Modifying a Kiev NT film back for Hasselblad V

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itsdoable

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Its a relatively easy modification if you are reasonably good with tools. Stock Kiev film backs do not fit on a Hasselblad because the opening is too small. You just have to enlarge the opening by a little over 1mm, and that’s it (in theory!). The plate comes off with 12 screws (or 10 if you have an old one), you just have to be careful with the springs and sliders that jump out when the plate is lifted off. Then it’s pretty easy to trim and check that it fits a Hasselblad before reinstalling it.

Kiev_NTback_gate_mode_Hasselblad.JPG

Kiev back with enlarged opening

But some of you may ask – Why? Hasselblad V backs are plentiful and reliable, while Kievs are... plentiful?

Kiev_NTback_Hasselblad_RT_back.JPG

Hasselblad 203fe with a Kiev NT film back


I’ve been exposing expired C-41 colour negative film, and the one remaining local processor uses a daylight cassette loading system, which fogs the start of the roll – which means part of the first frame. Hasselblad backs will auto increment to the first frame, so if you start the film a 1/4~1/2 rotation past the loading mark, you can save the first frame. Unfortunately, Hasselblads backs also use the rotation of the spool to measure the film, which turns the spool less as the roll of film builds up on the spool. It is a precise mechanism that works well, but if you start the film a 1/2 turn further, the film on the spool is thicker, so the frame spacing gets larger, which can result in loosing the last frame off the end. There is a fine line where you can just get (most) of the first frame (without fogging), and just get the last frame. But if you use Agfa or Lomo film, which is shorter that Kodak (who put extra film on their rolls to account for variable frame spacing), you loose the last frame. Sometimes you loose both the first and last frame. And that IS annoying.

There is a trick with the old Hasselblad “C” backs, which lets you shoot a 13th frame. You start the roll 1/4~1/2 rotation “early”, discard the 1st image (which in my case would be fogged), and start your pictures at #2. After #12, you wind and shoot a 13th image. The frame spacing is tight because the spool started with less wraps, so even with short Lomo film, you get the 13th frame. The downside is the tight frame spacing, which usually will overlap. But you get 12 frames! (... but with a small loss from overlap frames).

Kiev NT backs (NT are their new backs that are not copies of the Hasselblad “C” backs) use a roller that measure the film advanced, so it will correctly space the frames regardless of where you start the roll. With Kodak, (and most films) you can start the 1st frame later (to avoid the fogging) and get 12 uniformly spaced frames on the film.

I started with a broken NOS Kiev NT back (picked up NOS for very little $). In this case, the Multiple Exposure lever was broken off, and the back opening lock was broken (which meant you could not open the back). Both of these parts are brittle white metal, and were supposedly broken off new from the factory.

I removed the plate, used a nibbler tool to widen the opening by ~1.2mm, and used a finish file to clean up the opening. I tested the plate on a Hasselblad back, and when I was satisfied, I added flat black paint to the filed surfaces.

I then repaired the NT back, removed lock mechanism all together, and left the multiple exposure disabled. I also adjusted the film rollers, and tweaked the springs and the latch used to attach the back so it would properly sit snug on the Hasselblad (stock, it was loose). These types of adjustment are required on a Kiev 88 as well. I also checked the film advance mechanism, but surprisingly it seems to be fine.

The Kiev bodies are about 1mm wider than the Hasselblads, so the back sticks out a tiny bit on the right side.

Kiev_NTback_Hasselblad_fit2.JPG

Fit between Kiev NT back and Hasselblad body


The leatherette is courser, as is the finish, and the gears are not as smooth. The dark side light seal is different, so you have to modify the Hasselblad replacements. Dark-slides are also narrower, so you cannot interchange them with Hasselblads.

However, I get correctly focused images with the 110mm F2 Planar, and more importantly, I consistently get 12 frames from the local C-41 film processor.
 
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