Tips & Precautions

Site design by memoBug.com
6
th Edition. Please SUBMIT CORRECTIONS HERE

Home
Specs
Buying
Loading
Tips
Checkout
Solutions
Gallery
Credits
Auction Tools
Links

 

KEEP THE CAMERA CLEAN

Always keep either a lens or camera body cover mounted to keep dirt out of the camera.

Invest in lens cleaning solution and a microfiber lens cloth to keep fingerprints and debris off the lens surfaces.

 

Always keep a lens cap in place... when you're not shooting, that is!.  If the lens cap is a slip-on metal type, you may want to see if you can find a plastic replacement. The metal caps have some tendency to come off in your camera bag and could scratch the lens.

Get a small can of compressed air to blow debris out of the camera body.

 

PROTECT THOSE LENSES

Use a Daylight or UV filter to protect each lens. When the lens is removed, protect its back with a cap. You can use the cap from the lens you just removed.

Many of the lenses have one or more filters stored in a "secret compartment" in the top of the lens cabinet. Try unscrewing the top cover and peer inside.

A green filter can be used in black & white portraiture to improve skin tones.  Sounds strange doesn't it!  A red filter can be used to increase the contrast of blue sky in black & white pictures.

CAMERA TIPS

Avoid leaving the camera's shutter cocked when you store it for any length of time to reduce stress on the spring mechanisms

The finder cap that comes with the folding finder is really intended as protection for the  TTL metered prism.  If you remove the TTL meter, be sure to cover and protect it.

The cloth shutter curtain can become damaged if focussed sunlight strikes it for any length of time. Keep a lens cap on the camera or cock the shutter to drop the mirror into place to protect the lens.

 

Cock the shutter in one uninterrupted motion. And return it slowly to the stop. Don't allow it to snap back hard against the stop, or you could break something!


LOSE THE DOGLEASH

Consider replacing the Kiev factory strap (which we affectionately call the blue dogleash) with an aftermarket quick-release strap.

 


Tamrac N-45

 The Tamrac N-45 Quick Release Leather Padded Strap is an excellent fit.  Install the clips from your old strap on the new one.  The padded leather strap will relieve a lot of pressure on your neck. It will also make it easy to remove the strap.

FLARE

Test your camera for lens flare. Consider flocking the camera if it isn't already.

Use a lens shade whenever you can to help reduce flare.

FILM

Refrigerate professional grade films to maintain ideal color balance.  Allow them a couple of hours to come to room temperature before use. Black & White films are much more stable and probably do not require refrigeration.

Use your oldest films first.

SHOOTING

Read the manual! You'll be surprised what pearls of wisdom you can find. The on-line manuals available from Hartblei/Kalimex are a great English language resource.

Use a secure tripod whenever possible.  Avoid extending the center post and use the leg extensions instead for more stability.  Get a good, stable tripod.  If you're shooting landscapes or macro shots, it's essential. I've been using a SLIK ABLE 300DX, but Bogen/Manfrotto and Gitzo have excellent equipment.  If you're reluctant to "lug a tripod around" consider that a tripod-mounted 35mm quality system would probably outperform a handheld medium format camera!

The standard tripod mount in the US is 1/4-20 thread.  That's 1/4 inch diameter with 20 threads per inch. The Kiev 60 ships with a 3/8" mount, but there are adapters available.  Consult your supplier for information.

When a tripod is impractical, invest in a monopod. If the monopod has a tiltable platform, tilt it slightly forward and stand with your legs apart and the post inclined and the camera braced against your head.

BATTERY

The Kiev TTL exposure meter in the Kiev 60 takes three LR44 batteries, available at Radio Shack as P/N 357A

[Home] [Specs] [Links] [Buying] [Loading] [Tips] [Checkout] [Solutions] [Gallery] [Credits]

 Please feel free to link to any of our pages, but do let us know so that we can keep you advised of any changes. Images and information on this website are protected by United States and international copyrights and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the authors.