C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Kiev 20 is a 35mm SLR produced by Arsenal in Kyiv, Ukraine, introduced around 1980. It succeeds the Kiev 17 and retains the M42 screw mount with aperture-priority automatic exposure. The Kiev 20 incorporates an automatic aperture actuation mechanism that improved on the Kiev 17's implementation, ensuring more reliable aperture-priority operation with a wider range of compatible M42 lenses. The shutter is electronically controlled; there is no mechanical fallback and the camera is fully non-functional without batteries. Arsenal's variable quality control applies equally to the Kiev 20 - specimens differ in reliability and meter accuracy.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Arsenal's refined M42 aperture-priority SLR - the Kiev 17's successor with improved automatic aperture control.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 (42mm screw) |
| Years | ~1980 - ~1988 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/1000s + B, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | ~1/60s |
| Meter | Center-weighted TTL |
| Modes | Aperture-priority, manual |
| Weight | ~640 g |
| Battery | 2x AA (required - no mechanical fallback) |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, ~92% coverage |
The Kiev 20 arrived around 1980 as a direct successor to the Kiev 17, refining the M42 aperture-priority formula. Arsenal's goal was improved reliability in the automatic exposure chain - the Kiev 17 had drawn criticism for inconsistent aperture actuation with certain lens types. The Kiev 20 addressed this with a revised automatic diaphragm linkage designed to operate more predictably across the broad M42 lens ecosystem. By the early-to-mid 1980s, Arsenal was also producing the Kiev 19 with Nikon F-mount; the Kiev 20 served the cost-sensitive M42 segment. Production wound down by the late 1980s as Arsenal consolidated its 35mm line.
The Kiev 20 represents Arsenal's most developed M42 aperture-priority SLR. For collectors working with Soviet glass, it offers a native automatic-exposure body for the Helios, Industar, and Jupiter lens families without the expense or complexity of the Nikon F-compatible Kiev 19.
The automatic aperture actuation is the key differentiator from the Kiev 17. In practice, results vary by unit - some Kiev 20 bodies deliver consistent exposures in aperture-priority while others show systematic errors. The electronic-only shutter remains a pragmatic liability: carry spare AA batteries. On good specimens, the Kiev 20 provides a competent if somewhat heavy aperture-priority SLR at very low cost.
Mount: M42 (42mm x 1mm thread). The automatic aperture mechanism is designed to work with M42 lenses that support the standard automatic-diaphragm pin actuation.
Compatible glass:
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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