Kiev-60, worth it?

<p>I have been offered a Kiev-60 for $100 with the 80mm lens, it seems to be in working condition but I've heard there are some caveats that come with the beast. For those who have used it, is the camera worth it, or just a headache?</p>

<p>The Kiev 60 is definitely the one to have out of the older ones. Would not touch a Kiev88 with a bargepole after two shutter breaking issues.</p>

<p>I had a tweaked Kiev 60 (Arax 60 MLU) which was a basic but good camera.</p>

<p>It shares a lens-mount with the Pentacon Six (P6). The lenses are the attraction. You get a Kiev, or a Pentacon Six TL, in order to get a 6x6 image from the huge and diverse stable of P6-mount lenses. (If you are content with getting a 6x4.5 image from those lenses, then a Mamiya 645 or Pentax 645 body + a P6 lens adapter is a better choice). Check out Trevor Allin's www.pentaconsix.com site for everything there is to know about the P6 ecosystem.</p>

<p>The thing to watch out (test) for in the Kiev 60 is slightly irregular movement of the focal plane shutter curtains, which causes exposure changes (banding) as they cross the film, at the faster shutter speeds. A CLA should fix that.</p>

<p>At that price, how much do you have to lose? But for maybe $200 you could get a Mamiya 645 or Bronica ETR with lens, and either would be of far better quality that a Kiev. You could definnitely get a Yashicamat or Mamiya TLR. Sort of depends on whether this is just a chance to pick up a cheap amera or if you seriously want to get into medium format (assuming you're not already).<br /><br />I would at least bargain them down as much as you can.</p>

<p>If you want to risk overlapped frames, fogging through mirror bounce and overall poor build quality, then go ahead and buy the Kiev-60. A couple of decades ago I had two Kiev 60s in succession brand new from the importer, and neither of them worked properly. Both went back in favour of a change to Mamiya 645s. Those metal-bodied Mamiyas are still working perfectly.</p>

<p>Im a Kiev 60 user and I highly recommend it. Its a jewel</p>

I use it more than my Kiev 88CM.........nice inexpensive lenses.

For that money it is ok.

 

The thing with the Kievs (60, 88) and the Pentacon 6 is that they were bargain MF cameras (and lenses) in the 90s, but these days you can buy reliable Bronicas and Mamiyas at prices it makes no sense to bother with the quirks of those.

There are lots of Kievs (6 and 60) in my country for next-to-nothing. While 88 is somewhat fancy and Hasselblad-ish, 6 and 60 are humongous devices that look like 35 mm slr that's been sitting on steroids. They are so repulsive to me that I had to order Bronica from abroad. But that doesn't mean those cameras are bad, just as long as mechanics work properly. They are whimsical, one must pay attention while loading film, winding etc. but they acyually DO deliver! And let us not forget Pentacon Six lens mount