This is more of an update than a new post. I originally posted about this camera back in 2017, but as you read or didn’t read, that example didn’t work. Now, I finally have a working version.

Back when I first started this blog, my friends and acquaintances started to lend me their cameras to add to the blog. The first example of this camera I tried fell into this category.

Their Kiev was boxed, with the original Russian manual, and had been taken care of. Unfortunately, it is not the sturdiest of cameras, so it was still in a bit of a state.

That example didn’t work at all, it bugged me enough that I kept looking for a working one, it took some time. In the end I got another one that also didn’t work (I didn’t know that when I bought it). I decided to send it to LensFayre and they managed to get it working.

So here is my newest example.

The Kiev 35A was produced between 1985-1991 and is very similar to the Minox 35EL. If you pull the front cover down, the lens pops out. That is where you’ll find the battery compartment. Both cameras had thread issues with the battery cover and struggled to stay on, hence the tape in the first photos.

There is a plastic cover to the actual battery cover, it had fallen off on both examples. I have tried to glue it back on the second one, but it keeps falling off. The Kiev orginally needed a PX27 5.6V battery. I put in four LR44 and hoped for the best. You can read some technical details here and find a manual here. You set the aperture and distance on the lens barrel and the meter works out the speed. The meter actives when the cover is pulled down. This is sometimes where a fault can occur. If the door is not pulled down enough, it doesn’t work. On the first example I had, I had to keep my finger on the door to get the meter to work at all. My newer version it is more reliable, but I still have to pull the door down quite hard to activate it. To be honest, I am not sure why I persisted with my search as the camera has terrible reviews. It is rare to find a working one and they are known as unreliable and awkward to fix, so well done to Lensfayre.

I took my new one out to Formby and Leeds, loaded with roll of Exeter 400. Here are some of the results…I finally have results!

The clouds really pop in these, I love the results. It took me a while to get around to using it again, but when I did, I noticed the same cloud popping effect. Here are my results from a roll of Ilford Pan 400 around Wakefield.

Unlike the Olympus trip, there is no red flag. So if the needle goes above 1/500th, its top speed, it will still fire. That can result in over exposed negatives. I would also say, it is probably better to use a slower film and rate it lower, so a 200asa film should be set to 100asa. That seems to get more accurate meter results, though to be fair that could just be my example.

I am glad I persevered in my pursuit of this camera, I am so happy I now have a working version. I have no doubts that it might break again in the future. That is no reflection of LensFayre’s repair capabilities, but this is camera can break if you look at it wrong or sneeze while holding it.