras they bought at a flea market for $50. Now, perhaps it's worth it, but let's leave that for another time.

The defects I've read about and that everyone complains about are:
- imaginative film advance and the back's light-tightness (which, at least, isn't an issue when shooting digital);
- inaccurate shutter speeds.
These are defects that, in fact, can be easily resolved with regular maintenance.

Returning to my specific case, if the type of flash sync isn't that crucial, being able to take home a fully equipped and, above all, serviced kit for the same price as a Hasselblad body alone (plus all the Zeiss lenses to add) is quite an achievement. I've chosen Kiev precisely because it allows me to first decide whether I like shooting in analog medium format with such vintage cameras and then switch to digital for the immediate results. Or, I can abandon everything without too many regrets. In any case, I could always decide to switch to a Hasselblad at a later date, since the digital back would work anyway.

It's not that I haven't considered buying a Hasselblad (the 500 with the lens shutter would be the best choice for connecting to a digital back), it's just that beyond the cost of the camera body, what makes you spend so much are the lenses. The Sonnar 150mm for portraits can be found for no less than €400 (I could even replace it with the Sonnar 250mm, which I don't think anyone would mind due to its weight and costs half as much), but the real problem is the landscape lenses: the Distagon is still in the Sonnar range, and the Planar has reached prices of €700.

As @F4U writes, Kiev cameras are a bit of a gamble. You might get a good performer, you might not. But if you do want a Sinarback, I'm thinking of selling my 54H and 75H backs. Both have Hasselblad V mounts.

Kumar

It would certainly be interesting, although not a little worried about the cost of shipping to Italy and the cost of customs

 

[B.S.Kumar]

That is pretty good reasoning and I hope you find a good copy of the camera.
The back's light tightness (or lack of it) could be due to the camera body or the back, so that is something that still might be concern.
The type of flash sync isn't crucial, as long as it syncs. You might also want to use barrel lenses!

If you've seen any of my listings, my prices are always inclusive of shipping. Customs duties depend on country of origin, not country of shipping. I don't know if a Swiss product would attract customs duty in the EU? In any case, I'll let you know in the coming week or so.

Kumar

 

[Kievmarc]

That is pretty good reasoning and I hope you find a good copy of the camera.
The back's light tightness (or lack of it) could be due to the camera body or the back, so that is something that still might be concern.
The type of flash sync isn't crucial, as long as it syncs. You might also want to use barrel lenses!

Let's hope to find a good one.

So it depends from one digital back to another if it syncs with the flash? What do you mean to use barrel lenses?

Since you said you have Sinars with a Hasselblad V adapter, I assume you connected the digital back to an analog Hasselblad. What are your thoughts on this? How did you make the connections?

 

[B.S.Kumar]

I was using the backs on Sinar cameras. I've never used Hasselblad cameras.

Digital backs need a flash sync cord from the back to the flash sync port on the lens. Some cameras have electronic contacts on the body itself. For example, Mamiya 645 cameras have focal plane shutters and contacts on the body that mate with the contacts on the back.

If the Kiev has a regular flash sync port, you should be able to connect it to the back.

Barrel lenses are those lenses that have no shutter. Older lenses can give a very different rendering compared to newer lenses.

Kumar

 

[Kievmarc]

Digital backs need a flash sync cord from the back to the flash sync port on the lens. Some cameras have electronic contacts on the body itself. For example, Mamiya 645 cameras have focal plane shutters and contacts on the body that mate with the contacts on the back.

If the Kiev has a regular flash sync port, you should be able to connect it to the back.

Yes, in the late Kiev 88 (those most commonly found) have a X-sync port on the left side of the body, as show in the picture below

However the first production of the Kiev 88 had also a FP-sync module, so through a switch you could select both the old contact for the bulb flashes and the more "modern" one, as shown in the picture below (it's the Kiev of itsdoable)

So if the type of sync doesn't matter because because the digital back will work anymays, I will definetly go for the the complete kit just serviced as it has also all the lenses I could've asked for.

Barrel lenses are those lenses that have no shutter. Older lenses can give a very different rendering compared to newer lenses.

Kumar

Oh I see! With those lenses and an external shutter combined it would be possible to overcome the slowness of the focal plane shutter by leaving it open all the time and synchronizing the digital back with the external shutter (basically the body is just a box). The only problem is that I don't believe there are any external shutters that have the Kiev 88 connection (that kind of screw that's only present on that model), so it would be necessary to have the Kiev modified to accommodate the Pentacon 6 connection (again, I don't know if there are any suitable shutters).

Anyway, thanks, Kumar, you've given me something to think about.

 

[Kievmarc]

Maybe also the experties of @flavio81 can help with this thread

 

[B.S.Kumar]

Barrel lenses can be front mounted on shutters and used with large format cameras, where the bellows is used for focusing.
I make and sell adapters for Shanel and Copal 3 shutters: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...m-f-4-5-lens-shanel-5a-shutter-adapter.198194
Something similar for the Kiev might be possible, but wide angle lenses would be difficult, if not impossible.
You can use helicoids for the Pentax 67 or the Bronica S series cameras and adapt them to the Kiev. A body cap with an appropriate hole can be used as an adapter. However, since the digital back needs the shutter to be completely closed before and after the exposure, you'll need to figure out a way to do this.

Kumar

 

[Kievmarc]

Barrel lenses can be front mounted on shutters and used with large format cameras, where the bellows is used for focusing.
I make and sell adapters for Shanel and Copal 3 shutters: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...m-f-4-5-lens-shanel-5a-shutter-adapter.198194
Something similar for the Kiev might be possible, but wide angle lenses would be difficult, if not impossible.
You can use helicoids for the Pentax 67 or the Bronica S series cameras and adapt them to the Kiev. A body cap with an appropriate hole can be used as an adapter. However, since the digital back needs the shutter to be completely closed before and after the exposure, you'll need to figure out a way to do this.

Kumar

Sorry for the delay, but I had to catch up because I didn't know many things.


So if I understand correctly, you put a shutter like the Shanel or Prontor attached to the camera body with an adapter (which could actually also be the reinforced camera cap), then the adapter of your production and finally a barrel lens. This way, with the leaf shutter and its sync, you can use the digital back synchronized at all speeds and essentially the camera body becomes just a light-tight box. However, I have some questions.
-the Shanel shutter does not have an aperture because it uses the lens's, but it has relatively slow shutter speeds, maximum 1/100, which perhaps limits it a little in the case of landscape photography (in reality, when closed well, there shouldn't be any): is it possible, at least in theory, to mount the original Kiev lenses with this shutter?
-The other types of shutters that are more easily available in Europe (such as the Prontor or Compur, for example) also have an incorporated diaphragm, which however I see as settling at 5.6 at maximum aperture: don't they sacrifice portraits a little too much, which is the type of photography that interests me most?

However, all this seems difficult to implement because I don't believe there is any way to adapt the operation of a curtain that slides laterally with the type that opens in two of the Hasselblad 500. The only solution that comes to mind is to seal the mirror, but once the photo is taken it remains open and is not required unless the shutter is reloaded...

 

[loccdor]

I'm not aware of the logistics on connecting a digital back to a Mamiya 645 but I did want to mention that Pentacon Six mount lenses can be used on them with an adapter (without auto aperture). The Mamiyas have more resilient internals.

 

[RezaLoghme]

I appreciate the idea of wanting to solve such a puzzle. Independently of that, are you also thinking about using the camera, and if so, what output are you hoping to get from this setup?

I am a layman but for me, it is the lens that "makes" the photo, not the body. Wouldnt it be much easier to put a Kiev or Hasselblad lens on a modern digital body?

 

[Kievmarc]

I'm not aware of the logistics on connecting a digital back to a Mamiya 645 but I did want to mention that Pentacon Six mount lenses can be used on them with an adapter (without auto aperture). The Mamiyas have more resilient internals.

Thanks for the advice loccdor! I will keep it in mind if doing the mount conversion of the Kiev body (or also if is possible to mount those lenses on external shutter)

 

[Kievmarc]

However, since the digital back needs the shutter to be completely closed before and after the exposure, you'll need to figure out a way to do this.

Kumar

However, all this seems difficult to implement because I don't believe there is any way to adapt the operation of a curtain that slides laterally with the type that opens in two of the Hasselblad 500. The only solution that comes to mind is to seal the mirror, but once the photo is taken it remains open and is not required unless the shutter is reloaded...

Since I'm still digging into this, there is actually a way to get around this problem, and that is to use a self-cocking shutter, such as the Prontor Professional 01S. This shutter starts with the aperture closed, opens it when it shoots and then closes it again; it also has three connections, one for flash sync, one for shooting and one for aperture preview, which therefore allow you to have a preview of the shot (without starting the recording of the frame on the sensor) and to connect via Sync at all speeds allowed by the shutter (1/250) the Sinar back.


Furthermore, if you were to use lenses with a built-in shutter, by setting the maximum aperture on the shutter, you would have the maximum aperture of the lens in question. The problem with using lenses for the Kiev 88, however, is that adding the shutter changes the flange distance and consequently loses focus.

 

[B.S.Kumar]

Kievmarc, your questions need detailed answers. I will attempt to do so in a day or two.

Kumar

 

[Kievmarc]

Kievmarc, your questions need detailed answers. I will attempt to do so in a day or two.

Kumar

Don't worry, after a whole day of thinking my brain is steaming, but I think I'm close to a "solution," or at least a list of actions to take to achieve it. Tomorrow I'll try to write down my thoughts coherently, and if you want, you can evaluate them, without you having to work twice for nothing.



Anyway, thanks for your support and interest, I really appreciate it.

 

[mshchem]

I remember when Shutterbug magazine reviewed these cameras. Right off one jammed and wouldn't wind.. The author smacked the camera against a counter and it then worked fine. Reminds me of the 65 Chevy I drove in high-school

 

[Kievmarc]

@B.S.Kumar there we go.


Here's a solution for shooting digitally with a Kiev 88; we'll call it the "Kiev 88 digital large format hybrid."

A few words before continuing. The basic idea behind this project is to emulate the Hasselblad CFV, thus seeking, as far as possible, to combine the quality of analog and medium format with the convenience of digital shooting, while still maintaining the ability to take photos not only in the studio but also in the field, all at a lower cost than new solutions.


Kiev 88 digital large format hybrid

Requested/recommended pieces
-Kiev 88 body (even if it's not working, the important thing is that the mechanism for raising and lowering the mirror works);
-An external shutter with Flash Syncro (I decided to consider the Pronto Professional 01S because it is self-cocking and therefore simplifies shooting operations when used without a tripod, but I believe any type can be used);
-A digital back (by modifying the flanges on the Kiev by a few millimeters, it's possible to use a digital back that has a V-mount or a compatible adapter. I opted for a Sinarback eVolution 75H, mainly because adapters for the Hasselblad V are available and because, at least in Europe, there are more of them in circulation than the Phase Ones, which don't have adapters but come factory-fitted with the mount for various camera bodies. Having a screen on the back and the ability to record photos independently, they're certainly more practical than the Sinarbacks, which require a PC. However, I'm confident I can simplify things with a small tablet.)
-Lenses compatible with the shutter, so typically large format lenses;
-A sync cable;

To shoot digitally with your Kiev 88, simply attach a digital back to the camera body; this would be incredibly useful, but unfortunately, the process is a bit tricky. One of the first things to consider is that a digital back needs to physically connect to the camera body to determine when to start shooting, and it does so via the flash connection. At best, it can only use the camera's sync speed, which isn't greath on a Kiev 88; we're talking about 1/30 of a second because the focal plane shutter is only fully open at that speed. This would therefore mean giving up (or at least greatly complicating) outdoor shots, whether portraits or landscapes. In Hasselblads this does not happen because the shutter is inside the compatible lenses (leaf shutter) and by always opening fully at any settable speed it is therefore possible to synchronise the digital back perfectly.

So, by also taking the camera body cap (obviously reinforcing it) or creating an adapter, it's possible to install a shutter on the front that solves the intrinsic problem of a focal-plane curtain shutter. It's important that the shutter has a flash sync and that it starts closed, opens for the shot, and closes again to allow the image to be recorded (they should all work this way, but it's better to specify).

Now I believe the only solution regarding lenses is to use lenses that are already compatible with the external shutter of our choice. You need to take into account the flange distance, which is the distance a lens must be from the film (or sensor) to correctly focus to infinity. Since each brand has its own standard for this distance, it becomes difficult to find lenses compatible with the Kiev 88 (or with the Pentacon Six if the mount is modified) because they have fixed distances, namely approximately 82.1mm. Adding the shutter to the head therefore adds a greater distance (which in the case of the Prontor corresponds to 20mm), making correct focusing impossible. Large format lenses, if I understand correctly, have a flange distance essentially equal to their focal length, so a Rodenstock Sironar-N 5.6/150mm will need approximately 150mm, more than enough compared to the 82.1mm + 20mm of our modified Kiev. A helicoid is therefore useful to adjust the distance, or we could create an extension tube of the exact size required.
Let's always keep in mind that these lenses were created for large format (so 4X5" or about 10X12cm) and since digital sensors are not that big (they don't even cover the 6X6 of medium format) we will have a crop factor on those lenses, equal to 0.72. So taking as a reference the Sinarback eVolution 75h sensor with dimensions 48X36 ours Rodenstock Sironar-N 5.6/150mm will be comparable to a 108mm lens (150*0.72=108) on a 35mm format (or full frame).

So how does the shot work? First, open the field preview and focus the shutter using the shutter cable release; we can make adjustments from the Kiev 88's viewfinder. After making the necessary adjustments, we close the preview and raise the Kiev's mirror to allow the digital back to receive the image. Since the shutter prevents light from entering, we could also remove the shutter curtain at this point, as we no longer need it (otherwise, we would have to set the exposure to Bulb and lock the shutter button). Then we connect the shutter release cable to the shutter and take the photo. In the case of the Sinarback 75H, the digital back will need to be connected to a Mac to use the image acquisition program (I'm quite sure there is the option to use that program or a similar one on a small tablet).


How much does all these modifications cost to shoot digitally with a medium format camera? Based on the ads I've found on the used market, it's around €1,800-2,200 (I can't exactly quantify the cost of making the adapters). In this case, I started with a NON-WORKING Kiev 88; obviously, the price for everything depends on the used market. This is what I can think of right now to digitize a Kiev 88 without significantly compromising the experience. Is it worth it? Help me figure it out; for the sake of completeness, I'll give you some rough figures for other systems.
- Complete Kiev 88 kit that shoots film + scanner for digitizing (classic workflow, but with better performance than standard DSLRs) €1,400;
- Hasselblad 500 working with Zeiss 80mm Planar and Sonnar 150mm lenses + Sinarback 75H digital back €2,700
- Hasselblad X1D 50C + XCD 90 and XCD 55 €4,600

I look forward to your comments and thank you all for your suggestions, especially @B.S.Kumar who guided me almost step by step.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Op, I fear that you're seeking ratification, not advice. Here's some advice:

Kiev88 register is is 82.1 mm. I'm not sure how much distance adapters will add, but it won't be small. For the sake of argument body + adapter's register will be only 85 mm. Longer if the lens is front mounted on a leaf shutter, as Kumar suggested.

You want to use lenses that are mounted in leaf shutters or mounted in front of a leaf shutter. You propose using a Sinarback eVolution 75H digital back with a 48 mm x 36 mm sensor, diagonal (= normal focal length) = 60 mm.

I don't believe that there are any 60 mm or shorter lenses in shutter with flange-focal distance >= 85 mm. There are many lenses in shutter with flange-focal distance >= 85 mm, few shorter than 85 mm. Shooting wide angle is out with the rig you propose.

Some lenses in cock-and-shoot shutters can be put in a press shutter if you must have cable-operated preview as well as shutter release. Not all press shutters open the aperture full wide when the preview cable or lever is set to "open" and stop the lens back down when the cable is released or the preview lever is moved to "closed." Some, not all, cock-and-shoot shutters have a preview lever.

What you propose building is a slow-working long lens digital camera that has to be shot from tripod. The only gain I see from building it around a 6x6 SLR body is the ability to focus and compose through the lens. If, that is, the body's focusing screen is in register with the digital back's sensor.

You might be better off hanging a digital back behind a normal ordinary view camera or even, dare I say, a humble and relatively inexpensive Century Graphic. These beasties are very friendly to w/a lenses if you want to shoot wide angle. This will require a back with a live finder or tethered to a laptop. You'll end up with a flexible slow-working digital camera that will have to be shot from tripod.

I understand the joy of tinkering but in this case it seems counterproductive.

 

[Kievmarc]

Op, I fear that you're seeking ratification, not advice. Here's some advice:

Kiev88 register is is 82.1 mm. I'm not sure how much distance adapters will add, but it won't be small. For the sake of argument body + adapter's register will be only 85 mm. Longer if the lens is front mounted on a leaf shutter, as Kumar suggested.

You want to use lenses that are mounted in leaf shutters or mounted in front of a leaf shutter. You propose using a Sinarback eVolution 75H digital back with a 48 mm x 36 mm sensor, diagonal (= normal focal length) = 60 mm.

I don't believe that there are any 60 mm or shorter lenses in shutter with flange-focal distance >= 85 mm. There are many lenses in shutter with flange-focal distance >= 85 mm, few shorter than 85 mm. Shooting wide angle is out with the rig you propose.

Some lenses in cock-and-shoot shutters can be put in a press shutter if you must have cable-operated preview as well as shutter release. Not all press shutters open the aperture full wide when the preview cable or lever is set to "open" and stop the lens back down when the cable is released or the preview lever is moved to "closed." Some, not all, cock-and-shoot shutters have a preview lever.

What you propose building is a slow-working long lens digital camera that has to be shot from tripod. The only gain I see from building it around a 6x6 SLR body is the ability to focus and compose through the lens. If, that is, the body's focusing screen is in register with the digital back's sensor.

You might be better off hanging a digital back behind a normal ordinary view camera or even, dare I say, a humble and relatively inexpensive Century Graphic. These beasties are very friendly to w/a lenses if you want to shoot wide angle. This will require a back with a live finder or tethered to a laptop. You'll end up with a flexible slow-working digital camera that will have to be shot from tripod.

I understand the joy of tinkering but in this case it seems counterproductive.

It all started precisely when I saw the union of old and new with Hasselblad, because I myself find this concept fascinating, the ability to use things from the past with new technologies. Since the 907x+CFV system is out of my budget, I tried, certainly with a good dose of arrogance, to create a system that still retained the thrill of being able to step out of the studio to compose a shot with a waist-level finder and immediately check the photo I've just taken. Not to mention the fact that I wouldn't run out of film and miss out on some beautiful shots, and the ability to travel with an object with a timeless design like the 500CM (or the Kiev in this case).

Of course, Hasselblad has a research team, and I instead tried to "force" old technologies that have nothing in common to get along well. And so, in the best of cases, you end up with a camera that's already heavy (still less than my D3, anyway) that requires a lot of preparation for a shot, that needs a tablet (or even a laptop) to record the shot, which can only be a portrait because wide-angle lenses aren't compatible.

The sad thing is that on the one hand, I realize how completely pointless all this makes, but on the other, deep down, it still retains its charm.

It probably makes much more sense to wait for some extra depreciation on a digital medium format and aim for non-branded lenses.

 

[RezaLoghme]

I dont want to spoil the fun but I read (when looking at the Hasselblad digital back on a 500CM) that focussing is much more crucial than when using film. If I recall correctly the overall sentiment of those reviews was that it is a sort of gimmick-y use case but not much more.

Can you rent a 907 for a weekend to see if you like the concept in real life at all?

 

[Kievmarc]

I dont want to spoil the fun but I read (when looking at the Hasselblad digital back on a 500CM) that focussing is much more crucial than when using film. If I recall correctly the overall sentiment of those reviews was that it is a sort of gimmick-y use case but not much more.

Can you rent a 907 for a weekend to see if you like the concept in real life at all?

I think anyone who buys a 907x is essentially buying a Hasselblad with a digital back and a medium format sensor to use the new lens lineup, and that can be paired with the old 500 C/M or 202 that's gathering dust in the attic. I think few people would buy the CFV system and still spend $7,000 to get their old lenses.

I don't think there are any shops in Italy that rent that camera; in any case, I'd also have to rent (or borrow) an analog Hasselblad to test it out. Too risky. I might just like it.

 

[reddesert]

I have no direct experience with this type of digital back. I will suggest that often, when you come up with a set of requirements that drive you to a complex or baroque solution, that it is time to figure out which of the requirements you can relax. In the suggestion of front mounting a barrel lens onto a large leaf shutter onto a Kiev 88 onto a digital back, this is definitely happening. There are two shutters and the exposure start of the CCD and several adapters/machining in this system. Plus if you have to tether the back to a computer for full operation, it gets cumbersome.

Summary: basically I suspect you need a box that sits in front of the back and holds a lens, and provides X sync. Whether the box is a Kiev 88, Hasselblad, or a Graphic is likely up to you.

First, you need to understand how the body and back communicate about the exposure start. I believe with these backs, the flash sync contact is used to tell the back to start the exposure. I don't know how you set the exposure length on the Sinarback - I even looked at the manual, but it was not very informative. I think you need to tether a computer to do that (I also would not assume the software runs on a current tablet). I don't think it gets an exposure-end signal from the flash sync contact. The back was originally designed to work with X-sync (I think leaf shutter), which usually contacts at the start of the exposure, but it doesn't stay closed for the duration of the exposure. So I doubt you actually need to worry about having FP sync.

Next, let's assume you have a working Kiev 88 body with X-sync. You should be able to trigger the back and the body somehow (I dunno, a double cable release)? If you set the back to an exposure that is longer than the X-sync speed of the camera, then the CCD should integrate while the shutter slit travels across the focal plane. The effective exposure will be the camera shutter speed. That's exactly how film or a DSLR works.

Last, even if for some reason you were limited to the X-sync speed of the camera, which is 1/30 on the Kiev, then the additional speed you get by putting a big leaf shutter and barrel lens on the front is 1/100 or maybe 1/150. (Large leaf shutters are often slow at top speed.) Which is only two stops of exposure, and not worth the extra complexity. Just use the lenses that fit to the Kiev or can be easily adapted.

 

[AERO]

Soviet cameras....I have owned a Zenith80 similar to the Kiev88 since 1968 and it still works ok..it also accepts a couple of Hassle backs I picked up many years ago.
.My only complaint is its very noisy shutter firing.
Its certainy not worth the expense of adding a digi back