C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Kiev 3 (1952) builds on the Kiev 2 by adding a **selenium cell exposure meter** mounted on the front of the body, mirroring the Contax III configuration. Like the Contax III, the meter is uncoupled — you read the EV value and transfer it manually to the shutter/aperture dials. The vertical metal-curtain shutter (1/2s–1/1250s), long 90 mm rangefinder baseline, and Contax/Kiev bayonet mount are all carried over from the Kiev 2.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Soviet clone of the Contax III — adds a selenium exposure meter to the Kiev 2 chassis. The first metered camera in the Kiev rangefinder family.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Contax/Kiev (Contax rangefinder bayonet) |
| Years | 1952–1957 |
| Shutter | 1/2s – 1/1250s + B, mechanical vertical metal curtain |
| Flash sync | None |
| Meter | Selenium uncoupled (no battery) |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~830 g |
| Battery | None |
The Kiev 3 appeared in 1952, five years after the Kiev 2, as the Arsenal factory mastered and expanded the Contax production template. It corresponds to the Contax III (1936), which added a selenium meter to the Contax II. In 1957, Arsenal introduced the Kiev 4, which further refined the body, and the Kiev 3 was phased out. The 4 series ran until 1986.
The Kiev 3 occupies a niche between the spartan Kiev 2 and the longer-lived Kiev 4. For collectors, it offers the integrated-meter configuration of the Contax III at a fraction of the Contax price. For shooters who prefer not to carry a separate meter, the selenium cell is a useful aid when it works. Bodies are less common than the more-produced Kiev 4, making them slightly more collectible.
Contax/Kiev bayonet mount: Jupiter-3 50/1.5, Jupiter-8 50/2, Jupiter-12 35/2.8, Jupiter-9 85/2. Genuine Zeiss Contax lenses also compatible.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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