Kiev 35 mm cameras Kiev (brand)

kiev 4a rangefinder camera



kiev 4 jupiter-8m lens , original camera case

kiev produced several 35 mm film rangefinder cameras clones of pre-war contax ii , contax iii cameras, , range of 35mm slr cameras.

after war had ended, soviet union demanded new sets of contax tools original toolmaker in dresden , ordered fair number of trial cameras made zeiss trademarks , coated lenses these 1946 in postwar east germany. successful, german instructors transferred kiev. missing specialists in few cases recruited in west germany. still available parts went in same direction. in fact, removing front of kiev ii cameras, 1 see metal stamped contax name, pressed out , re-stamped kiev.

kiev 15 tee



kiev 19 body

kiev rangefinders retained same lens mount prewar contax rangefinders , lenses can interchanged. cameras went through few minor modifications become kiev iii , kiev 4. there kiev 5 modernized upper part integrated meter. attractive, though poorly made , unreliable, production terminated. other models kept in continually downgraded production until 1980s. number of kievs vastly exceeded of pre-war dresden , post-war jena , stuttgart contaxes.

35 mm rangefinder lenses, pre-war zeiss designs except newer 1.8/53 made arsenal , other soviet lens manufacturers:

1:6.0/28 mm orion-15
1:2.8/35 mm jupiter-12
1:1.5/50 mm jupiter-3
1:2.0/50 mm jupiter-8
1:1.8/53 mm helios-103
1:2.0/85 mm jupiter-9
1:4.0/135 mm jupiter-11

kiev made range of 35 mm slr cameras:

the kiev 10, among first 35mm slrs automatic exposure.
the kiev 15, successor kiev 10.
the kiev 17, desirable due nikon mount. full manual without meter.
the kiev 19, partly restyled successor 17. stop-down ttl-metering red light-balance leds in viewfinder. top speed reduced 1/1000 1/500.
the kiev 20, adds aperture coupling , self-timer 19 design. 1/1000 top speed.
the kiev 19m, uses molded polycarbonate body rather metal used in earlier models. despite model number, succeeds kiev 20. same top speed plain 19, though.

the unique kiev 10 , 15 both used own unique lens mount; handful of lenses available in format. both kiev 10 , kiev 15 use unusual fan shaped shutter. collector s items not exported.

the kiev 35a aperture priority point-and-shoot 35 mm camera, identical minox 35 el , made transferred tooling, albeit under different conditions in 1946.

the kiev 17 , later 19/20-line, available since around 1980, constituted of westernized 35 mm slrs available in days of soviet union. satisfy large internal demand, there no discernible export @ time have found ready market in west. instead, zenit external selenium meter sold in large numbers. soviet policy export domestic surplus rather more desirable items of manufacture.