While learning about my new kiev 4 (contax clone) I made the mistake of trying to change speeds without first turning the advance knob to cock the shutter. The knob is stuck in the raised position and does not turn forward or back. Since a professional repair would cost more than the $40 camera, do I now have a paperweight? Also if I can get it working, do I need to buy an empty film cassette since it did not come with a take-up spool? Thank you, Jim

I don't know enough about Kiev rangefinders to answer your first question; however, I did once run across the following, which might help with your second question:

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/kievspool.jpg

That's a graphic that shows how to modify an empty film cartridge into a Kiev take-up spool. If you don't process your own film, try asking at a 1-hour lab for a few empties. Chances are they'll be happy to hand some over to you. Note that I've never tried this myself; I just saved the URL for future reference in case I ever bought a Kiev rangefinder that lacked a take-up spool.

If you don't get an answer to your first question, you could also try asking on the Yahoo Zenit Camera Group. (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Zenitcamera/) Despite the name, discussion of all Russian and FSU cameras is welcome there, and I'm sure somebody there would be able to answer your question -- hopefully in a way that'll help you salvage your camera!

Best of luck!

Hi Jim.log onto " Kiev Survival Site".
When you remove the top plate manipulate the frame counter with a small screwdriver.This might help.

Mike

I'll follow up on the suggestions and see if I can get the camera working - Jim

www.fedka.com repairs Kievs and also sells spools. Is it worth it? I don't know--I think fedka charges over $50 for shutter repair service.

Try this. Remove the back of the camera and the lens and see if there is some way to make the shutter cock by either pushing down or pushing up the curtain blinds. If the shutter is not completely closed, you might be able to manipulate it. And, no, I'm not a Kiev or camera repair expert so don't accept my suggestion as being based in anything except a guess.

Lee - Your suggestion freed the shutter temporarily - it is very sticky. A repair person will help me with the issue in a few days. Jim

Hello Jim.

I hope you got your K4a going to your satisfaction. I can assure you that the spool link referred to you by srs5694 works very nicely. I am the same person who created it, as my sample came from Ukraine without a spool. Rick asked if he could put my sketch onto his site, and I was more than pleased that he would have it there. To make one, all one needs is a tiny drill bit (I used a No. 60, same as for holes in circuit boards), a nail file, a Dremel tool with its standard abrasive cutter disk, a little bit of single strand copper wire (about 22 or 24 gauge), some small pliers that can cut the wire, and a few minutes time... about 20.

The design holds the spool on axis, keeping it from wobbling while loading and when turning. Since the spool turns freely inside the captured cap, it won's scratch the K4A's inside paint either. And it is FREE. Free is good.

Rick Oleson says that about the only thing that ever goes wrong with a good working K4a is that the ribbons need replacing every decade or two. With his guidance and sketches on his website, and a little Arsenal ribbon from Oleg in Moscow, I replaced those in my K4a several years ago. A little tedious for a hobbyist such as I am, but no problem. I had been winding mine on way too snappily, otherwise I probably would not have caused one of the original ribbons to detach. I wind more slowly and deliberately now.

Good luck with yours. I am now looking for a proper 50mm brightline finder for mine. That tiny little viewfinder is tough to see through with glasses. BTW, I put a donut of black electrical tape around the viewfinder window, and now it will no longer scratch my glasses, even if I press them tightly against it.

Happy day.
Henry in Atlanta

if the broken camera cost $200 or $400, would a $50 repair be "worth it?" I've never understood why people think repairs aren't worth the money simply because they can buy yet another camera that will need repair. :confused: I guess I'd rather have one working camera than two busted ones for the same money, but maybe that's just me.

When buying cameras, especially from overseas, why is there an unrealistic expectation of perfect condition when the price should make it blindingly obvious there is something wrong with the camera?

While learning about my new kiev 4 (contax clone) I made the mistake of trying to change speeds without first turning the advance knob to cock the shutter. The knob is stuck in the raised position and does not turn forward or back. Since a professional repair would cost more than the $40 camera, do I now have a paperweight? Also if I can get it working, do I need to buy an empty film cassette since it did not come with a take-up spool? Thank you, Jim

You can use the spool from any 35mm film cassette without mofification. You will have to stick the film leader on the spool with some tape.

You can use the spool from any 35mm film cassette without mofification. You will have to stick the film leader on the spool with some tape.

Cutting a slot in a salvaged commercial cassettes spool is more convenient, for resonably fast loading, than tape.
Or buying an origonal Kiev spool form a FSU cam shop on e-bay, if you are patient. A spool from a reusable cassette is also usable.

Noel

Unfortunately, not all the reusable cassettes have the original Kiev spools. One of my Kievs came with a Fuji take-up spool that has a center-cut slot and requires trimming the leader to load. I ordered three of the original Kiev cassettes in order to have a couple of spares. Yep...two of the Kiev cassettes had Fuji spools, one had an Ilford. Luckily, I carry a Leatherman Micra that has scissors.

The Nikon AM-1 film cassette has a spool that works as a take-up spool for my Contax IIIa. They tend to go fairly cheaply on Ebay. I suspect they will work in a Kiev.