A Zorki & An Elmar

[doubs43]

A month or so back I purchased a 1956 Zorki-4 because a Jupiter-3 lens came with it. The camera's shutter wasn't working correctly on slow speeds as the second curtain wouldn't close from 1/25th and slower. I tinkered with it for awhile and reset the curtain tension. I also ordered a Jupiter-9 but when I took this picture I had to use a 90mm f/4 Elmar because the Jupiter-9 didn't arrive until yesterday. This camera with it's Jupiter-8 normal lens is likely to become my "beater" camera that I throw in the car or truck when I'm just riding around.

The picture has been cropped as can be told from the format. I call it "The Operator". The film is Agfa APX-100 developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 8 minutes at 68 degrees.Corel Photo-Paint 12 was used to work with the image.

Walker

 

[Roman]

Hi,
so I'm not the only one who si also posting Bestsuff-Russiancamera-Competition pictures over here... 😉

Roman

 

[doubs43]

Hi Roman,

I did make a disclaimer as far as the contest goes because the lens isn't FSU. I hope to run another roll of film through the Zorki-4 soon and use the Jupiter-9 that I received yesterday. The J-9 looks good and focuses correctly at infinity so I'm hoping it takes as nice a picture as the Elmar.

I'm waiting for three more lens to be delivered; a J-11, J-12 & an Orion-15. That should give me a real outfit to take pictures with. I also need to experiment with the sync delay to find out what setting gives full exposure with electronic flash at 1/25th.

I was hoping to get some feedback on the picture but no one seems to have an opinion about it. If no one likes it, I wish they'd say so.... and why, of course. I'm pretty thick-skinned and can take constructive criticism. Just don't say anything bad about my Zorki! 😉

Walker

 

[Roman]

Hmm, you wanted comments, you'll get one:
I can see some humor in that image, with the guy's head looking like an extension of his machine; the light seems to have been pretty flat - more interesting light with some shadows might have given a bit more drama (BTW, does your Zorki have a banding issue? The right part of the image looks darker than the left - might be due to natural lighting condition, though...); overall, the image has got a bit of that 1970s realistic reportag look.
I#m going the other way than you: I've got a Jupiter-9 that focuses perfectly on my Zorki 6 and Fed 2, but on the Bessa R it seems liek the focus is off by a few inches when I use it in the near range (below 3 m) - I only judged this from looking at the distance scale, not from any prints, since I still have to finish the first roll from the Bessa (too much work..); I just saw an Elmar 90/4 in a used camera shop for a mere 100 Euros this week - might get that one, if the J-9 does not work with the Bessa...

Roman

 

[doubs43]

Hi Roman,

Thanks for the evaluation. You have a good eye for detail.

The light was not only flat but the sun was against me. I stood in the shadow of a pole to keep the sun from causing flare. The building is painted a dark color and everything was in the shade.

Leitz has traditionally favored detail at the expense of contrast. The 90mm Elmar f/4 lens has never been known to be very contrasty.

Yes, the Zorki's shutter did display a problem with the second curtain and I've further adjusted the curtain tension which seems to have taken care of the sometimes slow closing curtain. However, the natural lighting is probably more to blame for any variance noted.

One other factor that can cause low contrast and that's a computer's monitor. The picture looks fine on my monitor but if I were to bring it up on my monitor at work, it would lack contrast and seem darker and more dull than on this monitor. I take care of my employer's website and use a lot of pictures. I've noticed the difference between my home monitor and my work monitor.... very noticeable.

The J-9 that I received yesterday aligns perfectly in the rangefinders at infinity on both of my Zorki-4's and on my Bessa-T. I just need to get it out and shoot a few frames to see what it'll do.

Walker

 

[Doug]

Ok, I'll weigh in with a comment too. 🙂 I like the shot, and I'd crop some at the top and a little at bottom, and tweak the histogram black point a bit, as shown below. It's clearly flat light, but the image has reasonable contrast, just a tad bit low.

Otherwise I like the shot, and the only remaining bother is that interesing stuff leading my eye out the left side of the picture. Including more out that way would reduce the scale, though, and there might be distracting stuff there too, so it's a judgment call for sure.

 

[doubs43]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the critique and I do like the results of your cropping. I couldn't include more to the left as I took it as far left as the negative permitted.

I only wish I had arrived a few moments earlier. They were wrapping up things as I came upon them and the fellow on the crane was stowing the boom when I took this shot.

Walker

 

[Pherdinand]

woohoo, that guy has a huge tool 😀😀(sorry)

 

[back alley]

A Zorki & An Elmar

sorry for this, but...

every time i read the subject of this thread i hear a voice in my head, it starts telling me this joke that goes like - a zorki and an elmar walk into a bar...

joe

 

[doubs43]

Joe, that's funny! 🙂

 

[John Robertson]

Russians also make a lens called an Arsat could be that you
"didn't know your Arsat from your Elmar"
Seriously the Orion15 is an outstanding lens despite its slow speed
worth looking for a good one. I've had mine since 1968, and used it on Fed,Zorki, Leica 39mm and with adaptor LeicaCL and Bessa R2. Despite what Camera Quest site says it does fit the Bessas. the 20mm Russar however does not.

 

[doubs43]

Russians also make a lens called an Arsat could be that you
"didn't know your Arsat from your Elmar"
Seriously the Orion15 is an outstanding lens despite its slow speed
worth looking for a good one. I've had mine since 1968, and used it on Fed,Zorki, Leica 39mm and with adaptor LeicaCL and Bessa R2. Despite what Camera Quest site says it does fit the Bessas. the 20mm Russar however does not.

That's not a bad line at all, John. I'll have to remember that one. 🙂

There's no reason why the Orion-15 wouldn't fit the Bessa cameras but the Jupiter-12 with it's large and lenthy rear element is another matter. Both of mine (Orion-15 & J-12) have arrived, BTW, but I have yet to take pictures with either. I hope to soon.

It's kind of interesting that I have a Leitz Imarect finder on my Kiev because my widest lens for the Kiev is a 35mm J-2 and I'm using the copy of the Contax finder on my Zorki-4 because of the Orion-15 requires the 28mm field.

Walker

 

[dll927]

Putting an Elmar on a Zorki strikes me as like putting a Rolls-Royce hood emblem on a '41 Plymouth! But who's complaining - if it fits, it fits.

 

[Pherdinand]

dll - not really. A quality lens is much more important for a great photograph than an emblem for a great ride.
The body is just a body, a light-tight box. As long as it does its job, there's no big difference for the picture that results.

That's what i think, at least.

 

[Solinar]

Without a doubt, I'm looking into putting a Summitar onto a Zorki 4 even if it means reshimming the lens mount.

Look at as putting a Cadillac engine into a Studebaker.

 

[dll927]

Agreed, my comparison was a little far-fetched. A lens is to photos as stereo speakers are to the rest of the heap.

Studebaker?? My dad had a 1948 Studebaker truck, and we also later had a 1948 Commander. Both did yeoman service. And no Cadillac engine.

Who asked what this has to do with RF cameras???