Last weekend I also tested the 0.4m extension tube I got with Kiev 60. I attached the extension tube between the Kiev body and 50mm f/4 Flektogon and shot a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 around the house. It was kinda like a test round and I was lacking ideas. Last summer I took quite a lot macro and close-up shots of flowers and plants and this summer I intend to do the same, except now I’ll shoot also on film.
An extension tube shortens the minimum focusing distance of the lens, allowing a larger magnification. With 0.4m extension tube I was able to focus up to 8-10cm from the object. Normally the closest focusing distance with Flektogon is 0.5m so the extension tube shortened that by 40cm. Extension tube also causes shallower depth of field. The down-side is that you’ll need more light than when shooting without. I measured the light with Sverdlovsk-4 exposure meter but it does not know you are using an extension tube. It was difficult to approximate the needed increase in exposure time.
Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white film (120)
Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white film (120)
Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white film (120)
During the past weekend I got the time to test my new Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/4 Flektogon lens. It offers a 79-degree angle on medium format Kiev 60 camera. The lens is well-built (obviously!) and mechanically it works perfectly. I still have to practice focusing with Kiev’s waist level finder but that’s not Flektogon’s fault. Below you can see three photos I took last weekend on Ilford HP5+ 400 black and white film.
I developed the film in 1+50 Rodinal for 11 minutes in 20C. I’m not that into Ilford HP5+ film because it is a bit too contrasty and grainy for my taste. So, I tried to tame the grain by agitating the film tank only every 60 seconds (instead of every 30 seconds). In the beginning I agitated the tank for 30 seconds like always. The grain is much tolerable now but I’m not sure if it’s thanks to the developing or something else.
Kiev 60 and 50mm f/4 Flektogon on Ilford HP5+ 400 film
Kiev 60 and 50mm f/4 Flektogon on Ilford HP5+ 400 film
Kiev 60 and 50mm f/4 Flektogon on Ilford HP5+ 400 film
I’m new to analog photography but it fascinates me. I have two 35mm film SLR cameras (Nikon EM and mom’s old Fujica ST605N) and they are fun and compact but I want to explore bigger formats too. In November I started looking for a medium format camera and I was sure I’ll end up with a Holga toy camera. By December I was gone through the twin lens camera phase and Hasselblad (Kiev 88) phase, but hadn’t made any purchasing decisions.
I was giving up with medium format when I was offered a Kiev 60 set in good condition. Kiev cameras were manufactured in Ukraine (the factory just closed its doors) and the camera models are clones of popular German cameras. Kiev 60 is a copy of Pentacon Six, using the same lens mount. Kiev 60 is huge and it weighs at least twice as much as my Nikon D80.
Like other medium format cameras, Kiev 60 uses roll film (120) that has 12 frames per roll (6×6). Even now, when digital cameras have taken over, the film selection is wide in both color and black and white and at first I’m going to test different films so that I find my favourite. The camera came with both waist lever finder (photo below) and a prism finder. The prism finder can meter light if a battery is installed, but I haven’t tested it yet. The lens is swappable and the German quality lenses (like Sonnar) are available but expensive.
I’ve shot two rolls with the camera but I don’t have any film developed yet. The color film (Kodak Portra 400VC) is in development and the black and white film (Ilford HP5+ 400) is waiting for my development equipment and chemicals to arrive from Germany. The Kiev cameras are known to be unreliable but easy to fix (they are compared to Lada cars for a reason). When I get my first rolls ready and scanned I’ll find out how accurately my Kiev works. Stay tuned if you are interested!
