• Kiev 30 - Spy the grain
    Cameras,  Reviews

    Kiev 30 – Spy the grain

    The Kiev 30 is a camera that inspires day dreams of cloak and dagger spy games.  It belongs to the subminiature class of cameras, which are specifically designed to be as small as possible.  In reality, if they were ever used for international espionage they had to be small to stay discreet.  You’re not going to get away with breaking into an office, photographing secret documents and escaping a gun fight with a medium or large format camera. To prove the point, there is a version of the Kiev 30 branded the John Player, as in the cigarette brand John Player Special.  This particular and rare version is inserted into…

  • Kiev 30 - Spy Camera film loading
    Accessories,  General,  Technique

    Loading a subminiature spy camera – the Kiev 30

    The day has come, you have been recruited by a secret agency and given a mission to capture a photograph of the evil organisation’s plans, preparing to take over the world.  The leader of which is likely to have a fluffy cat.  To expose them and stop them in their tracks, the world is depending on you. But wait, the camera does not have film in it, so you have to quickly get it ready.  How do you do this, how do you load a subminiature spy camera?  Luckily there is this article on loading a subminiature spy camera and you quickly read up while you are flying to your…