Kiev II (early)
The Kiev II is a Soviet 35mm rangefinder camera, built in Ukraine from tooling taken from the wartime Contax II factory. Early examples from the late 1940s retain close ties to the original Zeiss Ikon design and are of interest to collectors studying post-war Contax-derived production.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for early Kiev II bodies have ranged widely, from about £500 to £2,400, with a median around £1,000 — wholesale saleroom results that exclude buyer's and seller's premiums. The spread reflects how much condition, completeness and early-production details drive value today, with the top end reserved for the cleanest, earliest examples. Most buyers asking what a Kiev II (early) is worth in 2026 should expect figures anchored near that four-figure midpoint rather than the outlying high.
Sales History
Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.
Prices updated: November 2024
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2024 | EUR 800 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 45 (Lot A01229) Title: Kiev II 1948
Description:
An early Kiev camera, assembled partially with Contax Jena parts, in good condition and working order (shutter speeds not accurate), with matching ZK 1948 2/5cm no.003241 (also assembled using Zeiss parts) showing cleaning marks, with original leather case, only around 2000 of these cameras have been released. Estimate: EUR 1,600 - EUR 1,800 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Jun 2022 | EUR 500 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 40 (Lot AI_40_40028) Title: Kiev II 1949
Description:
very early Kiev II in beautiful, original condition, with matching 1949 Zorki SK 2/5cm no.4900997 (cond. B/A), lens cap, leather case, brown maker's box, it is very hard to find this camera in such great condition! Estimate: EUR 1,000 - EUR 1,200 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Nov 2021 | EUR 1,000 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 39 (Lot AI_39_39970) Title: Kiev II 1949
Description:
very early Kiev II in beautiful, original condition, with matching 1949 Zorki SK 2/5cm no.4903073, lens cap, leather case, original control tag from 30.09.1949 with serial number matching to the camera and brown maker's box, it is very hard to find this camera in such great condition! Estimate: EUR 1,000 - EUR 1,200 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Nov 2021 | EUR 2,400 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 39 (Lot AI_39_39894) Title: Kiev II 1948
Description:
An early Kiev camera, assembled partially with Contax Jena parts, in near mint condition, with matching ZK 1948 2/5cm no.003714 (also assembled using Zeiss parts), the camera comes from a prominent collection of Jean-Loup Princelle, included is an example of his 'The Authentic Guide...' mentioning this camera Estimate: EUR 1,200 - EUR 1,400 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Jun 2021 | EUR 8,500 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 38 (Lot AI_38_39390) Title: Kiev II 1947
Description:
An extremely rare, early Kiev from the first production year. Only a few dozen of these cameras have been assembled using original Zeiss parts, after Arsenal received material and tooling originally owned by Zeiss Ikon and Carl Zeiss Jena. The camera is in good original condition and comes with a matching ZK (Sonnar Krasnogorsk) 2/5cm no.000170, the original Contax engraving can still be seen in the inside of the front plate Estimate: EUR 6,000 - EUR 7,000 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Nov 2016 | EUR 800 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 30 (Lot AI_30_34050) Title: Kiev II 1949
Description:
very early Kiev in beautiful, original condition, with matching 1949 Zorki SK 2/5cm no.4902307 Estimate: EUR 800 - EUR 900 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| May 2011 | EUR 2,400 | Leitz Auction | |
|
Auction: Leitz Auction 19 (Lot AI_19_12662) Title: Kiev II 1947
Description:
very early Kiev in fully original condition (shutter inoperable), back door hand-engraved '110', SK (Sonnar Krasnogorsk) 2/5cm no.002578, early Kiev case Estimate: EUR 2,000 - EUR 2,400 |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
Frequently asked questions
What is a Kiev II (early) worth today?
Based on UK auction hammer results, an early Kiev II typically sells for around £500 to £1,000, with exceptional early examples having reached £2,400.
How much does a Kiev II (early) sell for at auction?
Recent UK saleroom prices span roughly £500 to £2,400, so the price a given body achieves depends heavily on condition, originality and how early the production details are.
Why do early Kiev II values vary so much?
The value is driven by cosmetic condition, shutter health and whether the earliest features are original, which is why the same model can sell for a few hundred pounds or several times that.