A Complete Tour

The Kiev 88: An Affordable Entry-Level Medium Format SLR

A Complete Tour

The Kiev 88 is a medium format SLR camera that was manufactured by Arsenal in Kiev, Ukraine, in the 1980s. It is best known as an inexpensive entry-level medium format SLR modeled after the Hasselblad 500 series of cameras. In 1999, the Kiev 88's lens mount was updated to allow it to use most Pentacon Six bayonet-mount lenses.

System Components

I recently found an amazing Kiev 88 kit complete with two film backs, a waist-level viewfinder, a TTL prism, and two filters for a very affordable $199. This kit is a great way to get started with medium format photography without spending a lot of money. The Kiev 88 is a capable camera that can produce great results, and the kit I found includes everything you need to get started.

If you are interested in learning more about the Kiev 88, I encourage you to read my complete tour of the camera and its system components. I will cover everything from the camera's body and lens mount to its film backs and viewfinders. I will also provide some tips on how to use the Kiev 88 to get the best possible results.