Arrrrgh! a developed roll of film with nothing on it.

[lubitel]

Eagerly picked up a developed roll from local pharmacy shot with my new Zorki 5, and its completely empty! I used mostly a J12, but I think a couple of shots were also with J8. The film has some kind of vertical lines regularly spaced. so it looks like it was loaded correctly. Do you think they could have messed it up? or could it be a strange problem with the camera? I am afraid to take off the lens and fire the camera, because I read somewhere that (for mysterious reasons) you cant do that to a Z-5.

what do you think?

 

[lubitel]

I read it here http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/marine/569/rusrngfdrs/zorki6/zorki6.html

"WARNING! The shutter should not be wound with the lens removed from a Zorki 5! Do not try to trip the shutter with the lens removed. Only remove the lens with the shutter released, and then do not bother with the shutter or winding mechanism until the lens is replaced. The shutter may not fuction with the lens off anyway, but because of the peculiar construction of the shutter mechanism on the Zorki 5 you run the risk of damage to the rangefinder."

I also just read (on the same site):
"Particularly with the Zorki 5, do not allow the lever to "snap" back against the top plate. It may strike it hard enough to damage the shutter speed mechanism."

May be I did that? or are these tips totaly bogus?

 

[Socke]

Any film markings near the sprocket holes?

I once developed two rolls Delta 3200 I shot at a club the night before. One was empty except for film markings and when I developed the other roll I found out why, the second was double exposed! Since then I fold the leader on every used roll so I'll never again take a roll out of my camera, out it in a pocket, get it out of the pocket and load it into the camera again 🙂

 

[lubitel]

Socke, the filmmarkings are there, but I am very sure that I only used it once. The leader goes inside the canister when I rewind.

Greyhoundman, Its a bottom loader, so I cant just open the back, plus I have a film in there right now. I am thinking of just taking the lens of and firing it, how bad can it be?

 

[Nick R.]

Why not look through the lens and fire it at a slow speed wide open? You should be able to see the shutter work that way.

 

[clarence]

Eugene, could it be possible that you had not loaded the film correctly? When you advance the film, the rewind lever should rotate as well.

Clarence

 

[XAos]

Some wise guy is bound to ask so it might as well be me. Was this C-41? You didn't give the pharmacy a roll of silver B&W did you?

 

[pvdhaar]

Now I'm going to have to get a Zorki 5. I want to disassemble it and see what could cause damage. The lens only touches the RF lever. I can't see how that would cause shutter failure.

That's because of the rf coupled johnson bar that pushes a rod on a yoke to where a widget engages the film plate. Or something like that anyway.. 😀

 

[jano]

And, uhm.. do you use lens caps :angel:

 

[lubitel]

Okay, folks,

lens cap was OFF 😉
film was definitely C-41
and I think I loaded the film correctly, because I checked that it was advancing before I closed the cover and it took me awhile to rewind it. 😕

 

[Socke]

Then it can only be some sort of exposure problem, either shutter or aperture. OTOH, C-41 should have enough lattitude to show something even if seriously underexposed.

 

[lubitel]

I will try another film and a few lenses, hope it will work.

 

[XAos]

I hate to say any more out of ignorance (I really would like to get a cheap russian, just not sure which one I want. Never have found a nice concise web page explaining the differences. I think a FED may be the one I want. I think the Zorki 4 maybe, but anyways...)

But if you're sure the film was loaded, advanced, the lenscap was off, and it was processed properly, then as Socke said it can only be shutter or aperture. I'm not familiar with bottom loaders at all, and was about to suggest you fire the camera with the back open to check when I decided to check my facts first. But can you get a dental mirror in there to see? (Available Wal-Mart a buck or two. You should get one and a pick as well if you like to play with gadgets.) Or pipe some light in the bottom and see if you can see it through the lens.

 

[clarence]

But can you get a dental mirror in there to see? (Available Wal-Mart a buck or two.)

It's a rather tight squeeze for a dental mirror, actually. About the width of a knife blade.

Clarence

 

[ed1k]

Logically thinking it's a broken shutter. Can you set B and hear as shutter opens _and_ closes? The better use for this camera is probably to send it to G'man for learning 🙂

Eduard.

 

[jonasv]

yep, can't do with a mirror - but a piece of white paper and a flashlight will make it clear enough if you look from the front.

 

[lubitel]

Okay, its definitely a shutter problem.

I put a J3 on it, wide open, and with a help of a flashlight (or torch 🙂 ) looked at the curtains while firing. The curtains dont open up at all, at any speeds, not even at B setting! All shutter speeds sound absolutely identical. This would explain the unexposed roll of film.

Anybody have any ideas, what I could do to fix it?