# Kiev 88 Cm Ttl



## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Anyone used one or have any pics? I have an older Mamiya M645 so used to medium format

The Kiev intrigue me just for its origin


----------



## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I had a play with one years ago when I worked in the trade. Itâ€™s possible to get some good pictures out of them with care. The word was that reliability and QC wasnâ€™t that good but for the dosh it was worth a punt.

I also played with a Chinese â€œGreat Wallâ€ and a couple of Seagulls, all good fun when youâ€™re into that kind of thing. I liked the Pentacon 6 and was tempted to buy one but I spent then money on a Bronica E series 135mm lens instead. 

My first medium format box was a Lubitel 166, it worked quite well until I dropped it.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

I had a Kiev 88 in the 90`s but found the gap between frames was unreliable so I returned it to the shop, took great photos though. I`ve also owned a couple of Seagull TLRs, had no problems with either, again great photos, wanted but never managed to get a Great Wall 

Edit> I`ve also owned a couple of Lubitel 166s


----------



## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Thanks! Were they the orig 88 or the CM version. From what I read the CM addressed winding issues, light leak issues and the cassette issues. It has a bit bigger transparency at 6x6 vs the 6x4.5 of the Mamiya. Like reading up on these.

Were there any large format mainstream cameras out the the region?


----------



## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I reckon it was an 88 I had hands on, though it was yonks ago and I don't really recall.

I wanted to have a look at some of the other 35mm SLRs and compacts that came out of the USSR rather than just the Zenith brand that flooded the UK market. I was always into the stuff that came from VEB Pentacon and Zeiss Jena. It's a shame we never got to see some of the best stuff that Zeiss Jena was working on, the aerial camera was a nice peice of kit, by all accounts.

I bet Mac's got one of them too. :tongue2:


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Stan said:


> I reckon it was an 88 I had hands on, though it was yonks ago and I don't really recall.
> 
> I wanted to have a look at some of the other 35mm SLRs and compacts that came out of the USSR rather than just the Zenith brand that flooded the UK market. I was always into the stuff that came from VEB Pentacon and Zeiss Jena. It's a shame we never got to see some of the best stuff that Zeiss Jena was working on, the aerial camera was a nice peice of kit, by all accounts.
> 
> I bet Mac's got one of them too. :tongue2:


I wish


----------



## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

I have standard Kiev 60's in 6x6 and 6x4.5, a Hartblei 60, and a Hartblei 88 with the P6 lens mount so that I can use all of the same lenses...

I can only say... buy the Hartblei or the Roskam - not an original!

The quality control of the Arsenal factory is rubbish; many of the cameras are disfunctional as built, and those that work have internal light baffling issues. The 88 suffers from light sealing issues and registration problems with the backs.

The shutters all suffer from problems similar to the Pentax 67 in the case of the focal plane shutters, and like the early Hasselblads on which the 88 is based.

However..... if you check out Hartblei for a quality Roosian camera - these people re-engineer the originals.

Also Roskam optics in Holland make a number of nice conversions.

Don't buy a metering prism; waste of money...

I use some German lenses; Biometers etc, but the Russian lenses are absolutely indistinguishable in quality, probably because they were made to German designs...

If you buy an 88 consider one of the above with a P6 mount; P6 lenses are much more common.

They take amazing pictures!


----------

