Kiev

Explore 6 Kiev vintage camera models — specs, production history, reviews, and market values in the VTA archive.

Cameras

• 10 (1965-1972) — Noted for its unique automatic exposure system and unconventional design. Full specifications and review.
• 4 (1957–1979) — As a direct descendant of pre-war German Contax II/III designs, the Kiev 4 is a mechanical. Full specifications and review.
• 4A (1957–1980) — Introduced in 1957 and manufactured until 1980, the 4A was designed for reliability and mechanical simplicity. Full specifications and review.
• 4M (1977-1985) — As a modernized iteration of the long-running Kiev 4 series, the 4M introduced practical improvements such as a built. Full specifications and review.
• 60 (1984–1999) — The Kiev 60 is a Soviet-built 6×6 cm medium format single-lens reflex (SLR) camera produced from 1984 to 1999 by the Arsenal Factory in Kyiv, Ukraine
• 88 (1980-1999) — Designed as a cost-effective alternative to the Swedish-made Hasselblad 500 series. Full specifications and review.

Compact

• 35 — Kiev 35 compact 35mm camera from Arsenal factory, 1985-1988. Retractable Industar-35 lens, auto exposure, zone focusing.

Medium Format

• 80 — Kiev 80 medium format 6x6 SLR from Arsenal, 1980–1983. Export variant of the Kiev 60 with Vega-12 90mm f/2.8 lens and Pentacon Six mount.
• Salut (1970s) — Kiev Salut medium format SLR — a Soviet Hasselblad 1600F copy from Arsenal, with curtain shutter, interchangeable backs, and 6x6 on 120 film.

Rangefinder

• 2 (1947-57) — Kiev 2 (1954-56): the Arsenal factory's Contax II clone, built from captured German tooling. 35mm rangefinder, 1/1250 top shutter speed.
• 2A — Kiev 2A (1954-1956) — Soviet 35mm rangefinder from the Arsenal factory, a Contax II descendant with rubberized focal-plane shutter and Jupiter-8 50mm f/2 lens.
• 3 — Kiev 3 Soviet 35mm rangefinder, Contax II derivative, Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2 lens, metal focal-plane shutter 1/2-1/1250s. Produced from 1950.
• 30 — Kiev 30 subminiature camera from Arsenal factory, 16mm film, 14x21mm frames, 23mm f/3.5 lens, focal-plane shutter to 1/500 sec.
• 303 — Kiev 303 Soviet 35mm rangefinder camera (1985-1996) from Arsenal factory, fixed Industar-40 40mm f/2.8 lens, manual exposure, Smena-7M body.
• 35A — Kiev 35A (1985–1991) — a Soviet-era compact 35mm viewfinder camera from Arsenal Factory, a near-copy of the Minox 35 EL with a Korsar 2.8/35 lens. Known for light leaks but capable of good results.
• 3A — Kiev 3A — a Soviet 35mm rangefinder descended from the Contax II, with Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2 lens and metal focal-plane shutter. Production years uncertain; a solid, fully manual street camera.
• 4AM — Kiev 4AM (1976–1987): Soviet 35mm interchangeable-lens rangefinder from Arsenal factory, a Contax descendant with Helios-103 53mm f/1.8 lens and no meter.
• 5 (1968-1973) — Kiev 5 Soviet-era 35mm rangefinder from Arsenal factory, 1968-1980. Re-engineered Contax IIa with Jupiter-8 lens, knob advance, no meter.
• III — Kiev III (1950–1956): Soviet 35mm rangefinder from the Arsenal factory, a Contax II/III copy with a Helios-103 lens, knob advance, and no flash sync.

Slr

• 10 Automat — The Kiev 10 Automat is one of the most unusual Soviet SLRs ever manufactured — a rare, mechanically complex 35mm camera built by the Arsenal Factory in
• 15 — Kiev 15: Soviet 35mm SLR from Arsenal (1985-1991), one of the few Soviet cameras with a Nikon bayonet mount. Aperture-priority AE, TTL metering, Helios 81 lens.
• 18 — Kiev 18 (1985–1986): a scarce Soviet fully automatic 35mm SLR, a licensed clone of the Pentax ME Super with the first Pentax K mount in a Soviet camera.
• 19 — Kiev 19 35mm SLR from Soviet Arsenal factory, Pentax K-mount, aperture-priority auto exposure, kit lens f/2.0 50mm. Documented as similar to Pentax K1000.

Spy Camera

• Arsenal Kiev 1978 – Spy Camera – 16 mm (1978) — Kiev Arsenal 1978 Spy Camera 16mm — a little-documented subminiature from the Arsenal factory in Kyiv; related Kiev-30 and Kiev Vega variants are confirmed 16mm spy cameras.