thomas_r._young1

Dear Gentlemen- I am sorry to hear of your problems with Kieb and KievUSA. I would like to report that I have two Kiev 88's from Kiev USA bought last August and they perform very very well. I have had nothing but excellent results from these cameras and the several lenses that I own for them. In my experience even the largest most technically advanced companys have an occaisional lemon, and my experiences with Kiev USA have been nothing but great.

Greetings-

 

I have a Tamrac Pro 625 bag that works very well. It is a large case with plenty of space, should be able to handle your equipment well. I have two Kiev 88 medium format camera bodies, one TTL prism finder, one unmetered prism finder, side grip, Vivtar 285 HV flash, 30mm fisheye, 45mm, 65mm, 150mm lenses, (bodies both have 80mm lenses,

 

four 6x6 film backs, 2 645 film backs, 2x teleconverter, 2 extension tubes, groundglass back, camera pistol grip, many filters, Sekonic 308 meter and film. I have used it occaisionally with two 35mm Canon AE-1 bodies by leaving a few MF items out, to carry most of both systems.

 

It gets heavy with all that in it, but as Tamrac's catalog says, it can perform as the "mothership". Also is available much cheaper than advirtised. Good luck.

Hi- Me again- Just to correct myself-

 

"C" on cameras from Kalimex means the "C" lens mount, which I believe is the same as the Pentacon/Exakta66/Kiev 60 lens mount, and m means flocked interior and cloth shutters, and of course combinations of the above. Kalimex is at www.dedal.cz

"C" on a camera from KievUSA in CT means "Cranks", but "C" on camera from Kalimex S.R.O. from Prague means flocked interior and cloth shutter, so suffixes are different from different dealers.

 

Try a web search for Kalimex, they have a great web page, and Kiev USA also has good page.

Check out an article in the Fall issue of Outdoor & Nature Photographer (1997 fall) by Judy Holmes about using Hasselblad and medium format for Outdoor and Landscape work, also a small book by

 

Judy Holmes entitled "Eye On Nature- An Elegant Little Guide To Outdoor Photography", $7.95 US ISBN 0-9651828-0-0

I have also used the Vivitar 285HV with my Kiev 88C, using the

 

third party metal flash foot with pc to houshold cord and the

 

Stroboframe R4b flash bracket, which works well.

Dear Sir-

 

I have the 150mm lens and I am very pleased with it. It performs well.

 

I have heard from others that the 120mm lens is a little soft compared

 

to the 150mm, but that is secondhand info and I cannot say for sure

 

about the 120mm. If the old 60% rule is used, that is, that to get a rough idea of how 6x6 format focal length compares to 35mm systems, then a 150mm medium format lens would be about 90mm, which is just shy o

 

of the 105mm usually used in 35mm format portrait work. Best Luck, Tom

I ahave two Kiev 88C bodies and several lenses and film backs and the

 

only time I have ever seen anything remotely like what was described

 

was when I accidentally pulled the darkslide out on a film back that

 

had film in it. Otherwise, my Kievs perform perfectly. I have cloth shutters in both camera bodies.

 

thanks, good luck, Tom