Kiev 88
Thanks to technological and manufacturing advancements of the late 20th and early 21st century, many young people have never experienced the impermanent nature of objects that was common just a couple of generations ago. Cars now routinely go for 100,000 miles without as much as tune-up, music can be stored digitally so cassette tapes are never chewed up by a player, and the notion of having a television repaired is as antiquated as a line of public pay phones. There are, however, some objects that bring back the tactile and fleeting nature of mechanics that have survived into the 21st century and that have the satisfying - if also very clunky - feeling of purpose-built machines that will one day just wear out. In the photography world, Soviet cameras from the 1950s through the 1990s certainly fill that role.
The first Kiev 88 was manufactured in 1957 as a direct copy of the Hasselblad 1600F. The Kiev came with a focal plane shutter, standard waist level finder, interchangeable film backs, and an 80mm f/2.8 lens. It had the same shape, design, and functions as the Hasselblad and from a distance (perhaps a great distance) the two cameras looked almost identical. As "identical" as they may look, however, the only pieces that are interchangeable are the finders and prisms.
It was really only in use that the two cameras really stood apart. Whereas the Hasselblad, even with its focal plane shutter, felt tight, sounded quiet, and had crisp and decisive movements, the Kiev had a loose and noisy feel to it. Many had an easily identifiable screech when fired. In a crowd of other cameras, the Kiev 88 makes its presence known.
Ultimately, these cameras were not built with the same care and quality of their German/Swedish counterparts. While these cameras were enjoyable when they worked, the Kievs had a reputation of just failing to work without any notice. This unreliability kept them out of the hands of most serious photographers, but for others, the unpredictability of the camera added to its allure. If you're someone who enjoys the thrill of not knowing if your car will make it home or if your Bee Gees cassette will survive one more playing, the Kiev 88 may be just the medium format camera for you.
ar/js
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