Camera review: The Kiev 60

The camera

This review is about the КИЕВ 60 (Kiev 60) single lens reflex camera. Built by the Arsenal plant this Soviet (later Ukrainian) medium format single lens reflex camera was the successor to the КИЕВ 6C (Kiev 6S) camera model. The Kiev 6S was introduced in 1970 and was produced until 1986. The camera design was no doubt influenced by the 1956 East German Praktisix and copied its lens mount. Not only the Soviets were enamored by the 'big conventional SLR' design, the Japanese Asahi Optical Company released the Pentax 6x7 in 1969 that shares the same design philosophy. In fact, when I first laid hands on a Kiev 60 I was struck by how similar is was to the Pentax 6x7 - my first medium format camera. In 1984 the Kiev 6S was replaced with the Kiev 60 and this camera was built to at least 1999. It was sold by Arsenal for much longer though thanks to a formidable stockpile of Kiev 60s. In fact, one can still purchase new Kiev 60s, rebranded as ARAX 60s, today from ARAX which took over the Arsenal stock after Arsenal closed down.

My Kiev 60 as it was when I obtained it, fitted with an Arsat-C 80mm f/2.8

Specifications

Camera:                        КИЕВ 60 (Kiev 60)

Built:                            1984-1999

Mount:                          Pentacon 6

Shutter speeds:             2-1/1000 seconds, B

Self timer:                    yes

Mirror lock-up:            no

Film type:                    120 film

Weight:                        1,950 grams with lens

Light metering:            no, add-on TTL prism with light meters available

Battery:                        none for the camera, 3x LR44 for the TTL prism

Shooting

Like the Pentax 6x7, the Kiev 60 is a big son of a gun. There is nothing delicate about this camera, it was built like a T-55 tank and it will last a lifetime. It is a very straightforward camera, anyone with 35mm SLR camera experience will immediately know how to operate it. It shoots twelve of those big and gorgeous 6x6 negatives on 120 film. But the best thing of all: It uses the Pentacon 6 mount! Hello Carl Zeiss Jena lenses! So we've got a simple, usable design and those superb Carl Zeiss Jena lenses. Is all good? Well, there are issues reported with this camera. Some have overlapping frames and/or light leaks. Not so desirable. Also it has no mirror lock-up (MLU) which could be quite useful.

My Kiev 60 dates from 1994 and is thus an Ukrainian rather than a Soviet camera. It was originally bought by my uncle Wolfgang and he very kindly gave it to me. It hadn't been used for a while and when I ran a roll through it it had developed a light leak. I decided to have it refurbished by ARAX and MLU added. I also had it redone in a black finish and the mirror box flocked to reduce flaring.

My Kiev 60 after overhaul and modification

My Kiev 60 with a Carl Zeiss Jena MC Biometar 80mm f/2.8 fitted

Images

I took my Kiev 60 into the field today to see how it would perform after the overhaul and modification.

Kiev 60 with a Carl Zeiss Jena MC Biometar 80mm f/2.8

All in all my refurbished Kiev 60 really delivers. After the attention it got from ARAX this camera doesn't only look and feel like new, it works like new! No issues with film spacing, no issues with light leaks and a fully operational MLU. And using the Carl Zeiss Jena lenses without having to manually open up, focus and then stop down again is, well, a luxury.

I really like this camera. I realize that not everyone gets one as a present but these medium format cameras are still affordable. I would however recommend investing in having it refurbished if you're serious about shooting with it.

Camera review: The Pentax SV

The camera

This review is about the Pentax SV single lens reflex camera. The SV is, one might argue, the last version of the original Asahi Pentax SLR series introduced in 1957. It predates the Pentax Spotmatic series and is, together with the lower-budget S1a released at the same time, the last of the first generation of Asahi Pentax SLRs. The SV was introduced in 1962 and remained in production until 1968 with 481.696 cameras built. There are two versions of the SV, the later one has an orange 'R' on the rewind knob to indicate that the camera can use the 50mm f/1.4 lens which protrudes further into the camera than other 50mm versions. The 50mm f/1.4 cannot fit on the earlier version.

My Asahi Pentax SV fitted with a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZS

This really is a beautiful camera. This early SLR design has clean straight lines, not hampered by the boxy shape of a flash hot shoe, a clean body surface without extra buttons and an undisturbed view through the view finder. Yet it packs a self timer on the top of the camera, it has a high 1/1000th of a second shutter speed and can be fitted with an additional cold shoe for the use of a flash and an add-on light meter as the SV doesn't have an inbuilt meter.

Specifications

Camera:                        Asahi Pentax SV/Honeywell Pentax H3v

Built:                            1962-1968

Mount:                          M42

Shutter speeds:             1-1/1000 seconds, B

Self timer:                    yes

Size:                             140 mm wide, 92mm high and 50mm deep

Weight:                        600 grams

Light metering:             no, add-on light meters available

Battery:                        none

Shooting

I acquired this SV as part of my Pentax Project a few years ago. It is the later version with the orange 'R'. I loaded some Paradies 200/24 (which is rebranded Fuji) economy color negative film, shot a few images and then moved house. The SV was displayed in a small display cabinet in my new house and stood there until I realized that there was still film in it. So I took it on my first outing and finished the roll. I used two lenses with the SV, a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f/3.5 and a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm f/2.8. The SV is a joy to use. I used 'sunny 16' for exposure but there are add-on light meters available, both vintage and modern, that can be used with the SV. The view finder is perhaps a bit darker when compared to later Pentaxes but focusing is a breeze. And after spending time with Soviet lenses and their eccentric ways it is so good to hold and use smoothly functioning lenses such as these Takumars. This SV found its way back to my camera bag and is there to stay. 

Images

All shot with a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f/3.5

Shot with a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm f/2.8

All in all I am pretty pleased with how these shots came out, given that the film was in the camera for quite some time. I've since shot some black and white with it, these rolls will be developed once I finish the last roll.