Kiev 88 bayonet

Floydlove · 2017-07-06T16:00:07+00:00

Hallo zusammen, bin seit kurzem stolzer Besitzer einer kiev 88, die ich günstig bei eBay geschossen habe. Leider war kein Objektiv dabei und das einzige do...

Floydlove

Hello everyone, I’ve recently become the proud owner of a Kiev 88, which I snapped up cheaply on eBay. Unfortunately, it didn’t come with a lens, and the only one currently available there slipped through my fingers. Now I’ve noticed that inside the body – right where the lens goes – there’s a semi-circular metal ring that’s hanging a bit loosely. I can’t test whether this is normal without a lens, and the seller couldn’t say anything about it either, of course. So my question is: is this normal? The rest of the camera looks fine, as do the accessories. That’s why I’m hoping to buy a lens soon and would rather not return the camera. Many thanks for your help!

Magirus

Hello That could be the half-ring for the aperture control. When you press the shutter release, the aperture closes. Why not give it a try? Best regards, Bernd

landpfarrer

Hello, Yes, that’s where it belongs. And if by ‘a bit loose’ you mean that it moves back and forth a few millimetres on the left-hand side, then that’s exactly right. Best regards, Jörg

Lichtjahr

Hello, If your camera is a Kiev 88 CM, then this ring at the top should have a black lever. The ‘CM’ suffix means that the camera is designed for lenses with a Pentacon 6 mount. This means you can use the excellent GDR lenses. … A very important note about the camera !!!!! Never adjust the shutter speeds when the shutter is not cocked. Otherwise, you’ll ruin the camera instantly. A few days ago, I received a quote for such a repair: 358.- … This warning applies to all cameras, not just the Kiev 88 CM. … Best regards, Edi

AchimBauer

Hello Floydlove, ? That’s a tricky question, because there are two types of bayonet mount: one that resembles a screw thread, and the <p6 <winged bayonet. With the former, there are two types of <aperture mechanism: one for the pre-set aperture and one for the spring-loaded aperture, and some models have both. Just take a photo and have a look. You can also carry out initial functional tests without a lens; you can’t check by ear whether all the <<<shutter speeds are running precisely, but you can check whether they all sound the same – a common problem – and visually check whether the <shutter opens at all speeds during the sequence; this is also a common <problem, as it doesn’t always do so. ? ? Regards, Achim

AchimBauer

Hi Floydlove, I almost forgot – if you really want to buy a lens. Always set the <<<<<<<shutter speed first and then change the <exposure time; if you do it the other way round, you won’t need a lens anymore. And have a look at the anonymous Kievaholics at http://kievaholic.com – there’s more advice there on what not to do if you don’t want your camera to end up as a paperweight. … Regards, Achim

Floydlove

Hello everyone, Thank you very much for your helpful replies! :) It’s an old Kiev 88; according to the Russian manual, it was made in 1987. Unfortunately, I can only find overpriced lenses at the moment… and I’d be reluctant to start out with a 250mm lens on the Kiev. So I’m considering returning it. It’s reassuring, of course, that you say it’s normal for the aperture control to be a bit loose. Unfortunately, without a lens, I can’t test it in use :/ I’ve already had a look at kievaholic.com and read up on it extensively. So far, I haven’t fiddled with it and would only do so properly once I have a lens. Well, maybe I’ll be lucky and manage to get hold of one soon. Many thanks!