Contax Iii Serial Numbers

The Kiev rangefinder cameras are derivatives of the pre-WW2 Contax rangefinder bodies, and were made after the War by the Arsenal factory in Kiev, Ukraine.

Contax Iia Serial Number
Contax Iii Serial Numbers Doreen
Contax Iii Serial Numbers Manufacture
Zeiss-Ikon Contax III (1939) - Mike Eckman Dot Com
Zeiss Contax IIa IIIa - CameraQuest
Contax Iiia Serial Number

1Unmetered models
2Metered models

These are all derivatives of the Zeiss IkonContax II.

Kiev-2

This camera has been verified as a fake by a leading UK based Contax II expert and by another Kiev/Contax expert based in Russia. It was made from an early Kiev and given false 1937 serial numbers to look like a Contax II. It is a good fake - but a fake nonetheless, worth a few quid - and it cost me over £130. As well a being more expensive than the Leica the Contax was much bigger, heavier and far less easy to use. At 78.5.0 with the f1.5 Sonnar it was an extremely expensive camera. The 324 filters with this example are for the f1.5 Sonnar and f2.8 Biogon, they differ from other 42 mm push-on filters in having a much thinner mount.

Re: Contax Zeiss (CY) MM Serial Numbers In reply to JT26. Jul 22, 2016 If the last f-stop is green, and it has the tab, then it must be an MM.
Aug 25, 2020 This is a Zeiss-Ikon Contax III, a 35mm rangefinder camera built by Zeiss-Ikon in Dresden, Germany between the years 1936 and 1942. The Contax III was an upgr Zeiss-Ikon Contax III (1939) - mike eckman dot com.

(or Kiev II)

Produced between 1947-57
There are 4 types and 5 sub-types ^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]
Type 1a cameras were made using some original Contax parts from Germany, and produced only in 1947
The front plate is engraved only in Cyrillic, which distinguishes it from later unmetered models
Lenses:
- Collapsible ZK or ZK-Zorki 50mm f/2 (1947-1949)
- Solid ZK 50mm f/2 (1949-1951)
- Jupiter-8 50mm f/2 Kiev mount(1951-1957)

Kiev-2 type 4 (1956)
image by Paulo Moreira(Image rights)

Kiev-2 type 4 (1956)
image by bottledog(Image rights)

Kiev-2A

Produced between 1955-58
There are 2 types
As a Kiev-2 with flash sync added
Name on the front plate engraved Cyrillic and Latin
Lens: Jupiter-8 50mm f/2

Kiev-2A type 2 (1956-58)
image by Laszlo Gerencser(Image rights)

Kiev-4A

Produced between 1956-80
There are 8 types and 4 sub-types
Upgraded version of Kiev-2A
Without the stabilizing foot
Later models have top speed of 1/1000 instead of 1/1250
Lens: Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2

Kiev-4A type 6a
image by Siim Vahur(Image rights)

A rare variant of the Kiev-4A is the 'No-name' Kiev, so called because there are no engravings on it other than the serial number, though a specimen is known with a (probably) after-sale engraving 'USSR OCCUPIED GERMANY'.^[5]
It is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1:2 f=50mm lens.
All serial numbers known so far indicate production in 1963.

No-name Kiev
Image courtesy of Ricardo Sforza(Image rights)

Kiev-4AM

Produced between 1980-87
There are 3 types and 5 sub-types
The modernized model of Kiev-4A
With a fixed take-up spool
With a rewind lever
Lenses:
- Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2
- Helios-103 53mm f/1.8

Kiev-4AM type 3a (1982)
image by Klaus Riesner(Image rights)

They are all derivatives of the Zeiss IkonContax III.

Kiev-3

(or Kiev III)

Produced between 1948-56
There are 6 types and 2 sub-types
A clone of the pre-war Contax III
It has an uncoupled selenium meter
Lens: Jupiter-8 50mm f/2

Kiev III type 2b (1954)
image by Jaap Schelvis(Image rights)

Kiev-3A

Produced between 1954-59
There are 10 types and 3 sub-types
As a Kiev-3 with flash sync added
Lenses:
- Jupiter-8 50mm f/2 (1951-1958)
- Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2 (1958)

Kiev-3A
image by bottledog(Image rights)

Kiev-4

Produced between 1957-79
There are 4 types and 8 sub-types
Kiev 4 is similar to Kiev-3A
Without the stabilizing foot
Some cosmetic styling changes influenced by the Contax IIIa
- The back part and body is upgraded
- The size of an exposure meter is smaller
Later samples have top speed of 1/1000 instead of 1/1250
Lens: Jupiter-8M 50mm f/2

Kiev-4 type 1 (1957-59)
image by Dries van den Elzen(Image rights)

Contax Iia Serial Number

Kiev-4 type 2b (1959-66)
image by Raúl Sá Dantas(Image rights)

Kiev-4M

Produced between 1976-87
There are 5 types and 5 sub-types
Kiev-4M is the modernized model of Kiev-4
Lenses:
- Jupiter-8M (2/50mm)
- Helios-103 (1.8/53mm)

Kiev-4M type 4 (1980)
image by Süleyman Demir(Image rights)

Kiev-5

Kiev 5
image by Ignasi Montserrat i Quevedo(Image rights)