How close did the Ukrainians come to cloning the Minox? in Minox/Miniature Posted April 17, 2001 Last week my new Kiev 35 arrived, and after I ran a test film through it I was surprised at how good the results were. Obviously I've been lucky and received one that doesn't leak light, but after I had worked out the idiosyncrasies of the metering parameters, learnt not to leave my thumb on the back of the camera while winding on (it jams the film, which may break), and realised that the winding lever needs two throws to wind on, I was quite happy with it. <p> In case you wonder why I didn't obtain that information by reading the user's manual, it was in Russian or Ukrainian only, and although I can read the alphabet I can't understand the words... <p> I can definitely say now that the lens is considerably sharper than the lens on the Minox. I was using ISO 800 colour print film, and overexposed by two stops at that, but the clarity of the fine detail is astonishing. <p> Has the Kiev got the same build quality of the Minox? Of course not, but if you get one that works properly, it is a very suitable camera for keeping with you all the time.
How close did the Ukrainians come to cloning the Minox?
in Minox/Miniature
Posted
Last week my new Kiev 35 arrived, and after I ran a test film through
it I was surprised at how good the results were. Obviously I've been
lucky and received one that doesn't leak light, but after I had
worked out the idiosyncrasies of the metering parameters, learnt not
to leave my thumb on the back of the camera while winding on (it jams
the film, which may break), and realised that the winding lever needs
two throws to wind on, I was quite happy with it.
<p>
In case you wonder why I didn't obtain that information by reading
the user's manual, it was in Russian or Ukrainian only, and although
I can read the alphabet I can't understand the words...
<p>
I can definitely say now that the lens is considerably sharper than
the lens on the Minox. I was using ISO 800 colour print film, and
overexposed by two stops at that, but the clarity of the fine detail
is astonishing.
<p>
Has the Kiev got the same build quality of the Minox? Of course not,
but if you get one that works properly, it is a very suitable camera
for keeping with you all the time.