Kiev 4A
KIEV ARSENAL - 1984 - USSR (KIEV)
- Compact
- 35 mm
- Infrequent
The Kiev rangefinders were produced for over 51 years by the Arsenal factory in Kiev (Ukraine, USSR) and carry an incredible history.
At the end of World War II, the victorious Red Army captured and 'relocated' the still-standing Dresden Zeiss factories to Ukraine to start a new production. The first Kiev cameras were actually made from parts (and with machinery) pilfered from the Zeiss factories. The result are very close copies of the Contax II, the last Zeiss camera to be produced in Dresden.
In way, the Kiev rangefinder is a Soviet version of a German rangefinder that was designed to compete with another German rangefinder, the Leica II.
The start of production in the new factories was laborious, but the Soviets would not stop improving on the copy, to the point of making the Kiev a camera in its own right, full of qualities and very appreciated. Helping to its popularity is the fact that it inherited The bayonet mount from the Contax, allowing Zeiss lenses to be used directly on a much cheaper alternative. From the Sixties most models were made in two parallel variants: with and without a selenium light meter.
The Kiev 4 were massively produced from 1957 to 1987 with only minor design variations, making it difficult to distinguish the various versions (which you can identify by the serial number).
In its design stability, the Kiev is probably the closest thing you can find to a time traveler.
Associated project shares
- 1 Share of the 99 Cameras Club project
Discover the club's camera collection.
99 Cameras Club for updates.
Read the term and conditions.
Note : This Collectible is not an official product from the represented camera manufacturer. It is a replica of an individual camera from the club's collection and holds no rights or relationships with its manufacturer. It should be regarded only as a token of patronage to the 99 Cameras Club.
KIEV ARSENAL - 1984 - USSR (KIEV)
- Compact
- 35 mm
- Infrequent
The Kiev rangefinders were produced for over 51 years by the Arsenal factory in Kiev (Ukraine, USSR) and carry an incredible history.
At the end of World War II, the victorious Red Army captured and 'relocated' the still-standing Dresden Zeiss factories to Ukraine to start a new production. The first Kiev cameras were actually made from parts (and with machinery) pilfered from the Zeiss factories. The result are very close copies of the Contax II, the last Zeiss camera to be produced in Dresden.
In way, the Kiev rangefinder is a Soviet version of a German rangefinder that was designed to compete with another German rangefinder, the Leica II.
The start of production in the new factories was laborious, but the Soviets would not stop improving on the copy, to the point of making the Kiev a camera in its own right, full of qualities and very appreciated. Helping to its popularity is the fact that it inherited The bayonet mount from the Contax, allowing Zeiss lenses to be used directly on a much cheaper alternative. From the Sixties most models were made in two parallel variants: with and without a selenium light meter.
The Kiev 4 were massively produced from 1957 to 1987 with only minor design variations, making it difficult to distinguish the various versions (which you can identify by the serial number).
In its design stability, the Kiev is probably the closest thing you can find to a time traveler.
Associated project shares
- 1 Share of the 99 Cameras Club project
Discover the club's camera collection.
99 Cameras Club for updates.
Read the term and conditions.
Note : This Collectible is not an official product from the represented camera manufacturer. It is a replica of an individual camera from the club's collection and holds no rights or relationships with its manufacturer. It should be regarded only as a token of patronage to the 99 Cameras Club.
