Repair manual

How the camera works
It is good to have a basic understanding of how these cameras work. The following description applies specifically
to the Kiev 88.
Tensioning of the blinds.
The tensioning mechanism consists of two gears with coil springs inside. These are tensioned by adjusting screws
on the front of the assembly.
As the camera is wound, the unfurling blinds apply more tension to the springs.
When the shutter is released, the gears pull the blinds back to the resting position.
Speed selection/winding mechanism.
This assembly is extremely complex. Any slight mis-adjustment of one of its several gears will render the camera
useless. The simultaneous events occurring are:
1. The inner and outer disk in the diagram below rotate together as the wind knob is rotated.
2. The train of gears linked to the gear that winds the film back starts to rotate. The large gear with the cutout,
visible when the back is off the camera, winds a tensioned gear in the film back to advance the film. This
gear also sets the tell-tale in the back to WHITE. When the cutout aligns again with the gear in the film
back, a pin visible above the cutout gear is pushed into the camera back to release the gear, which springs
back round to its starting position again.
3. The cutout gear also operates the camera tell-tale to show WHITE.
4. At the same time, the shutter blinds are being wound on, and the pair of stacked gears in the shutter speed
mechanism advanced to the start position. These elements are locked together by the straight and bevelled
gears in the speed selector/winding assembly, on the curtain rollers and in the body itself.
5. A lever on the stacked speed gears tensions the slow speeds air brake.
6. The lens diaphragm lever is moved forwards to open the lens diaphragm.
7. The camera body tell-tale is lifted and latched to show WHITE.
There is a ratchet which catches in the gear teeth of the wheel linking the winding mechanism with the large cutout
gear to prevent the whole tensioned operation from springing back if one stops half way through the wind.