• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Kiev-90 unicorn spotted!

This is amazing info!! Thanks!!!

And it confirms my instinct, that the Kiev-4 rangefinders were the most reliable cameras to come from the CCCP/USSR.

Perhaps not the most, Kiev-10, 15, 17 and 20 were never tested after all, and Kiev-19 were pre-production models that were later improved

What I didn't expect, was the Kiev-88/Salyut cameras having such good reliablity numbers!
That's Arsenal for ya Imagine what they could do without bureaucracy
Once I had opportunity to take a look at a Kiev 6c that was used on Odesa film studio almost every day since 1974 until ~2006, at least 6 rolls a day, sometimes more than 10. The pressure plate looked as you imagine, like it was polished with a very fine sandpaper for 30+ years, top cover near the cocking lever was "polished" to brass, the silvery coating, whatever it is, was just rubbed off by finger over time. It's owner said that despite 3 CLAs it just refused to keep consistent frame spacing due to wear, but otherwise still worked just fine.
 

Kiev-15 is one of the cameras I want to own. At the very least, because of the fan shutter. And I suspect the lenses are better built than the same lenses on M42 mount.
 
Concerning the longevity of soviet SLR's one should not overlook that cameras from other countries had their issues too.

In a west-german test in the 70's by an independent institute a west-german, a east-german and japanese model scored badly at the longevity test. (The test did not unclude a soviet model.)

The worst was the brand-new designed west-german model where both samples totally broke...
 
Last edited:
Kiev-15 is one of the cameras I want to own. At the very least, because of the fan shutter. And I suspect the lenses are better built than the same lenses on M42 mount.
I used to own (still own, but it's dead now) Kiev 15 and I must say build quality of the lens is the same as KMZ-made M42. Better than BeLomo made lenses, but BeLomo was generally poor in many aspects. As for the camera, unnecessarily complicated shutter was its undoing.
 
The worst was the brand-new designed west-german model were both samples totally broke...

Let me guess... It must have been a Rollei SL35E or SL35ME.
 
No, it was the first and only SLR by King Regula. A, by number, major manufacturer, though unknown at Apug.
 
No, it was the first and only SLR by King Regula. A, by number, major manufacturer, though unknown at Apug.

I don't think King cameras are too obscure, really.

But i didn't know they attempted a SLR. Can't find pictures on the web...
 
Last edited:
No, as said it was a SLR. King wanted to take a bit off from the japanese manufacturers, when the other west-german manufacturer already had given up such, by designing a true west-german camera competitive to the japanese prices.
 
The worst was the brand-new designed west-german model were both samples totally broke...

"King for a day"