Kiev-19 SLR

Posted by: Tim Lewis aka Paps June 29, 2025

Kiev-19 SLR

There is not a lot written about the Kiev-19. It doesn't seem to rate very highly on the 'want' list of today's younger film fans. In this review, I hope to show that it is a competent camera and then touch on the obvious 'jewel' that often comes with it.

I found mine on eBay, still factory-sealed in its box, and it was manufactured in 1992. It was being sold in Ukraine, where it was reportedly found in a warehouse. The cost was about $200.00. Several things intrigued me and convinced me to buy this camera but the primary reasons I bought it were,

1) The camera came with a brand-new, never-before-used, Helios 81 50mm lens. I've had Helios lenses before, back when I was shooting digital, but they were all well-used. The opportunity to own a brand-new one was almost worth the asking price, alone.

2) Although I knew very little about the camera itself, I knew that it too, was brand-new. Stepping into a time machine, and unboxing a brand-new SLR was certainly worth the cost beyond the lens. Unboxing it, I would feel the same excitement that the original owners felt after getting theirs in 1992.

And last but not least, I was supporting a fellow photographer in Ukraine. To be honest, I was shocked that it even made it to my house in Florida. Incredibly, they are still able to get mail in and out of the country by delivering it first to nearby countries and then flying it out.

Those three points made it a no-brainer. So I purchased it and received it about 30 days later. Unboxing it was as exciting as I had anticipated. In the box was also a brand-new camera case that was sold with it and in the bottom of the box, a very old and disintegrated battery. Thank goodness, they didn't install it in the camera before sealing the box.

When I first began putting the camera through the usual function checks, it behaved very strangely. After a dozen or so cocks and releases however, it began functioning properly and I can only surmise that the behavior was due to its long, unused shelf-life. The lens was perfect, out of the gate, and having it in my hands I would have gladly paid $200.00 for it alone.

As a brief history of the camera, my copy was made in 1992 and uses the Nikon F mount. This is considered a Soviet-made camera, although it was made in Ukraine. At the time of its design and release, Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union and the Soviets had no problem using trademarked designs from other countries, such as the Nikon F mount. They hoped that the large number of Nikon lenses available would be another incentive for folks to buy this camera body.

Southern Morning

The model 19 was released in 1985 and they were made until about 1994 in the Arsenal Factory. Before its release, there was a previous model called the Kiev-20 (I know, it grates on the OCD, right?). It was incredibly unreliable and although the model 19 corrected most of the issues, the 19 still suffers from the reputation of its predecessor.

In order to eliminate all of the issues with the model 20, the 19 was 'dummied' down in terms of shutter speed and features. The 1/1000-second shutter speed and the self-timer were omitted, after being identified as the culprits. This set the camera back considerably, in the technology battles of its time but I suppose you wouldn't know that if you were living behind the "Iron Curtain" at the time.

The Kiev-19 is big, it's heavy and it has a mirror slap that will wake your nodding uncle in his favorite recliner. Although it has a limited shutter speed of 1/500th and it carries the name recognition of its problematic father, the camera became very well known for its dependability, even in extreme Russian winter temperatures. The Kiev-19 was one of the few non-Nikon cameras to use the F mount, no doubt because anyone else would have been sued for copyright infringement.

Now to the jewel of the combo. The Helios lens. If you've spent any time at all looking into vintage glass, you have seen images of the incredible and unique bokeh that the Helios lenses are known for. You're probably also aware of the fact that they were coated with a radio-active formula that tends to turn the glass a tinged "yellow", with time. Some folks claim that the yellow tinge makes their images 'warmer' while others say that you can set the lens under a UV lamp and it will clear itself up again.

The light meter on board requires two SR44s (in today's battery world) but the camera will operate with or without them. There is a small lever next to the lens that you 'pull in' to activate the meter, and you get a small "+ or -" meter that tells you if you are over or under-exposed. The goal is to adjust the exposure until both are illuminated. The meter works effectively enough and I used it to take all of the images shown here.

The Helios lens, as any others that I have tried, is incredibly sharp in the center, and despite their recent surge in popularity due to their bokeh, they are probably still underpriced for their quality. This lens is often used on other camera bodies, even digital, by cheap adapters or those using the F or m42 mount. The rage about their bokeh overshadows their center sharpness and optical quality.

The image softens toward the edges and gives off a 'retro' look. I'm not a portrait photographer but if you're looking for a 'soft' effect for portraits, this is a great lens for that.

Compared to the Zenit cameras, which were its only domestic competition, the Kiev-19 has superior build quality, uses a Nikon F mount (increasing lens choices), and its viewfinder covers 93% of the scene compared to the Zenits' 65%. As I stated, the mirror slap is loud but satisfying and you'll find yourself wanting to take a photo, just to hear it again.

The reality of any camera is that they are simply boxes with different designs and different features but they can only produce an image that the lens and the film allow. The Kiev-19 is no different. It's functional, dependable (due to its simplicity), and despite its size and weight, not difficult to shoot with. The shutter speed dial is in a strange place, next to the lens, but I became used to that and to be fair, I did not need to use it much once I had obtained the proper exposure.

The limiting shutter speed of 1/500th (not uncommon on cameras in the 60s and '70s) is not much of a problem unless you are chasing bokeh on a sunny day. Then you will need an ND filter of some degree, in the 50mm size, to open the lens up completely. Not a big deal and the camera will meter for it since the metering is done through the lens.

Kiev-19 and Helios 50mm lens with ND filter.

The camera has a hot shoe that will sync flash at 1/60th of a second. The camera body weighs about 32 ounces and it will accept 35mm film in the 25-400 iso range. That may sound limiting but with a ceiling of 1/500th shutter speed, anything over 400 sensitivity would begin to require ND filters anyway and what would be the point of buying such expensive film just to 'dummy' it down?

A word about the case, though I know many of these cameras are being sold without them. It comes with the typical SLR case of the era but there's a caveat. The top half of the case is permanently attached to the bottom. The problem comes if you add a lens cover or use the optional viewfinder cup. The top case will then not fit over the camera, nor can you detach it. I simply do not use either, as I prefer to be able to cover the camera while carrying it, to protect the lens.

I'll close by suggesting that the Kiev-19 is one of those hidden jewels out there that are extremely well-priced for a camera that was made so late into the last century. In a world where we are commonly ordering 60 or 70-year-old film cameras and very few new ones are being made, it's comforting to know that most of us can afford a reliable, later-modeled version.

Is this a camera for beginners in film photography? Most would say no but I think any camera with an onboard meter, particularly on an SLR that uses through-the-lens metering, is perfect for beginners. By using one with no automatic modes, the beginner can see in real-time the effect of changing shutter and aperture settings. It will soon become secondary.

The 50mm Helios lens has an infinity throw of about 12 meters or 30+ feet. So anything within that range will have to be manually focused. This might make this lens difficult to use for snap-shooting street photography, though I'm sure there are folks out there who will see this as no big deal. I prefer wider lenses for street shots of people anyway, like my Minolta MD 24mm lens that reaches infinity in the 6-7 foot range. Also, the mirror slap of this camera might have folks around you diving for cover, if you surprise them with it.

The Snap

Depending on what you are looking for, you could do far worse. The Kiev-19 provides you with a body that will accept any Nikon F mount lens and throws one in that competes with any for sharpness and competes with none for bokeh. It will survive any harsh conditions including Russian winters and has a long history of production and reliability. In addition to all of that, if you order it from Ukraine, you will be helping out our fellow photographers who currently need all of the help they can get.

One thing I'd like to add, something that I've never seen anyone else mention, is that if you hold the meter lever down as you adjust the aperture or shutter, the image you see through the lens simultaneously darkens or lightens. The meter will continue to adjust itself until you see the "+" and "-" led lit as well. This can make getting correct exposure very intuitive. You instantly know, without taking your eye from the viewfinder, if you are adjusting in the correct direction. If the meter is saying you are underexposed (for example) and as you adjust the settings, the image gets even darker, you know you are turning the dial in the wrong direction.