Well, like I said, I got my Kiev on Ebay, after deciding that I wanted one for years - what I really wanted and still desire is a Pentax 67 or a Fuji rangefinder. I have to admit I've been pleasantly surprised with the critter - the lens, while not up to the Hassy optics I'm borrowing now, is certainly good enough for serious work. And it has a major advantage to me- it's an 80 f2.8. Those that have been paying attention to my ramblings will combine this fact with my squeal of glee on finding Ilford 3200 delta in 120, and see where I'm going. The Kiev is a _bit_ bulky as a street camera, but less so that you might imagine.
If you want stunningly accurate metering, reliable frame counts, and the best optics in medium format....well, it ain't made in the Ukraine, sorry. As a studio camera, I'd imagine that most pros would scream at it very shortly, but I like it. The body style makes it very quick to transition from my A2 and N8008 while shooting portraits, something that is much harder to do when I grab the Hassleblad.
A large variety of lenses is available for the Kiev 60/Practica/Exacta mount, some of which are no longer made. The Zeiss Jena lenses made for the Exacta and Practicas are reputedly really sharp, and there's a rather affordable 35mm fisheye available.
It may be ugly, it may sometimes show incorrect frame information, but I have yet to find something that will break this camera. The Kiev 60 is a tough beast, with the exception of the winder arm, which feels a might bit flimsy. It's never given me any grief, but it's the only area that I feel I need to be cautious of.
The quality of the mechanics...well, other than the frame counter, I've got no complaints. And again, getting a model that's been checked and "tuned" would have avoided that problem.
Not the worst optics in the world:) Not the most stunning review, but as I have no serious means to test the lens that I do have, it's about as good as it gets. The negatives I've gotten from the Kiev are good enough for ad work, and for good size enlargements from 3200 film. Not as sharp as the Hassy glass, but at f5.6 it's very hard to tell shooting Delta 400.
I really believe that in the handheld category, the Kiev 60 is a little better than it's upscale competition like the Pentax 6x7. However, I've never shot anything slower than 400 speed film, so I am definitely biased in my opinion. I've had no problems with mirror shake at 60/sec or higher, and have had good luck with even 30/sec times.
The true wonder of this camera is evident when you shoot Delta 3200 and the lens wide open. I was absolutely blow away - no light leaks, a remarkably sharp image for a 60/sec at 2.8, and nice big enlargements. If you do a lot of night work, this is a good system to find out if you're really serious about medium format. I think that the Mamiya 6 and 7 are probably much better for the kind of street work I do with the Kiev, but at the price, I can lose 5, 6, Kievs and still have a backup:)
It's a remarkably good studio camera, well...a remarkably good fake studio camera:) I don't have a REAL studio, so I'll just imagine. Swapping from 35 to 120 is a lot easier with the kiev than a Hassy, the body style makes it easier to focus than bent over the Hassy. Granted, I could just get the right-angle prism, but it still seems to take longer to work with a hassleblad than the kiev. This is normally a good thing, but there are times(dealing with someone else's puppies, for instance), where speed is a big help. Adding that comment, after finishing a shoot weather rambunctious 2-year old, the Kiev is MUCH more responsive than the Hassy:)
Okay, I do have some problems with the critter, but I knew about most of them before I got it. The TTL finder isn't too bad, although I'd actually prefer a finder that would show the entire image, rather than having to scan around to see everything, and drop the meter. I did figure out how to get the meter working, it's not really worth the effort. My guesses have been as good as the meter so far:) My only other problem is that the counter can get out of sync if you do anything odd to the critter, or sometimes if you breathe. But again, 180 bucks for a camera and lens -- I ain't bitching too much.
Other minor notes that you need to keep in mind:
- No motor winder: this camera has a manual winder only, a limitation that can be critical in a studio.
- There are two models, a Non-MLU and a MLU. Mine doesn't have mirror lock-up, so I don't know how well it works.
- The highest flash sync speed is 1/30 second. This is OK for some studio work, especially if you're like me and hate flash, but can be a problem. It does become a big problem if you're trying to use fill flash outdoors. My solution is using a LOT of reflectors, which has the plus of looking a bit more natural than guessed-exposure fill flash.
- No removable back. If this a problem for you, there's two easy answers:
- Film is cheap - just change it, or heck, it's only 12 shots, shoot 'em off!
- Kievs are _cheap_ - as in less than HALF of a Hassy film back. Get two, and that way you have a spare:)
No Polaroid back. Shrug. For what most people seem to be using the Kiev 60's for, this isn't a big concern.