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HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 5
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 08:29 pm: | 
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I just returned from Kiev with a mint Kiev RF camera. However,I'm having a problem moving the film advance knob. The camera had a roll of film in it and the guy selling it took off the back and pulled out the film. I'm wondering if the button remains depressed which frees up the takeup spool. I've fooled with it but the film takeup knob will not turn to start the film. While I have several FSU raingefinders, this Kiev is entirely different and I'm wondering if there's a button, lever, or soimething that needs pushing, turning or something that will allow me to get the film leader started. I'd appreciate any help if anyone's familiar with this type RFs. Harlee |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 29
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 08:35 pm: |
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The rewind release button returns to the "advance" position as soon as you take your finger off of it (in the last "-M" series, there is no button, the function is controlled by rotation of one of the back locks ..... in that case you have to have the back latched for the film to advance)
are you unable to turn the knob, or does it turn but not advance the film, or....?
: ) = |
HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 09:18 pm: |
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Nope! The advance knob will not turn either with the back on or off and I don't want to force it. I believe this is the model 4 with working light meter, which works, but I'm not sure how. Harlee |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 30
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 09:25 pm: |
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if you can't turn the knob there's something wrong. don't force it. i can't think of any reason for that except the shutter already being cocked, but i suppose there could be something jammed in the works. |
HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 07:43 pm: |
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I've been fooling with the film advance and found that the knurled shutter button can be pushed down and turned into a locking position. When I did that, the film advance turned, but continued to turn without stopping. I'm not sure what that does, but I think it has to do with rewinding the film. Anyway, with the shutter button in the up position, the winding knob is turning and stopping after the film has advanced to its proper position, and it does cock the shutter and the shutter trips. After lightly lubing the shutter button and the winding knob, it seems to turn much more freely. I do have a question on how the film leader is to be trimmed to get inserted into the takeup spool, and how the takeup spool is released to rewind the film. Does the button on the bottom of the camera have to be depressed to release the winding spool? Another question is how the meter works. There are numbers and a diamond on it, but I'm not sure which indicates the proper exposure. I can probably figure that one out with another light meter. Harlee |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 34
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 12:18 am: |
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AH!
Yes, it does that, at least in the earlier models (and in the prewar Contax), but people very seldom use that feature.... this is the way the camera creates a "T" speed (with the shutter speed dial set to "B"), holding the shutter open until you come back and turn the button baco to its normal (up) position. Another usually-overlooked function is the 1-second speed: you get this by setting the shutter speed to "B" and then firing it off with the self timer. Yes, they actually did that on purpose, it isn't just a happy coincidence.
There are a couple of different styles of takeup spool, I think. The one I've seen most has 2 slots in it, side by side. What I do with this one is to feed the leader through one slot about 1/2 inch, fold it and tuck the end back into the other slot. No special trimming is needed to do this. You may have a different spool though.
Now the meter: the diamond is the index: you turn the knob until the needle lines up with the diamond and then read your aperture/speed combinations off of the knob. The numbers... i think there's a 2 and a 4, right? If you are unable to align the needle with the diamond due to insufficient light, you line it up with one of the numbers and then multiply the exposure that you read off of the knob by that number.
Oh, and the film speeds on the meter are in GOST, rather than DIN or ASA... but I think the GOST numbers were reasonably close to ASA numbers so that's probably close enough for starters. At this age you may have to change that setting anyway to get readings that you like. |
HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 03:59 pm: |
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Thanks Richard! I appreciate your knowledge regarding this model and your input. My film takeup spool has a small slot in the middle of the spool and what I did was to cut the film leader in sort of a triangle and fed it into the slot. There's sort of a friction tab that holds the leader in place. I can't imagine how, when the film is rewound that this lets loose of the film leader. I think, and this is just a thought, that the film must be rewound until there's resistance and then the back is removed and the spool is taken out of the camera with the leader still attached to manually release the tab. I tried this with an old roll of film and while that works, it's a pain. Any idea where I can find a different film takeup spool that's as you described? Thank again, Harlee |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 36
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 04:22 pm: |
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Some Contaxes, I think, and I guess some Kievs, have this small central slot. These spools were made for 35mm film that was rolled up on an open spool with a paper leader taped to each end to protect it... no cartridge. The paper leader had a central tab on it, similar to a roll of 120 film today. Film of this type could be run through the camera and then removed without rewinding... of course, this style of film has not been available for quite a long time.
There is a good idea (not originally mine) for making a takeup spool posted on my website at http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/kievspool.jpg .... you can actually make it even a bit simpler than this.... instead of the detail of drilling small holes in the stem of the spool, you can just epoxy the cassette cap to the spool flange at that end, and it works fine. Required parts are (1) 35mm film cassette, with one end carefully pried off of the can. |
HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 9
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 25, 2006 - 08:10 pm: |
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Today I found a film takeup spool from an old Samoca camera I've had for years and it fits the Kiev perfectly. The only problem is there isn't any slot in it, but I'll attempt to cut one with my Dremel tool and cutting wheel. I also found an aluminum slip-on lens hood that looks as though it was made for the Kiev. Tomorrow I'll take it out for trials and see what it's capable of doing. The meter appears to be right on, but I'll carry my Sekonic meter with me as well. I'm still not sure just how to rewind the film, but that will be part of the trials. Harlee |
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