rs1

Nice shot Luis. A whole studio on a wheelchair.

Thanks Larry,Vivek.<br><br>

Larry, nice shot with the Kiev 3!<br><br>

Vivek, that "lunch served" shot, I was thinking to desaturate but then decided that the colours really added to it. Like the yellow colour of the lentil soup (sambar). Glad you liked it!

Hello Everyone,<br>

I've compiled a few recent photos taken with my Kiev 4AM here:

<a

href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=317186"

target="_blank">http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=317186</a><br>

Please take a look if you are not yet sick of my repeated posts about

the Kiev 4. After this, I am not posting any more Kiev 4 stuff,

seriously! :-)<br><br>

For the pictures, I took the advice of some of our forum members and

tried not to take too many shots of the back of people's heads... :-)

<p>Mr. Oleson, you are truly a genius! I brought back my dad's old Electro 35 and it has a dim rangefinder spot. Dad claims it was like that when he bought it in 1978. I was wondering what to do about it until I came across this nugget of wisdom.<br>

The sharpie technique really worked better for me because it allows a little light through so you can actually see both images within the rangefinder spot. </p>

<p>We are not worthy! We are not worthy! :-)</p>

James,<br>

Thanks! I have a book of Walker Evans' photos and I look at them so often that I find I am unconsciously emulating (copying?) them. I am still a beginner so I guess it's ok to do this for a while... :-)

Thanks Joseph. Yes, the woman's eyes are in sharp focus. That was taken at f1.8 and 1/10 sec, I think. That room had very low ambient light.

Gene,<br>

You are quick! Thanks.<br>

I am really liking that camera and lens more and more.

signs of progress<div></div>

headmistress of a charity school, during good weather kids study under shady trees (they also have a school building)<div></div>

visited a charity hospital that gave out free eye exams and treatment for the poor<div></div>

Hello,<br>

<p>Kiev 4 AM, Helios 103, Jupiter 12 and myself recently visited

India. Special thanks to Rick and Ron whose sage advice has almost

removed the light leak I was having. It still faintly appears on

some frames. Have to do some more debugging to squish that one. But

anyway, thought I would share some photos from the first two rolls

of Tri X that I processed. I was visiting family so I didn't go to

any tourist places, pictures are of everyday stuff.</p><div></div>

David,<br>

<p>Well, I usually give my C41 film to the same lab. I mostly use Fuji Superia 400 and also often use generic cheapo films (dunno if any of them are from the same batch). But when I photograph the same scene, the Russian lenses seem to always give a slightly warmer/different rendition. And this shows not only on the print but also when I scan the negative. I've noticed this difference many times because I often shoot the same scene, same place, same time, same time of year, similar lighting condition, and regardless of film type, I have noticed this trend. And if I compare the two prints or scans, I like the one taken with the Russki lens more. Strange!<p></p>When I was a wee lad, I lived in Russia for four years during the height of communist rule, so it could be some subconscious brainwashing thing from those days. Just kidding!! Don't mean to offend you.</p>

<p>I understand what you are saying though. It's just my experience with this russian glass.</p>

Ok Rick, I opened up the camera and I see the place you are indicating. I'll put a piece of tape over that seam. There does seem to be some kind of gap there...<br>

Thanks to both of you for the tip!

Vivek,<br>

No, I don't study at UBC although I do go there for events and stuff...<br>

Your brother is a member of the faculty?

...and thanks everybody for your answers! This problem does not happen when I use my Jupiter 8 or 12 so it must be the lens.

<p>Vivek, this is a great lens for sure and those were really nice shots by Regit. From my test roll, I think the results are comparable to the Helios 44M (58mm F2) for the Zenit. Especially colour, I have not seen such nice rendition on any of my other lenses. I don't have the high-end nikkors and canons but I do have a SMC Pentax and a number of Konica Hexanons and IMHO at least for colours, they can't match the Helios or even the Jupiter 8 for that matter.</p>

<p>Wow! It never even occurred to me that this could be it. We are used to thinking of lenses as made "properly"....

I guess that is why the artifact is so well-defined and of the same shape in every photo.<br>

I will complain to the seller for sure. I guess I'll just take the Jupiter 8m. However, I am taking my Helios 44M with my Pentax so I won't be sans helios on my trip... :-)<br>

 

Thanks very much for the reply!</p>

#3<div></div>

#2<div></div>

Hello everyone,<br>

 

If this post is off topic, moderator please delete it without mercy!

 

<p>I recently got a Kiev 4 with a Helios 103 lens. The lens was pretty

dirty and had "stuff" on pretty much all the internal elements, black

paint flakes, dust etc. I tried it out recently and got some weird

looking stuff at the wider apertures and it looks like flare from all

that garbage in the lens. These artifacts are visible whether the lens

is pointed towards the sun or not but it appears stronger when

shooting anything backlit. Please take a look that the pictures I have

uploaded. Most pictures came out without the weird effects but the

outdoor shots that were taken at F8 or wider seem to have been

affected most. The marks are also visible all the way to the edge of

the negative. My Jupiter 8 does not do any of this kind of stuff. So

is this flare or what?<br>

I want your inputs please. I am planning to take my Kiev 4 on a trip

and I want to make sure that this is not more than just a bad

lens.</p><br>

Thanks for your help!<div></div>

Very nice photos Micah! I really liked the portrait of your mother.

Bill,<br>

<p>At the moment I have no plans to transition to digital.<br>

Like you, I develop my own b&w film and give colour negative stuff to the local Super Store (Loblaws). Slides go to a "pro" lab and sometimes London Drugs.<br> As of now, it all seems stable. I have been ordering film and chemicals online from a reliable store called photoco (Montreal based). Ordering online is extremely economical. <br>I scan the slides and colour negatives and make prints on my Epson, for b&w I have a makeshift darkroom. If I am unable to get my slides processed, or heaven forbid, Super Store and Walmart decide to stop processing C41, I might have to learn to process C41 at home or get a DSLR. That scenario seems unlikely anytime soon. So for at least the next couple of years, I will probably not be going in for a DSLR. If I were to buy a DSLR, I think I will buy a Pentax *ist because it is the only DSLR that is not chock full of "bells and whistles". The viewfinder seemed acceptable when I tested one out. More in tune with my mentality of trying to keep it simple. Allow me to set the aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and use standard AA batteries. Give me a lens with a DOF scale. I won't ask for much more.</p><p>I hope this post doesn't need me to wear my kevlar-lined boxers... ;-)</p>

Gene,<br>

That was a great find. And you are truly a poet... :-) <br>

 

<p>This probably sounds horrible and won't make much sense but here is a Limerick for you.</p>

<i>

Gene, your verses are droll.<br>

And treasures your found-films hold.<br>

They're a treat to see.<br>

And we want them to be.<br>

Bound in a papyrus scroll.</i>

<br><br>

By the way, Alwine might still be around. Seems like she was born in 1921... :-)

Bruce,<br>

<p>All I can say is, WOW!! Absolutely stunning photos. Details,sharpness was killer. The b&w of Hawa Mahal was one of the best. There were many others that I really liked too. The close-up shots were especially nice. I think many of those photos will show their true beauty when enlarged to 16x20. I am curious as to what kind of 4x5 you carried, and what lenses did you take with it? Was it easy to get access to Taj Mahal with a large format camera? I noticed there were no crowds soI assume you got there before it opened? I am sure you must have got quite a bit of attention with gear ;-)</p>

Rick,<br>

That rewind knob really looks like it was designed for the kiev!<br>

I wish I had a junk pentax body. My two pentaxes are in such minty, minty condition that I treat them like babies...<br><br><br>

 

Ronald,<br>

I just won an auction at *bay for a Kiev 4A with the same lens as yours, I just checked the auction photo and it does say 53. I have a couple of Jupiter 8m's that say "Jupiter 8m 1:2 F=5cm ####". Maybe these are older versions?