I only have 3 of these, but they are still interesting.
1957 KIEV 3a
After WW2 as part of war reparations, Russia took possession of the contents of the former Contax factory in Dresden, East Germany and moved them to Arsenal, Ukraine to continue the production of the famous Contax.
The Kiev IIIa is a true Contax III copy and the second Kiev model equipped with a light meter. It was made in the mid to late 1950’s.
Kiev-3a is identical to the original Kiev III – it still features a stabilizing foot on the bottom plate and a tall, Contax III type light meter.
The specifications are the same as Contax III’s:-
Shutter speeds: B, 1/2 – 1/1250
Rangefinder base: 90 mm
Lens: coated Jupiter-8, f = 5 cm, 1:2, coated, a copy of Zeiss Sonnar.
Flash synch
Self-timer
The Kiev IIIa is much less common than its successors .
The light meter is not coupled. The “a” in the model name does not indicate, as I originally thought the presence of the meter, my other Kiev is also designated a “a” and it has no meter!
1975 KIEV 4a
According to Wikipedia :-
“These cameras are the most common type, and were sold all over the world.
It is equipped with a Jupiter 8M 50mm F2 (based on the Carl Zeiss Sonnar lens) and speeds are from 1/2 to 1/1250s.
LOMO LC-A
The LOMO LC-A (Lomo Kompakt – Automat) is a fixed lens, 35 mm film, leaf shutter, zone focus, compact camera introduced in 1984 and manufactured in St. Petersburg by Leningrad Optics & Mechanics Association (LOMO). The design is based on the Cosina CX-2. Some LC-As were sold badged as Zenith, this label was only a sticker underneath the lens. Production in Russia ceased in 2005, being transferred to China (the LC-A+). Thanks to Rob Tarrant for giving me this camera. LOMOs have a strong following (there is a thriving Lomographic Society International!)