ARAX CM MLU (2009–?)

It clicks like a tank hatch sealing - heavy, deliberate, and reassuring.

Overview

The ARAX CM MLU is not subtle. It feels like a repurposed aircraft component in your hands: dense and metal. This is a modular 6x6 medium format SLR, built from the bones of the Soviet-era Kiev 88, which was itself a reverse-engineered cousin of the Hasselblad 1600F/1000F. The ARAX CM is more than a clone, though. It is a recalibrated, reassembled and slightly more civilized version of that rugged lineage, produced after ARAX acquired the Arsenal plant in Kyiv in 2009.

Owners report it feels more refined than the notoriously finicky original Kiev 88s, with a smoother film advance, better shutter clockwork, and a back that actually lines up when you close it. It's not a Hasselblad, and it doesn't pretend to be. The finish is utilitarian, the ergonomics are an afterthought, and it's heavy at 1220g. But it's a new(ish), repairable, modular medium format system at a fraction of the cost. You get interchangeable film backs, viewfinders and lenses, plus mirror lock-up for eliminating vibration in long exposures. It's a system camera for people who don't mind earning their results.

This camera demands attention. One user called it "awesome" but added, "you really must handle it with care and attention." It's not fragile, exactly, but it's unforgiving of sloppy handling. Get the sequence wrong, and you can damage the shutter. Push a lever that shouldn't be pushed, and you might end up with a light leak or a jammed film advance. Get it right, and the shooting experience is tactile and deliberate. It's like driving a manual transmission truck with no power steering.

Specifications

Manufacturer	ARAX
Format	6x6 medium format (120 film)
Shots per roll	12
Lens mount	Pentacon Six bayonet mount (Pentacon 6)
Shutter type	Cloth focal plane shutter
Shutter speeds	1/2s – 1/1000s + Bulb
Size	130 x 125 x 110mm
Weight	1220g
Body material	Metal
Body color option	Available in black (chrome also implied by user reports)

Key Features

Mirror Lock-Up (MLU)

One of the big upgrades ARAX brought is mirror lock-up, a feature absent on many Kiev 88 variants. It matters for critical work, especially with longer lenses or slow shutter speeds where mirror slap can blur the image. Using MLU takes a deliberate sequence: cock the shutter, flip the lever, then trip the shutter. It slows you down. It also gets you sharper results without external dampeners.

Interchangeable Film Backs

Like its Hasselblad ancestors, the ARAX CM takes interchangeable film backs. That means you can switch from color to black-and-white mid-roll, or go from 120 to 220 if you can find it (220 backs are rarer). The backs click on with solid, mechanical certainty, and when properly seated they're reliable. But owners note that light leaks can occur, especially with older or poorly maintained backs, and sometimes even with standard lenses if the seal isn't perfect. It's not a flaw unique to ARAX, but check a back before trusting it with a precious roll.

Interchangeable Viewfinders

You can run the ARAX CM with a waist-level finder for classic medium format composing, or swap in a prism for eye-level shooting. The waist-level finder is bright and sharp, though focusing in low light can be a challenge without a magnifier. The prism, if you can find one in good condition, gives a more conventional shooting stance, but it adds bulk and shifts the balance rearward. Either way, the view is 6x6, square. There's no metering, so you're on your own with a handheld meter or smartphone app.

Modular System & Build

The entire camera is designed around modularity. Lenses, backs, viewfinders and even focusing screens are all swappable. The body uses a deep breech-lock lens mount, which keeps the lens secure but can cause issues with certain accessories, like Pentacon bellows, unless you use an extension. The metal body feels industrial, almost forged rather than assembled. It's available in black, and some user reports suggest chrome versions exist, though they're less common. The ARAX rebuild process specifically targets known failure points from the original Salyut/Kiev bodies, such as weak film advance cranks and inconsistent shutter timing. It's not flawless, but it's demonstrably more reliable than its ancestors.

Historical Context

The ARAX CM exists because the original Kiev 88 did - a Soviet-era attempt to clone the Hasselblad 1600F/1000F, built at the Arsenal factory in Kyiv. Over the decades, the Kiev 88 earned a reputation for being powerful but temperamental, with inconsistent build quality and a tendency for parts to fail. In 2009, the ARAX company acquired the Arsenal plant and began producing their own updated version, the ARAX CM. It was more than a rebrand. Improvements include the Pentacon Six bayonet mount (replacing older threaded versions) and better shutter mechanics. The original Kiev 88 had evolved into the 88CM, which already changed the lens mount, and ARAX took that further with a version that's new, warrantied and supported. It competes with used Bronica 645 ETR(S)(i) models and other modular film cameras that offer flexibility without the Hasselblad price tag.

Collectibility & Value

The ARAX CM is a new camera made from old designs, sold in limited numbers, and still available through ARAX with repair support. Market prices vary widely: a reseller listed one at €179 in February 2024, while another asked €325 in January 2023. A user reported paying around $600 for a standard kit back in 2011, suggesting prices may have softened or that earlier models carried a premium.

Ownership comes with caveats. The most critical rule: the shutter must be fully cocked before changing speeds or removing the lens. Do it wrong, and you risk damaging the shutter. One user admitted breaking theirs through "foolish operator error" and had to send it back to ARAX for repair. Other common issues include a fragile film advance crank, light leaks on some standard lenses (like the Volna-3), and compatibility problems with the depth-of-field preview lever on certain Carl Zeiss Jena lenses, such as the Flektogon 50mm MC and Biometar 80mm MC.

ARAX still provides repair and service. Unlike orphaned Soviet cameras, the CM can be maintained. And because they're technically "new" and assembled to order, they come with a warranty. That doesn't mean every unit is perfect. Some users report receiving cameras with rough operation or wrong finishes. But you can send it back and get it fixed, which you can't do with a Kiev from the 1970s.

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ARAX CM                                                         Aug 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $967                                    Latest            $238 │
│ Median    $117                                    Trend             ▲ Up │
│ Low       $26                                     Volume          ~46/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ $1,000 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                                                     .      .    │
│        │                                            .   .         .  .   │
│   $571 ┤                                    .     .                 .    │
│        │ .                  .      .  .    .. .          .     .   . ..  │
│        │         .             ...   ..      .    ...      ..      .  .. │
│        │..  . . . ..  .           ... . ..  ...... .     .. .  .     ....│
│     $0 ┤...      .  ...  .... ..... .... ................  .... ........ │
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │▄▄▁ ▁ ▁ ▁▂▁▁▂▂▂  ▁▁▃▂ ▁▂▃▅▂▂▆▃▆▁▁▄▁▃▆▄▇▃▄▆▅▄▄▄▃▁▂▂▄▄▅▃▁▃▂▆▃▆▅██▃▁│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2026-04                      2026-06                      2026-08│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘