A piece of paper came with my zorki-zorki

[yek]

Hi, I just received my zorki-zorki. It came with its case. And at the back of the case I found a white plastic card which I believe is for inserting the film. And I also found a piece of paper. There are a lot of words and numbers on it. I guess they are exposure rules like sunny 16, but I can't understand more. Who can read it and kindly give me some hints about what it is about?

Thank you! 🙂

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2130124743_07e69fe518_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2327/2130124819_3a40f4415c_o.jpg

 

[wolves3012]

The piece of paper looks like someone's exposure calculations, I can see "ghost" speeds noted on there but I don't know enough Russian to tell you more. The plastic card is for writing down your exposures, in pencil, it is NOT to help you load films!

Learn to load the camera properly, do NOT use cards etc because there is a very real risk of damaging the pressure plate. The correct method of loading is quicker and safer than the performance required to use an uncut leader. Have a look in the LTM section on here for the correct loading procedure, it's stickied.

Enjoy the Zorki, they're lovely to use and take wonderful pictures: the I-22 lens is a very good performer!

 

[yek]

Thank you, Wolves. How the card damages the pressure plate? Does it make scratches on the pressure plate? But I will follow you advice of loading the film, as you are so knowledgable on these cameras. 🙂

The zorki is very pretty. It's way smaller than a Fed-2. I like the feel of holding it in hands. As to the seperated RF/VF, bottom loading and the collapsible lens, I think I still have to do more exercise on them. 😱

 

[tr0x]

Learn to load the camera properly, do NOT use cards etc because there is a very real risk of damaging the pressure plate.

My zorki-1 also came with a plastic card... i've checked the pressure plate and it was all scratched, damn... the previous owner used to load the film with that card :bang:

 

[wolves3012]

The damage to the pressure plate comes not only from scratches. If you force a card into the base of the camera it will put far more pressure on the plate than normal. Under the pressure plate are two thin, delicate springs which are quite easily damaged. Weak springs here will allow the film to ride off the guide rails. This has happened to a FED 1g of mine, upon examination the springs were deformed and had to be bent back into shape. I can't prove the cause but it's quite likely to have been a previous owner using the card method.

Apart from cutting a proper leader, using the correct method is quicker, easier and will not do damage. I tend to cut leaders on films in advance of using them. If I change my mind and use a different camera, the worst that happens is I lose 1 frame, if that.

 

[QUAsit]

This is self-made (more precisely - copied from some russian photography book or magazin) exposure calculator.

It is a bit a sign of history today, though useful.


Btw, I got Zorki-1 (early 1954) - never used plastic card (any other means to load film. Except trimming the film tale up to 10 cm.

 

[yek]

Thank you, QUAsit. 🙂

The paper will be well kept. The former user must be a serious photographer. I feel lucky to be the zorki's new owner.

 

[DaveP]

That card that comes with the camera is for taking notes, do not use it to load film as it is too thick, a business card will work fine.

 

[dll927]

As for understanding Russian, I ordered one Zorki through evil-Bay, and it came with a complete instruction booklet -- in Russian. Since I am totally innocent of said language, the only thing I could understand was the illustrations. And even they had their explanations in Cyrillic, so Iwas left with little more than something to look at and laugh a bit.

Now, if it had been in Spanish, I could have done much better.

 

[wolves3012]

That card that comes with the camera is for taking notes, do not use it to load film as it is too thick, a business card will work fine.

See post #5 above - do the job properly. ANY card will be much thicker than a film and that's is all that the pressure plate is designed for.

 

[Stu W]

I had 2 Leicas, one IIIc and a IIIf. Both had cards in the back of the case too. I thought they were some kind of loading aid myself. Stu

 

[varjag]

The white card with camera is not for taking notes (USSR manufactured enough of good, affordable paper) or pushing in the film. You were supposed to write your contact info for the occasion of camera getting lost.

 

[crawdiddy]

I disagree, comrades, and I believe the notes are coordinates for artillery targets over the walls of Leningrad and on top of Nazis.

....joking....