Unused Kiev 4M, translation needed

This unused Kiev 4M from 1983 arrived here the last days. It really seems never to be used, there are no signs of use on the body or on the shutter housing. The film pressure plate shows only some signs from openning and closing the camera, leather bag looks and smells new. The camera itself works like out of the factory. So, a really nice find :-)

On the bottom is an engraving which I do not understand. Can somebody translate it to me? Thanks in advance.

Here are some pics, the camera just out of the bag, not cleaned by me.









Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

To Respected Ponomarev N. I. on the day of 60th birthday from the all the employees of the workshop number 16, Production Association "Kinap".

Cheers,
Vlad

Hi,

Nice camera ! I like such engravings.

BTW lens serial number is very hight +60000 Helios 103 that year ? Weird.

Best,
Jean

A really nice camera - and with the faster lens which has a reputation for being sharp. Nicely engraved too!

Steve

Vlad, thanks for the translation.

Jed, I like those engravings too, most of them are very nice made.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

quote:

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Originally posted by uwittehh

Jed, I like those engravings too, most of them are very nice made.

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I hate those engravings on the camera. To me it makes the camera worthless. Same as all those sync-connectors in the middle of the logo of a Zorki-2 some days ago on ebay.

This info with date, who bought this camera and who got it would be much better on paper only just like passports.

I like the name and address of previous owners written inside the leather-case, not easily to recognize, only if you are looking for it.

The sad thing is, it seems the previous owner didn't like it much, he didn't used his camera. At least this Kiev got an loving owner now. Ulrich really need to be in love with them because they are so ugly.

Lenny,

yes, I like it too, when I found a sheet with notices in the pocket of the leather bag, or the plastic card, even it is empty the most time.

Right, it seems that the previous owner had not used the camera, maybe because he did not take pictures and in the factory they did nor recognize this when they made hin the present.

And yes, one can say that the late Kievs are ugly. While the first ones were real Contax replicas you can the that there were a lot of things that were simplified and that there was a more loveless making, assembling and finish on the later Kievs. But nevertheless I like them ;-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Ulrich, I was just teasing you. Of course you should buy the things you love. If you study a camera model for many years you will know exactly which version is rare and which special things you like most. People who are not familiar with a certain model won't recognize that, like me for Kievs.
It's really sad that manufacturing was simplified. I think it started around 1957 for Zorkis. Maybe the reason was that they had to produce millions of cameras to meet the plan, no time and space to make something special.

Lenny, I think you know - like we all here - what collecting is... If you have seen a nice FED 4b or Revue 4 in like new conditions it is a lovely piece of old russion iron :-) Then you see that there exists a FED 4a, the one with the winding knob instead of the lever. You buy one. And it is so ugly, but you just have to keep it in your collection, because it is the younger sister of your Revue 4.

So it is with the Kievs. I love the early ones, they are so precice and well made, in the first years there is no or only a very little bit difference to the Contaxes. The later ones are ugly but for completion of the Kiev collection you must have them :-D

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Well there is a thoughs,
Men in USSR retired at age of 60 (women at 55, exceptions applied). So this camera most likely is retirement present from people who was working with Mr. Ponomarev at KINAP factory (KINAP stands for Kino-Apparatus"). The date on the camera is 1987, so Mr. Ponomarev was born in 1927. Let see now, KINAP as I remember located in Ukraine, so in 1936(the "big hunger" year) Mr. Ponomarev was 9, to young to be eligible for Stalin purges, in 1941 when Hitler occupied Ukraine he was 14, big enough to remember all what happens, in 1945 he is 18, and force to join Red Army, and force to rebuilt economy, then more hunger, more purges, more hard work, and even more hunger years. At 60 he kicked out. That is whole man life. And on the end he got a camera. Could be worth. That it why camera not used. No life left out in men for the photography. After he is gone camera found by grandkids and sold as no longer needed. Money was used to buy something new. And Life going on.... And camera let us think and remember.... even if it wasn't used...

Yes, Okynek. All a life in a camera.
It's why I love too these inscriptions...
Curiously, they appear only on FSU cameras. On western ones, they is only (and rarely) the name of the owner, or an identity number, never a donation inscription.

Jacques.