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.