Kiev 4.5/55mm & 3.5/65mm shift lenses

[fuu_diing_chen]

Hi:

Does anyone try the 4.5/55mm and 3.5/65mm shift lenses for Kiev

60/88 yet? I am curious about these lenses and would like to hear

any comment about them.

 

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Thanks in advance

 

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Fuu-diing Chen

fdchen@mhit.edu.tw

[ed_lau]

Subj: Re: Medium Format Digest forum daily summary

Date: 98-07-02 17:51:57 EDT

From: ELau632855

To: mfd@albooth.demon.co.uk

 

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I heard that both Kiev 4.5/55mm and 3.5/65mm shift lenses, are only proto types. And never really made it into mass production. Anyway, for the cost that one of them, I'd rather spend extra and purchase a Canon EOS 24mm T/S lens with a Canon Rebel G camera ( $1400. + $250. ) Regardless of the film format size difference, the Canon package has far better optics. Plus Nikon does not even have anything close to the Canon T/S lens specs.

 

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Ed Lau

 

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E-Mail = elau632855@aol.com

[ed_lau]

I've heard that the Kiev T/S lens were made or designed about 8-10 yrs ago. I believe they cost a little less than $1000.00 USD. However the problem is finding a good place to purchase them, that will also provide GOOD service later.

 

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There is one place in the United States that provides very good service, but his prices are the most expensive in the United States or the entire world.

The company is called Kiev /USA, (203) 531-0900, if you have not heard of them already. They purchase the lens and parts from Russia and then dis-assemble them and totally rebuild them. I don't know if they carry the Kiev T/S models. I heard a rumor the other day from a friend that with the current problems in Russia, that the Kiev Factory has closed down. I don't know if this is true or not. He said he heard it at a local camera show in Ohio.

 

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Ed ( Kiev Owner, Yet to get a good picture from his Kiev 88 )

 

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E-Mail = ELAU632855@AOL.COM

[stephen_poe1]

If you have not seen it, visit:

http://www.dedal.cz/optics/medium_format_lenses.htm

This site is maintained by a company in the Czech republic that has a lot of info on these lenses posted on their web site.

I have not used Kiev but am interested in finding a second, low cost MF system that I can use in hiking, camping and other damage risking environments where I don't want to take my more costly stuff.

[leo_salazar]

Kiev cameras and lenses never fail to stir somewhat of a discussion due to never ending dilemma of their clone look and low price. Obviously Kiev equipment is not more than just that, Kiev equipment...On par with any other brand.

 

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Techno fans (in this forum and of course in others too) seem to prefer spending an awful amount of time discussing lp/mm and modulation transfer data as a base to indulge in the eternal (and pointless) question of which is the best stuff you can spend your money buying! Rather than discussing weather or not you your proficiency as a photographer is improving and your artistic "feel" is getting you better results.

 

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Advertising strives to have us believe that the "quality" of your photos depends on the brands we use, so the companies behind the brands can prosper and grow.

 

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Kiev lenses are not usually criticized due to the fact that indeed they perform very well (in many cases actually Zeiss designs). Mamiya is "stoned" far more often, I have read comments made by fellow photographers on this same Forum stating that some of Mamiya's lenses are bottle bottoms and personally I have not liked the results gotten by using some of them (mainly in the 645 format).

 

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Kiev bodies are another story, I agree that an appreciable number of them are not finished properly by the Arsenal factory and so you get your proverbial lemon. I had this experience after deciding to try Kiev lenses and bought a "kit" form a store in Canada although some people have reported the same problems with cameras bought from a nown store in Connecticut.

 

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The 80 mm lens i got surprised me by performing very well and so I bough some more lenses. The 120 mm lens is really very good, and I have just started trying the 65 mm and 250 5.6 lenses. The camera suffered from shutter problems and I had it repaired by Kalimex, the company in the Chech Republic. There seem to be a new factory (VRN) in Kiev that is manufacturing and modifying the equipment Kalimex sells and they did my repair work.

 

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My K-88 body now has cloth curtains, the complete shutter was replaced by a new one and is very silent and accurate plus a nice hand crank.

 

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Final thoughts? The lenses are good to very good, the camera bodies? Buy the new stuff, the old ones could perform flawlessly but could also be lemons. Consider the fact that these cameras have focal plane shutters and your proficiency level as a photographer needs to be at or over average to work them (no auto, all manual, etc.). Results? No one will be able to tell your photos apart from images taken with any other brand, you can be shure of this!

 

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Please, let's use some more Forum time discussing thecniques and possibilities than discussing equipment. This is turning into a Forum for thecnocrats rather than for photographers.

[m._czekalla]

The lens costs here in gemany just 560 $. Look at:

 

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http://www.arsenal-photo.com/kiev/eschiftobj.htm

 

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Regards

Markus

[fuu_diing_chen]

Hi:

I have some Kiev lenses and really like them. These two shift

lenses from Kiev are quite new and I am wondering how much they can to do perspective control when shooting building. I am considering getting one of them and want any personal experience about them.

Only a few shift lenses are available in the medium format world,

these two shift lenses should be interested by some of Kiev 60/88 users.

Fuu-diing Chen

[roman_rohleder]

yesterday my 4,5/55 Arsat Shift was delivered. (Serial Number 9800001)

 

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My first impression : it's an nice toy.

 

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Until now, I haven't had a chance of using at "work". I did some test shots, and it performed quite well. I'll stay in contact with MFD until I get the first results.

 

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But now i can confirm the existence of the lens!

[roman_rohleder]

3 Weeks ago I took my Kiev PCS 4,5/55 Shift to Berlin and

Neubrandenburg for the first real "mission". I took the 88-Body, the

Shift-lenses, my Biometar 2,8/80 and the Manfrotto 55C-Tripod with me

and now I'm satisfied with the system. Although the Slides are a

little bit too dark ( I think, the Lightmeter needs to be calibrated

!), the whole system did perform fine.

 

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But let's mention the PCS. Mine has got the S/N 980001, i'll bet it

ist one of the first ever produced.

 

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You can shift it 13mm at 3600 combined with 6 "steps" without any

optical problems. The only risk at use is the usual flare at direct

sunlight.

 

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By now, I think the Kiev PCS 4,5/55 Shift is the best and the only

choice in that market segment.( You can use it at Mamiya-Bodies,

too!).