The Kiev rangefinder cameras were produced in several different models, many of which have variants and sub-variants.  This plethora of cameras can make identifying a Kiev a bit tricky at times.  Luckily for us, this Kiev 4M is a Type 3, a designation reserved just for the Olympic models produced between 1979 and 1980 for the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, USSR.  There are two sub-variants of the Type 3 though.  According to online sources, this Kiev 4M pictured here is the Type 3b due to the white striping on the rewind knob.  The Type 3a apparently has the old style, solid black, rewind knob... for what it's worth.

The serial number on this camera is 8001017, indicating it would have been produced in 1980.

The nature of taking equipment in on consignment is somewhat unpredictable, we just do not know who will walk through our doors and with what equipment.  We could never have predicted this Soviet invasion of sorts, brought in by a new consignor in early 2019.  We got the Soviet imitation of just about every major camera from the 1950s and 1960s.  The group included a Zorki-4, a Kiev 88, a Fed 2 (Type C, specifically), Kiev 4M and an Iskra 2.  Soviet equipment like this can often be a bit of a double-edged sword.  On one hand, we love the optics - talk about glass that has character!  On the other hand, the cameras themselves were often manufactured with inconsistent workmanship or assembled with softer metals, prone to wearing out quickly.  Now, if you get a Soviet camera overhauled,  you'll have a surprisingly effective camera on your hands.  There are several companies out there that will repair these cameras and even upgrade them, adding new features or replacing softer metal components with higher quality ones.  We have had our eye on Arax in the Ukraine for a while, for example.  They specialize in the Kiev 88 line, repairing the cameras and even selling new ones.  We have yet to do any business with them though so we cannot speak from personal experience. ⠀ 

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Meet the Kiev 4M, a clone of the Contax III rangefinder. In the aftermath of WWII, Soviet forces removed much of the Zeiss Jena insignia and machinery, taking them back to Ukraine, and converting the Arsenal factory to produce the Kiev cameras. The quality of build does not match that of the Zeiss cameras from which they are based, but, get a well-functioning Kiev at a good price, and you will have a lovely rangefinder that will use the Soviet optics to great effect. We tend not to trust these cameras very far, in terms of reliability, but we love the look of these lenses. If you have used much Soviet, Russian or East German glass, you know just what we mean.

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