Cheap Zorki 4 on ebay (UK)

David Hughes

David Hughes

David Hughes
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Just spotted this and it may go for 99p due to misspelling of make etc. Search for item 120723813069 - but hurry!

It's the first version with a wind on knob and engraved (?) shutter speed dial.

Regards, David
 
what are the odds on its actually working?
I may put in a small bid -- just out of curiosity. The postage is £12.00 though, so there's no getting it really cheap.

BTW -- Many thanks for the information.
 
Well, they're tough old things. And you could always ask about the postage...

I'll wish you luck; I'd hate to see it go to those buggas who harvest all the interesting 99p items for resale.

Regards, David
 
Thanks very much David for pointing this one out.
I have won it - quite surprising myself.
Or perhaps, once I get it, I should curse you, it remains to be seen! 😛

It is not an early Zorki-4, in fact it's one of the last.
The last of the series did not have the strap lugs, and as the 4 was made from 1956-73, the '72 serial number gives it away as well.

I'll let you know how it all goes, it will probably take 3 weeks or so for me to get it on the underside of the planet.


Brad
 
Hi, I just recently won a bid for a FED 5-B also for £ 0.99 plus postage. All in all, I've paid approx. £15, which I still consider as extremely cheap. OK, not the most sought after model of course, but solid and reliable and I'm quite happy with it, only needed to adjust the rangefinder which is easy enough.
You can still be lucky on the great auction portal, although even mass-produced models always seem to be rare...
Enjoy the Zorki-4, next on my shopping list probably.
 
I have a Zorki 4 body someone can have for the price of postage, It has no take up spool and the slow speeds stick but might be of use to someone. PM me if interested
 
Well, it looks as though I did a bit of good. And if my ears start burning in a few weeks time I'll know better.

BTW, I thought the last version had a lever wind but I only know the FED and Zorki 1's properly, and hardly that at times.

Regards, David
 
Glad to hear that you won it, Brad. I'm afraid that my intervention may have cost you £4, as I put in a bid for £5. It looked for a time as if I might actually win it. Was slightly relieved to be outbid. I have a zorki 4 with unreliable slow speeds and a flash sync that's way off. Another would have been fun, but shortage of time to use all these things is the main problem. I hope it turns out to work well. Do post some photos from it! All the best, John
 
Thanks John, I certainly don't look at it like you cost me an extra £4 - it's an auction and I bid what it was worth to me.
I am surprised nobody else jumped in during the last 30 seconds or so, as always seems to happen.
I was never really intending on getting a Zorki 4 because I had been thinking recently on getting a "Mir" - which is the Zorki 4 without the slow speed mechanism.
But at the price, it's worth the gamble and if it doesn't work, I'm sure the parts and lens will be useful at some stage.
Though I am fairly confident it should be ok.
I'll post my findings!
 
As it happens, I picked up another Zorki 4 with Jupiter 8 lens at the PCCGB Photographica fair in London on Sunday. The lens is stiff to focus, but otherwise the camera seems fine. I have a 35mm Jupiter lens, and a 135. Now I'd like an 85 f2. I had one once, and the focusing was way off. Would like to try another. Also in Kiev mount to put on the Kiev.
 
Well, it arrived today.
The shell and covering is absolutely pristine, the exception is the numbers on the speed selection are fading away but they still can be read.
The curtains look brand new.
A couple of problems.
The speed selection knob seems to be out by about 90 degrees clockwise to where it should be.
It looks like it's been assembled such that the mark reads correctly when the film hasn't been wound on - but after winding the mark is pointing 90 degrees out. For example, if 125 is selected - the mark is pointing past the 1000 number. If 1000 speed is selected, the mark is pointing towards the 8 o'clock position. It took me ages to work that out!
Can I just undo the two grub screws and turn the knob to the right position, or is it more involved than that?
Also the slow speeds seem to be in bad shape, sticky curtains at slow speeds - but one thing at a time I suppose.
 
Hi,

I am pleased to hear that!

For the slow speeds a work out of wind, click, wind, click, etc might do the trick.

Regards, David
 
Well, overall I'm pleased.
As previously mentioned the slow speeds don't work - the second curtain drags across slowly. Normal speeds are lovely.
The rangefinder is spot on, not a blurry shot out of the lot, both at up close and at infinite.
A couple of problems - I don't think 1/1000 is working - I had a couple of blank shots in the middle of the roll, but being the smart guy I am, I did not record what speed I was testing at the time. :bang: Or perhaps I didn't quite rotate the advance all the way around - I'm not sure.
I had a couple of issues early in the roll, where the left side of the picture seems to be more exposed/brighter then the rest of the picture - however this seems to have gone away in later shots.
Anyway here are a couple of examples. I only have an old scanner - any dust speckles are due to it - the prints are lovely.

cars.jpg

MtLofty.jpg

MtLofty2.jpg

MtBarker.jpg

Untitled.jpg
 
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