THE KIEV 4/4M -- A MODERN CLASSIC REVIEWED
BY BOB BOWMAN -- ZICG MEMBER
The Kiev line of 35mm rangefinder cameras are direct descendants
of the pre-WWII Zeiss Contax II & III, the main difference being
where they made, and the quality of construction, which tends to
be lower than their German counterparts. At the end of WWII, the
Russians ended up with the Zeiss factories in Dresden, Jena, and
others. The first Kievs were built in Jena in 1947, then
everything was moved to Arsenal, in Kiev, Ukraine. The line
evolved a bit over the years, with flash sync being added, and
some minor trim changes. The last of these cameras were the Kiev
4M, based on the metered Contax III, and the Kiev 4AM, similar
but lacking the meter, a la the Contax II. Production ceased in
1985, making this line of cameras longer-lived than even that
bastion of American manufacturing, the Argus C3. Even though the
Russian standards of fit, trim, and quality control seriously
lagged behind their German predecessors, the Kievs are generally
considered to be the best of the Russian camera industry.
The Kiev 4/4M is moderately sized at 5.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches
deep with the 50mm Jupiter f/2 lens, and 3.5 inches tall to the
top of the accessory shoe. The body is typical Zeiss--very
squared-off with beveled corners. Weight comes in at 1lb. 11-1/2
oz. (780g) with the normal lens attached.
In typical Zeiss tradition, the bottom and back remove as a unit
for film loading, and has the customary double lock mechanism.
The take-up spool is removable, meaning that it usually falls out
into your hand or onto the floor when the back is opened at
angles less than parallel to the ground. The fit and finish in
this area is quite good, and unlike the removable-baseplate-only
Leicas, film insertion is easy, and film leaders do not have to
be lengthened; loading is still best done with the camera lens
down on a flat surface, or held between slightly spread legs.
Marc James Small wrote in a post to the ZICG that the 4M/AM will
take the Zeiss film cassettes on the supply side, but due to a
re-design of the take-up spool, will not fit on the take-up side.
The metal roller-blind style focal plane shutter, which runs
vertically, is a distinctive feature of both the Contax and Kiev
cameras. This particular unit has speeds ranging from 1/2 to
1/1000 sec. + B, and is set by lifting the top of wind knob, and
turning it to the desired speed. The author would like to note
that this camera appears to be a transitional model of the Kiev4
with some of the distinctive features of both the Kiev 4 and the
4M. The speed markings are very
small, and on my camera are smeared, making them extremely hard
to read. Turning the dial to the desired can be a bit of a
trial, as the knob tends to be a bit cranky about turning. I
don't know if this is a problem with just my camera, or the Kiev
line in general. It seems to be easier setting the speeds when
the shutter is cocked. The film wind itself is adequately
smooth, although one can feel various things happening under the
top plate as the knob is turned. The shutter release is in the
center of the wind knob, and it is smooth and steady in
operation. The release can be locked by gently pushing and
rotating the release button. The shutter itself is quiet,
responding with a soft "shooop" when released. It does not seem
to make the wheezing noise at 1/50 or below, noted by Ivor
Matanle as characteristic of the Contax shutter.
One of the superior design features of the Kiev / Pre-war Contax over the
screw-mount Leica is a long-base, single window, combination
range- and viewfinder system. The lightly green-tinted
viewfinder is very bright, and the orange tinted focusing
rectangle contrasts well with the surrounding area. With nearly
four inches between the ranging prisms, even slight differences
in focusing distance are readily visible, and the two images come
together positively, with superb vertical registration.
Focusing on the Kiev, as with the Contax is accomplished with a
wheel on the front of the rangefinder housing, connected
internally to the focusing mount.
The 50mm lenses utilize an inner bayonet mount, and have no
focusing mount of their own. Other lenses and accessories utilize
the outer bayonet, and have their own focusing mounts, rendering
the focus wheel useless. Marc will correct this, if my
assumptions are in error here. I personally find it easier to
focus the camera by grabbing the lens with the left hand and
turning it to focus, but there is an infinity lock on the 50mm,
and it has to be released from a
lever behind the focus wheel. My short fingers have a problem
using the focus wheel and being able to get at the shutter
release, without other fingers blocking the rangefinder window.
I have to position my middle finger on top of the rangefinder
housing, and use it as a pivot for the index finger to reach both
the focus wheel and the shutter release. The remaining two
fingers have a tenuous hold on the body in this position.
The lens on this camera is a 50mm f/2 Jupiter-8, a clone of the
Zeiss Sonnar, and is finished in chrome with a black filter ring.
A quickly done test roll shows excellent sharpness and contrast,
even at the wider stops. The aperture ring is very stiffly
detented, and trying to turn it will certainly change the focus,
unless the infinity lock is engaged. Other Russian lenses made
for the Kiev were a 35mm f/2.8, 85mm f/2, and 135mm f/4, all
clones of Zeiss designs. Of course, Contax lenses, with a
possible exception or two, should fit.
The selenium meter, located on top and centered over the lens,
has a flip-up cover that works very well at shielding the meter
from overhead light. Typical of this type of meter, low-light
sensitivity is not a strong suite here; average room light in the
daytime is stretching the capability of the meter. The outer
circumference of the large knob under the dainty rewind knob
moves the pointer on the meter scale. The scale itself shows a
zero mark, 4x and 2x underexposure, and a diamond that indicates
correct exposure. The meter needle is heavily damped and moves
in a leisurely fashion. The film scale seems to be ASA, but the
indicated film speeds are odd: 15, 32, 65,130, 250, 500. Once
the needle is resting on the diamond, shutter speed & f/stop
combinations are ready to be transferred to their respective
controls. The meter on this camera is quite accurate within it's
range.
As with a lot of classic and vintage cameras, using the Kiev
engenders feelings of both satisfaction and frustration. The
satisfaction comes from the overall elegance of the machine,
tainted only slightly but the lesser precision of Russian
construction. The view/rangefinder is simply superb, the camera
is quiet in operation, there is flash sync (not present in the
original Contaxes), and a very sharp, contrasty lens. The
frustration side comes from the 1930's ergonomics, mostly the
poor positioning of the focus wheel and the infinity lock, the shutter speeds
being hard to set, stiff aperture detents on the lens, and the
film loading. One huge advantage to the Kiev is that prices are
quite reasonable yet--as little as a third of the cost of an
equivalent Contax IIIa. The asking price for mine was $150 in 9+
condition; I have seen others on the net and in Shutterbug for
similar prices. In short, for this writer at least, it is a
great camera for occasional use and is a fine collectible, but
give me my Canon EOS for the day-to-day stuff! I anticipate
using the Kiev just as I do my Stereo Realist and Ikonta B; it
will not merely grace the shelves with my lesser collectibles.
Should anyone reading this have the opportunity to look at or buy
one of these cameras, for collection or use, I highly recommend
it!
The Zeiss Ikon logo is reproduced with the permission of Carl Zeiss,
Germany. Permission granted to Photology for use with historical presentation only. This site is maintained by Photology, but is not otherwise affiliated.
The ZICG is not affiliated with Carl Zeiss, Germany, in any way.
This page hosted by
Get your own FREE HOME PAGE