This project is intended simply as a guide for folks who are willing to modify their cameras, and feel comfortable with partially disassembling them, sticking bits of metal in places they were never designed to be, and generally doing things that would horrify lots of devotees of precision equipment.   But if you love the Kiev 60, you're probably not so hung up on such things, anyway.  Still --

YOU UNDERTAKE THIS PROJECT AT YOUR OWN PERIL.  IF YOU SCREW IT UP, OR IT DOESN'T WORK, BY ALL MEANS TELL ME WHAT WENT WRONG SO I CAN POST IT FOR OTHERS, BUT DO NOT BLAME ME FOR IT!  All I know is mine works fine.

Now, let's get started.
 
 

    This page describes a method for installing a simple mirror pre-release system into your Kiev 60, which is notorious for its mirror slap problem.  The system is designed with the intention of requiring a bare minimum of disassembly and expense.  The installation should cost you about $10, excluding glue and tools.

   This is not a mirror lock up system, in the sense of a lever that allows you to raise and lower the mirror before firing the shutter.  Nor is this a way to create a Type I MLU, where partially depressing the shutter button fires the mirror, then finishing the stroke fires the shutter.  This system here is much more basic.

    All we are doing in this project is installing a rod and button which, when the shutter button is depressed, can lock the shutter mechanism temporarily, allowing the mirror to pre-fire; the shutter lock button is then released, allowing the shutter to cycle and the exposure to be made.  This is done by installing a push rod which prevents a cog from releasing the shutter when it ordinarily would immediately after the mirror has gone up.  Then, after the mirror is safely up and vibration over, we release the cog and the shutter fires normally.  If the shutter lock button is not depressed, the camera works precisely as it ordinarily would.

    The sequence for using the pre-release then, will be:

        1.    Depress the new shutter-lock button
        2.    Depress the shutter release (Mirror rises, shutter tries to fire, but is locked in place)
        3.    Release shutter lock button (Shutter fires).

    1.    Advantage: This is dirt cheap.

    2.    Tradeoff:    Using the system described here requires a little more thought than a Type I MLU, but it quickly becomes automatic.  Unlike the the Type II MLU, accidentally or prematurely depressing the temporary shutter lock button will not fire the mirror.  The mirror never rises until you are ready to take the shot.

    3.    Tradeoff:    The placement of the shutter lockout button is very convenient for hand-held use, but interferes with the flash bracket attachment.  You can grind a chunk out of your flash bracket attachment if that's a concern, or make a different one.

    4.    Disadvantage:    For exposures of 1/2 second or faster, you will only need one cable release, placed in the shutter lock out button.  For exposures of longer than 1/2 second, you'll need two cable releases.  For long exposures, the sequence will be: depress the shutter lock out cable and hold, depress the regular shutter button and hold, release the shutter lock out cable (exposure starts), count, release the shutter button cable (exposure ends).
 
 

-An Argus C3 "Brick" with an older style shutter release button
-A Dremel tool with cutting wheels, cylindrical metal cutter, and grinding wheel
-Miniature screw drivers
-Epoxy
-Epoxy putty

STEP 1:

    Get an Argus C3 with the "old style" shutter release button.  See pictures.  The newer style might work, (not sure) but I think it's ugly and the older style matches better.  Remove the front plate from the Argus (remove shutter cocking lever, remove reverse threaded nut below, then remove six screws under the front leatherette).  Back off the brass screw retaining the shutter release assembly, and pull the shutter button/release assembly out of the bakelite body.  A ball bearing will spring out - don't worry about it.  We don't need it.

STEP 2:

    Using the Dremel with cutting wheel to carefully remove the brass tube from around the steel rod beneath, as shown.  Then cut off the steel rod just where the existing machined cut out in the rod begins.

    Observe the cut-out slot in the brass housing.  That slot is critically important because it is going to rest over the camera chassis and hold the button in place.  That slot will be "down" when the button is installed.

STEP 3:

    Remove the top plate from your K60.  See Russ Hippert's Kiev Kalibration Manual for instructions.  Re-attach the advance lever so you can operate the shutter with the top plate off.

STEP 4:

    Look at the mechanism below the shutter speed dial.  Fire the shutter a few times and observe generally how it operates.  Now do the same thing while observing the location shown by the allen wrench inserted into the mechanics below.  In there you will see a small black cog that pops out slightly to release the shutter roller.  Insert a small screwdriver so you can gently hold it in place and fire the shutter again.  The mirror should lift, but the shutter won't release until you back the screw driver off a fraction of an inch to allow that cog to release it.  That's the target for our shutter lock rod.

STEP 5:

    Put the grinding wheel on the Dremel.  We are going to have to do a fair amount of modification to the Argus release mechanism here.  Take your time and gently try to fit it to the Kiev 60 as you work (after carefully wiping away metal dust each time).  We have to do three things:

• Narrow the rod so it fits through the path shown.  Do this by grinding the sides off the rod.  Grind just enough.
• Shorten the height of the rod so it can be hooked through the path shown.  Leave a small "foot" at the end so that we will be sure to intercept the cog we're shooting for.
• Remove areas of the brass housing so that the whole assembly can be lowered onto the camera chassis while just clearing the shutter mechanism.  Fortunately, there is enough brass to do this without wrecking the Argus shutter button mechanism, but do take your time and remove only just enough to do the trick.

 
 

 
 

STEP 6:

    By now, your shutter lockout button should fit into the path and rest nicely on the camera chassis as shown below.  Test it by depressing the button.  The rod SHOULD NOT QUITE hit the cog when the camera is cocked.  When you fire the shutter, the cog should move just a tiny bit, but not quite release the shutter roller.  Check to be sure by watching the shutter curtain.  Notice that if you have things out of skew, you can premature release the shutter curtain by hitting the armature right behind the button.  So make sure it's all perfectly sized.
 
 

STEP 7:

    Scrape the paint off the camera chassis around the area where the button will rest.  Put a tiny bead of epoxy on the chassis and in the slot on the button housing, and set it in place.   Try not to get any into the button mechanism, or it will jam.  Obviously, you do not want to get ANY epoxy into the camera shutter mechanism, or have it dribbling down into the camera, so be sparing, and use a couple "coats" if you need to.  You also don't want epoxy interfering with the top plate reassembly, so be careful about getting it on the front edge of the chassis.  A bead BELOW the button is fine, because the top plate will be cut away there.

    When the epoxy is not quite set up, operate the button a couple of times to be sure it is still properly aligned and not jammed with epoxy.

    Wait overnight to let the epoxy fully set up before the next step.  Don't push the timing here, or you could pop the button off.  Be patient.
 

STEP 8:

    Remove the advance lever so you can start to re-assemble the top plate.

    Using the Dremel tool with a cylindrical metal cutter, make a cutout to perfectly fit the shutter lockout button assembly.  Take your time, go slow, and repeatedly try fitting the top plate to check your progress (remember to wipe out all metal dust each time you try to fit the top plate to the camera.)

    If you are not already adept with the Dremel for this kind of work, by all means PRACTICE on a piece of sheet brass first.  Up until this point, everything you have done is reversible, but this is going to leave a big hole in your camera if you screw it up, so do it right.

    It's also important that the cutout be tight to the button housing because this contributes to holding the button in place, too.  So slow and careful is the order here.
 
 

STEP 9:

    This part may not be strictly necessary, and other options could be used.  It sure looks ugly in the pictures, I admit, but it actually works very well.  The lockout buttons on my cameras are rock-solid.

    Make a small 1.5cm diameter ball of epoxy filler.  A picture of the stuff I am talking about is shown below, and it's available at most hardware stores.  When it's ready to use, it has the consistency of thick plasticene clay.  Roll the ball into a "worm" and lay the worm over the button assembly.  Work it so that it fills the gap between the rods that hold the shutter assembly, the camera chassis, and the button housing.  Make sure it DOES NOT interfere with any moving part by shaping it with a miniature screwdriver.

    What we're aiming for here is not to use the putty to glue the button in place, but to create a multi-directional wedge to keep the button from wobbling at all (it should be secure now, but this is added security.)

    Before the epoxy filler sets up, try putting the top plate on again.  This will allow you to remove any excess filler from the front side.  You don't want to have sand or shave this stuff off later and end up with crap inside your camera!

    Allow it all to set up, again over night.

STEP 10:

    Reassemble you camera.
 
 

The "throw" on this shutter lockout button and rod is just enough that it cannot put any pressure on the cog when used manually.  THE THROW FOR THE ROD IS GREATER WHEN YOU USE A SHUTTER RELEASE CABLE.  USE CARE NOT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE COG WHEN USING A SHUTTER RELEASE CABLE.  You might consider modifying a dedicated cable release with a stop so that it cannot damage the cog.

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