Who shoots with a Kiev-60

Alexander6x6 · 2025-12-10T05:04:48-0500

ags2mikon said:
Get an 80mm Biometar from the Pentacon. You will be very happy with it. I have 2 and both are top notch lenses. The Volna's not so much. YMMV.

Personally, I could not see any difference in the performance of the Biometar (I have the Schneider-Kreuznach Biometar for the Exakta 66) and the Volna-3. The advantage of Volna-3 lies in its 0.5 meter closest focusing distance.

The only issue is that the inner surface of the rear tube is prone to flaring, so it must be painted matt black. This issue was always wrongly attributed to the DoF lever, but it is not the cause.
My favourite lenses have always been:
- Zodiak-8 for landscapes and architecture (as long as it is aligned with the horizon);
- Flektogon 50 mm;
- Vega-28 120 mm and Calejnar/Hartblei 150 mm
- Arsat 250 mm
- Pentacon 300 mm
- Arsat 500 mm APO

OAPOli · 2025-12-10T07:35:52-0500

Analogski said:
Wow thanks for the nice reactions and the advice of @film4Me !

I really love the Kiev-60. I also bought a ARAX-60 with a metered prism.

I've sent my Kiev-60 and the metered prisms in for service. The prism is adjusted, but the prism from ARAX couldn't be fixed, because the leather is stuck too hard. So I've one that works correctly. Maybe I could get some advice of how the stuck leather could be loosened. The service guy wasn't able, so I think I'll need some real hardcore advice here.

On the other hand the ARAX gives me issues with the first frame. I load the film properly and align the arrow with the dot.
Still I see the tape on the first frame. Or a weird foto on other first frames.

This is the last weird photo. What am I doing wrong?

If the leatherette is glued very strongly, you can try to slowly put solvent or cut the glue with a scalpel as you peel the leatherette. Or just destroy it Leatherette is somewhat expendable.

With the Kiev you need to wind-shoot a few times until you get to frame 1, which exposes the film chamber. That's what you're seeing in your example and it's normal. To avoid that, put a lens cap on until you get to frame 1.

loccdor · 2025-12-10T07:56:18-0500

Alexander6x6 said:
Personally, I could not see any difference in the performance of the Biometar (I have the Schneider-Kreuznach Biometar for the Exakta 66) and the Volna-3. The advantage of Volna-3 lies in its 0.5 meter closest focusing distance.

My Biometar that I sold was sharper wide open than the Volna-3, but I preferred the Volna-3's very unique out of focus rendering. The minimum focus distance difference you mention is also a big deal.

Biometar @ f/2.8 and minimum focus distance (for bird):

Volna-3 @ f/2.8 and minimum focus distance:

The Volna-3 needs a stop down to f/5.6-f/8 for critical corner sharpness for landscape. Not sure about the Biometar in that regard but I suspect it does a little better there too.

Volna-3 gets a bit of a ghosting effect wide open that can be very cool. It's more intense if you use it with extension tubes.

Alexander6x6 said:
- Zodiak-8 for landscapes and architecture (as long as it is aligned with the horizon);

It's nice but people should spend a little more for the multicoated one. Flare can be a problem.

Alexander6x6 · 2025-12-10T08:21:15-0500

loccdor said:
The Volna-3 needs a stop down to f/5.6-f/8 for critical corner sharpness for landscape. Not sure about the Biometar in that regard but I suspect it does a little better there too.

Volna-3 gets a bit of a ghosting effect wide open that can be very cool. It's more intense if you use it with extension tubes.

Furthermore, I have compared both lenses with Hasselblad Planar 80 on a digital medium format sensor. The only difference was in the field curvature at the close-up distances. The Planar 80 is much more "planar" wide open than Biometar und Volna-3. Also newspaper test looks better

loccdor said:
It's nice but people should spend a little more for the multicoated one. Flare can be a problem.

During the Kalimex/Hartblei era, which was ten years before Arax, I let my Zodiak-8 by Hartblei multicoated, including all lens groups rather than just the front and rear lens elements as in the standard MC version. The result is that this lens has only one spot of reflection, located diagonally opposite the light source (such as the sun) within the frame.

loccdor · 2025-12-10T08:24:56-0500

Alexander6x6 said:
During the Kalimex/Hartblei era, which was ten years before Arax, I let my Zodiak-8 by Hartblei multicoated, including all lens groups rather than just the front and rear lens elements as in the standard MC version. The result is that this lens has only one spot of reflection, located diagonally opposite the light source (such as the sun) within the frame.

That sounds ideal!

Who shoots with a Kiev-60

Alexander6x6

OAPOli

loccdor

Alexander6x6

loccdor

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