HELP! Zorki 4 is only exposing half of each frame!

[rbiemer]

If you don't want to work on this yourself, see here:
http://www.okvintagecamera.com/repair.html

Oleg has worked on a few of my cameras and I have been very pleased with the results and the cost is pretty reasonable as well.
Rob

 

[wolves3012]

I can't make out the pawl, either. Looking at fig. 31 in the PDF version of the article (link is at http://thephotocollege.com/wolves3012 Zorki 4_4K Tut.html) and my own Z-4.

FWIW, mine is a 1967 and does make the little click that wolves3012 describes. My 1962 FED-2 does not. Go figure, I never noticed that.

The FED doesn't have the latch, hence no click. I'm not sure when Zorki started fitting it, mine is a '62 and didn't have it, until I fitted one stolen from a scrapped Zorki 4K.

 

[wolves3012]

Ahh, yes I found that article, I read it once, but I've been reading a LOT of articles lately, so I can't really remember all of them 🙁 I'll try and re-allign it when I decide to fix this thing!

I can't seem to find a ratchet pawl... only a bunch of gears above the spool... I double checked your CLA thread for a diagram but I cant seem to pin point exactly where it's supposed to be! Maybe i'm just looking in the wrong area, I took the spool out and looked at the area above it, so basically... under the top plate?

it's a '65 zorki... from my understanding. The serial number is 65681967

Ok, my mistake, my '62 Z-4 doesn't have the pawl either. The 4K does have one, visible above the spool. Maybe later 4s have it, I don't know.

Your 4 has the old-style one-way winder. There's a spring coiled closely around the shaft inside the spool clutch, it's anchored at the top you can see the small plate that holds it. If the spring isn't coiled tightly, it'll allow some backlash, or the anchor point might be loose. Sorry for the diversion!

 

[afurcolin]

hello friends
Im kind of new to the russian rangefinders business.
I bought one and already fixed the rangefinder and aligned the speed dial.
But i have the same hal-frame problem.
i would like to know if you could solve this problem, since the topic is dead since last year...
I have a zorki 4 with the same problem.
Im gonna try to fix it myself,
wolves3012, im looking through your excelent sticky post - CLA - But i cant really find the topic related to the half-frame problem.

Am i looking @ the wrong place?
Thank you very much!

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Your 4 has the old-style one-way winder. There's a spring coiled closely around the shaft inside the spool clutch, it's anchored at the top you can see the small plate that holds it. If the spring isn't coiled tightly, it'll allow some backlash, or the anchor point might be loose.

Indeed it is most likely that the socalled brake spring is worn or not attached correctly. If it is worn, it is very hard to tighten it, and therefore should be replace by a spare spring - which is by the way hard to find.


picture of the windingshaft showing the top part of the brake spring

part of Maizenbergs book concerning the brake spring:

Further, if the shutter can't be wound fully, most probably the restiction gear was not positioned correctly after the shutter had been assembled. But reading the above, in this case it seems that the shutter can be wound completely.

 

[Thomas78]

I have a similar problem with my beloved (my first real camera which I got at the age of 12 in 1991 - the USSR was still existing!) FED-2(e) since it came back from a CLA where it got new shutter curtains:


FED 2a_I 61_02_Tri-X 400 200_032 von thomas.78 auf Flickr


FED 2a_I 61_02_Tri-X 400 200_034 von thomas.78 auf Flickr

About 40 % (15 from 38) show this effect, while the others show no problem at all.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I have a similar problem with my beloved (my first real camera which I got at the age of 12 in 1991 - the USSR was still existing!) FED-2(e) since it came back from a CLA where it got new shutter curtains:


FED 2a_I 61_02_Tri-X 400 200_032 von thomas.78 auf Flickr


FED 2a_I 61_02_Tri-X 400 200_034 von thomas.78 auf Flickr

About 40 % (15 from 38) show this effect, while the others show no problem at all.

Does this only show up when the camera is held vertical? If so it seems that some of the light baffels have come loose. Other problem with FED2 sometimes is that there is some play in the restriction gear, when - after some years of use - its screw has come loose (this of course is an easy fix).

 

[Thomas78]

Does this only show up when the camera is held vertical? ...

At horizontal orientation 6 out of 24 (25 %), at vertical orientation 8 out of 13 (62 %) are affected.

 

[Thomas78]

Other problem with FED2 sometimes is that there is some play in the restriction gear, when - after some years of use - its screw has come loose (this of course is an easy fix).

I just checked the screw, it was still tight.

The effect seem to have disappered or at least I am not able to reproduce it at watching through the shutter while operating it.

Perhaps I have to try a film test...

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Is the lens mount fixed well? the 4 screws into the mount are held at the back by two little metal plates, are these still fixed and at their position or have one become loose?