Kiev 3, 4 or 3.5?

First of all let me wish you all a wonderful 2009 (a bit belated, I know...).

Out of curiosity I've bought this camera:
http://cgi.ebay.ch/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=390020837227. The body and S/N clearly belong to a Kiev 3, but the top part comes from a Kiev 4 (lower exposure meter, meter dial). What's your opinion? Did I fetch an early 4-prototype (at least one '51 prototype is known) or have I been royally had? (I guess the second option is the most likely...)

Cheers,

Bruno

Seems like a repair job... someone put a Kiev 4 top onto a Kiev 3 body.. really odd, as Aidas call it - a Kotleta.

Vlad.

Hi,

I wouldn't be so fast to answer Bruno question. Yuriy Davidenko (or DVD Technik) 2 years ago have told me, that it's impossible to put the top plate of Kiev-4 to "3". I'm not the technician person, but who could confirm this?

At first glance it seems to be the very rare camera, congratulations!

Best Regards,
Aidas

Hi,

Did you notice that the s/n is an "A" s/n ?
I did not know that such prefix could be found on a K4.

Really puzzling.
I join Vlad opinion…

I saw this camera too, and decided to be shy about it.

But, it is certainly a "rare" camera.
Congratulations, Bruno.

Regards,
Michel.

Hello all,

I already have seen one another camera (like bruno's Kiev) from same year production ( s/n A54XXXX). This doesn't mean that the above camera is genuine.

Best,
Jed

I confirm the easiness ot changing tops on all Kiev 2,3,2a,3a,4,4a,4m,4am and with some skill up to placind a 5 series top on all previous series making a double rangefinder camera!
Regards LP

Imagine yourself around 1965 in the USSR asking your local repairman to replace your dead Kiev III lightmeter, I may assume he will replace the top of the camera with the available Kiev 4 top plate (if feasible). For some reason he will replace the original s/n. It's only assumption.

Hi,

Replacing the original s/n plate seems possible, as the replacement top plate (wiht lightmeter) does not includes s/n plate.
Look at the spare parts box for K4 here :

http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/viewimage.asp?ContentID=722&ImageID=2480

As Luiz confirms the possibility of replacing top plates on all Kievs, this scenario seems the more credible.

This confirms, too, Vlad's post. A repairman job.

Regards,

Michel.

which one interested ???

http://cgi.ebay.com/KIEV-4-UKRAINIAN-Camera-5803925-RARE-TYPE-NOT-WORK_W0QQitemZ260346249987QQihZ016QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262#ebayphotohosting

Still an uncommon camera. I'm not interested in Kiev 4 camera but would love to repair that one :)

Thanks for this topic!
I had seen Bruno's camera and didn't understand anything.
Now I know I'm not alone!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Grizzly makes many copy Kievs / Contax from parts cameras .
Mike Hayley in Ukraine confirms that ther were prototype Kiev 3 a / 4 cameras from 1957 , but very few .
This is a Kiev 3 with Kiev 4 top plate , one of which Mike is making for me .
I do not know if this a real 1954 , but I am surprised that such an early camera would have been the subject of such modification .
It's actually a neat idea - the style of the older Kiev with the neater , more compact meter , for which cells are still available .
dee

I want to refresh this old thread a bit :-)

First I thought, someone took a KIEV front plate and assembled it to a Kiev 4. But why should somebody do something like this? I have never seen such a Kiev before.

But now I am waiting for such a Kiev... Schulz has sold one on eBay, serial number starts with 55. I am waiting for it and in a few days I know more.

So it seems that there were more of this cameras produced. The history of russian cameras is more mysterious than we know until now, I think.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

My KIEV 3,5 is now here. Compared to the one in the auction that Bruno has bought it seems to be very close to that.

There is the KIEV III body without PC sync plug, it has the standfoot and a matching lens. Mine is from 1955, Bruno's from 1954 as I remember. Mine has also a A in the accessorie shoe. The top looks like one of a Kiev 4. There are signs of use on the body and the top that match together (black paint on the edges rubbed off a bit).

So I don't know if someone makes these special KIEV 3,5 or if they are the real first known Kiev 4 that were built. I think because Bruno's and mine are nearly the same it could be a real one and not a fake. But nevertheless, it's aninteresting camera.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hi Ulrich and Bruno,

Is your "A" a flat one or a square one ?
Which is the complete s/n?
Thanks !


Regards,
Michel.

Michel,

on mine the A is a square one. Serial is 551885.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Thank you Ulrich.

Michel.