Help with new rangefinder

[wctsouri]

Hi,
I just recently acquired a zorki1 with everything originally included with it. Im quite new to older cameras like this rangefinder so please help with a few questions i have. I want to test out a roll of film and see if everything is working properly. I know i have to trim the film leader for this camera and have done so. What do i do after i get the film in the camera to make sure it engages and the frame counter is set accurately so i can go out and shoot. Also when i turn the film advance knob to cock the shutter should i be turning it until i feel pressure on it and i see the shutter speed dial start to move a little or should i keep turning it until it stops? How do i know if the shutter is working properly? After the shutter is cocked i should be able to adjust the shutter speed, is there a safe speed to leave it on? Can i adjust the speed every frame? Any other info you can include would be great. Much thanks in advance.🙂

 

[oscroft]

Congrats and good luck with the Zorki. Here's a few quick answers - I'm sure others will add to this...

What do i do after i get the film in the camera to make sure it engages and the frame counter is set accurately so i can go out and shoot.

There are some useful sites with info on loading these old bottom-loaders, but I can't find them right now (I have them bookmarked on another computer) - hopefully someone else will be able to point you in the right direction. Once loaded, to check that the film is engaged and winding properly, look at the rewind knob - it should rotate in the opposite direction to the rewind arrow when you wind on. Also, if you wind the rewind knob gently in the direction of the arrow you should feel tension as the film is engaged. Setting the film counter is done manually - push it round using the two small knobs until it is at the 0 position.

Also when i turn the film advance knob to cock the shutter should i be turning it until i feel pressure on it and i see the shutter speed dial start to move a little or should i keep turning it until it stops?

Until it stops - practice winding on and firing before you think of loading a film. And a warning - NEVER set the shutter speed before fully winding on and cocking the shutter, because doing so can damage the shutter on those cameras.

How do i know if the shutter is working properly?

You should be able to see if it is firing before you load the film - remove the lens and watch it while you cock the shutter and fire it a few times. Check that at slow speeds it does appear to go slower. The way to tell if it is accurate, though, is to see if your results are well exposed (assuming you got the exposure settings right).

After the shutter is cocked i should be able to adjust the shutter speed, is there a safe speed to leave it on?

Yes, adjust the shutter speed ONLY after cocking the shutter. And because you should not change the speed after shooting (and before cocking the shutter again), you cannot choose the speed to leave it set on with the shutter uncocked - you simply have to leave it on the speed you used for your last shot. Personally, I never cock the shutter until I'm ready to shoot, and I'll always finish a session if necessary by shooting an extra shot to make sure the shutter is left uncocked, so the question of which speed to leave it set on when cocked doesn't arise. When the camera is not in use and there is no film loaded, I don't think it matters much which speed you leave it set on - but I'll have to leave that to people more expert than me.

Can i adjust the speed every frame?

Yes indeed. In fact, unless every shot is taken in identical light, you'll have to change it if you want to get the exposure right.

 

[kmack]

Here is a good thread about bottom loading.. like anything else, once you get the hang of it...

Have fun with that Zorki. If it does need work, don't dispair just send it to Oleg.

 

[wctsouri]

Ok, so ive loaded the film in and it looks like the sprocket teeth are in the film holes but when i try and cock the shutter by turning the film advance knob it does not stop it just keeps turning and advancing the film forward. The same happens with and without film am i doing somthing wrong?

 

[colyn]

Ok, so ive loaded the film in and it looks like the sprocket teeth are in the film holes but when i try and cock the shutter by turning the film advance knob it does not stop it just keeps turning and advancing the film forward. The same happens with and without film am i doing somthing wrong?

The rewind lever may be set for rewinding. This is the lever in front of the shutter speed dial on top. Turn it the other direction and see if that does the trick.

 

[wctsouri]

nope, tried it in both directions and still the same thing...maybe the film didnt catch on right? i feel tension when im turning the advance knob but it dosnt stop.

 

[oscroft]

nope, tried it in both directions and still the same thing...maybe the film didnt catch on right? i feel tension when im turning the advance knob but it dosnt stop.

It should stop when the shutter is cocked, even when there's no film in. How did it behave before you loaded it? Did you test it without film (and with the lens off) to check the shutter is actually being cocked?