Kiev IIIA
The Kiev IIIA is a Soviet 35mm rangefinder camera, built in Ukraine using tooling and designs derived from the pre-war Contax II. It belongs to the screw-and-bayonet rangefinder lineage produced from the late 1940s onward and was positioned as a working photographer's tool rather than a budget compact.
Sales data for the Kiev IIIA is thin, with one UK auction hammer result of £338 logged in late 2022 — a wholesale saleroom figure rather than a dealer asking price. On that single data point the camera sells for around £340 today, though with so few records the realistic price band for clean working examples is wide and condition-driven. Buyers searching for what a Kiev IIIA is worth should treat any single result as indicative only.
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: July 2024
| Date | Price | Source | |
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| Jul 2024 | £12 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 62) Title: A Kiev IIIa Rangefinder Camera
Description:
silver, serial number 5829750, body G, shutter not working, with Jupiter-8M f/2 5cm lens, barrel VG, optics G, light cleaning marks. |
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| Jun 2024 | £88 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 168) Title: A Kiev IIIa Rangefinder Camera
Description:
silver, serial number A556021, body G, shutter working but curtains are slow, light meter responds to light, with Jupiter-8 f/2 5cm lens, barrel G, |
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| Jun 2024 | £25 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Cameras & Scientific Auction (Lot 163) Title: A Kiev IIIa Rangefinder Camera Outfit
Description:
silver, serial number 569734, body G, shutter not working, light meter responds to light, with Jupiter-8 f/2 5cm lens, barrel G, optics F-G, light |
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| Nov 2023 | EUR 9,000 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 43 (Lot A00424) Title: Kiev IIIa outfit
Description:
Rare outfit made for high-ranked soviet party members, never available for the public, only around 200 Zorki and Kiev camera outfits were made, including a Kiev IIIa no.560381 in very good cosmetic condition, with matching Jupiter-12 2.8/3.5cm no.5600925 (both caps), Jupiter-8 2/5cm no.5602962 (major dent on the rear), Jupiter-3 1.5/5cm no.5600413 (both caps), Jupiter-9 2/8.5cm no.5502517 (both caps), Jupiter-11 4/13.5cm no.5600939 (rear cap), universal finder no.014178, 6x colour filters, original cable release, 2x film spools, leather camera case and leather outfit case. Estimate: EUR 3,000 - EUR 3,400 |
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| Nov 2022 | £338 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 151) Title: A Zavod Arsenal Kiev IIIA 'Ukrainian' Rangefinder Camera
Description:
1958, chrome, serial no. 587928, with Jupiter-8 f/2 50mm lens, chrome, serial no. 5812358, body, G, shutter working, lens, VG Note: This lot incurs |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Kiev IIIA worth in the UK today?
Based on the limited auction record available, a Kiev IIIA has sold for around £338 at hammer, so a value in the low-to-mid hundreds of pounds is a reasonable starting reference.
How much does a Kiev IIIA sell for at auction?
The only logged UK auction sale fetched £338 hammer in 2022; with just one data point the market price should be treated as approximate rather than a firm range.
What affects the price of a Kiev IIIA?
Shutter accuracy, rangefinder clarity and cosmetic condition are the main value drivers, and a matching-era Jupiter lens or original case can lift the figure modestly.