Russian/Ukrainian Medium Format SLRs

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Salyut 1600	1957-1972	Industar-24 or -29 f2.8/80mm lens, FP shutter 1/2 - 1/1500. Three variations: With self timer, without, and with top speed only 1/1000. Lens mount different from Salyut-S and Kiev 88.
Salyut-S	1972-1980	Comparable to Kiev-80. Vega-12B 90mm f2.8 lens
Zenit 80	1972-1980	Name variant of third variation Salyut. Industar-29 f2.8/80mm lens, FP shutter 1/2 - 1/1000. Also named Zenith-80.
Zenit 1000	1972-1980	Same as Kiev-80?
Kiev-6	1969	??
Kiev-6S	1971-1980	Vega-12b 90mm f2.8 lens.
Kiev-6C	1978-1985	Eye-level SLR like Pentacon Six, same breech lock mount. Comes with Vega 60mm lens, accepts both 120 and 220 films.
Kiev-6C TTL	1980-1986	Vega-12b 90mm f2.8 lens, TTL metered version of 6C
Kiev-60	1984-	slightly modified Kiev-6C with shutter release on right side of camera. Volna MC 80mm lens.
Kiev-60 TTL	1984-	TTL-metered version of Kiev-60.
Kiev-645		Kiev-60 modified for 4.5x6 cm exposures by Kiev USA, not originally manufactured by Kiev.
Kiev-80	1975-1980	Hassy copy (of 1000F/1600F) with Vega 12B f2.8/90mm lens, automatic diaphragm, FP shutter1/2 - 1/1000.
Kiev-88	1983-	modified Kiev-80 with hotshoe and split-image focussing screen
Kiev-88 TTL	1983-	Kiev-88 with metering prism. See also list below.
Kiev-88cm		Improved version with K-6 mount, NT film back, flocked interior, sturdier, spot meter prism
Kiev-90	1987-1990	4.5x6 camera equipped with f2.8/80mm MC Volna-3 lens

Kiev 6S and Kiev 6C:

The names are a bit misleading, because a kyrillic "S" resembles a latin "C". The older camera, which is usually refered to as Kiev 6S, was always name plated in kyrillic; whereas the Kiev 6C is available in both a kyrillic version, resembling "KNEB 6C" (which means Kiev 6S!) as well as in latin, reading "KIEV 6C".

Kiev 88:

In recent years quite a few improved versions of the Kiev-88 and Kiev-88 TTL appeared on the marked. The modifications include flocked interiors to prevent internal reflections, a Kiev-60 mount, which allows the use of Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses, cloth shutters, winding crank and a mirror lock-up. Different manufacturers use different names, some of them are listed below. The 88cm (see list above) is the only improved Kiev which is made by the Arsenal factory.

Kiev 88C		Standard version with winding crank sold with both normal and TTL prism finder by Kiev USA
Kiev 88CC		Standard version with winding crank and cloth shutter, both TTL and normal sold by Kiev USA
Kiev 88SWC		Kiev-88 super wide with crank, designed for 30 mm fish eye lens by Kiev USA
B.I.G. Six	1996	Improved version with blackened shutter and Kiev-60 mount. Also available with mirror lock-up. Sold by Brenner.

The tale goes that the Salyut (and hence the Kievs) are not copies of the Hasselblad 1600F, but rather developments derived from the same basis, the german HK 12.5/7x9, an aerial camera produced in World War II by Fritz Volk in Berlin. The swedish military had the Ross HK7 designed by a Hasselblad subsidiary based on the HK 12.5/7x9, which itself was the direct predecessor of the 1600F. The Soviets claimed that they designed their camera based on original blueprints and machinery of the HK 12.5/7x9 looted after the war, when Hasselblad blamed them of having copied their handsome camera.

Well, the 1600F was released by Hasselblad in 1948, in 1952 it was superseded by the 1000F. In 1957 Hasselblad released the 500C, in the same year the Salyut 1600 was released - looking exactly like the Hassy 1600F and only with minor mechanical modifications (that made it actually work, unlike the Hassy). Was the german aerial camera such a fine basis that even the name came out surprisingly alike after twelve years of development? Form your own opinion ...

Serial numbers:

The first two digits represent the year of manufacture, e.g 72#### manufactured in 1972. This system was recently abandoned, the new Kiev 88cm does not adhere to the system. If your camera's year of production does not comply with the above list, please send email.

A little kyrillic:

Kiev resembles KNEB (upper case) or kueo (lower case)
Salyut resembles CA^IOT (upper case) or caniom (lower case)

Mount registers:

Kiev 60/Zenit 80/Kiev Six	74.10 mm
Kiev 88	82.10 mm

More info:

Russian/Ukrainian Medium Format SLRs Image page

Kiev 60 and 88 lens specifications

Salyut
Kiev 60 Yahoo Group
Kiev 60
Kiev-60
Kiev-60 and Kiev 88
Kiev-60,-88
Kiev-88
Russian medium format SLR's

Kiev Threads - answeres many questions

Kiev USA (trades warrantied Kievs)
Kievcamera featuring detailed lens descriptions and manuals
Brenner (trades B.I.G. Six)
Wiese Fototechnik (trades and repairs Kievs in Hamburg)