Help! Zorki C film loader is giving me the business!

[kristatrieu]

I just purchased a Zorki C from ebay and everything works wonderfully. However I am having trouble with loading the film into the camera. The preforations won't engage the sprockets and they seem to just sit on top of it.

Also when I try to load the film it seems to get caught on something in the middle so I've got to force it down and it scratches the film. (I'm not sure if the scratching would happen when advancing the film, though)

Has this happened to anyone else? Is it fixable?

Thanks

 

[payasam]

After the take-up spool (with film leader attached) and the film cassette are in the camera, you should shut the camera and turn the rewind knob in the direction of the arrow before turning the advance knob. If the rewind knob rotates against the arrow, you will know that the film is properly loaded.

 

[batterytypehah!]

Welcome to the forum!

There's a long-running "sticky" thread at the top of the Leica LTM sub-forum with tips for bottom-loading cameras.

 

[martin_t]

That's odd. You might try pulling it out, spool and all, and then cut a 3 1/2" piece of film and do some testing with that. The film should slide in with just a little fudging. If it doesn't, it's possible somebody has misinstalled the pressure plate and/or clips. Put the shutter on B and see if you've got any spring in the pressure plate. It should move up and down easily.

 

[payasam]

My earlier post was based on my understanding that the teeth of the sprockets do not go into the sprocket holes except when the film is taut and the sprocket shaft is rotating. As for the suspected obstruction, I'd suggest that you remove the lens and look into the mount to see what's happening. That is, I think, what martin_t means.

 

[martin_t]

Remove the lens, fire the shutter on B and hold the shutter button down unless you have a locking shutter cable or you are familiar with how the shutter lock works on the camera. This will expose the pressure plate. It should look level and flush. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push it down. It should go down and spring back at all points. Do not release the shutter button while probing with the pencil.

Sorry, I wasn't very articulate in the first post.

 

[fanshaw]

When loading turn the collar around the shutter release button to disengage the film advance sprockets. You should find that if you turn the advance knob slightly the spool will turn and the sprockets will engage with the film perforations. You then turn the collar the other way to re-engage the sprocket drive and replace the bottom cover. Gently take up the slack in the film with the rewind knob and wind on. You should see the rewind knob turning as you wind on after 2 or 3 frames as confirmation that the film is advancing.
The only problem that I have seen is where the film is not at the correct height for the sprockets and so cannot engage.

 

[kristatrieu]

@fanshaw is there a specific type of film I need to use for this camera?

 

[kristatrieu]

Zorki C giving me the business cont'd

Zorki C giving me the business cont'd

Alright I think I've figured out the problem. After doing what martin_t said, I realised that the film is getting caught on the grey plate thing (excuse my lack of proper vocabulary, haha). Is it possible to loosen that so it becomes less flush to the pressure plate? Or am I just gonna have to wiggle film in whenever I want to load it?

 

[wolves3012]

No-one has asked the obvious here - have you trimmed the film leader properly? Unless you cut the correct leader you will have great difficulty loading it. The "how to load" sticky at the top of the Leica LTM sub-forum is a "must read" if you aren't used to the bottom-loading models.

If you have cut the leader you should not have problems getting the film in the camera - unless someone has removed the bodyshell/pressure-plate and re-installed it incorrectly. It has a bevelled edge to allow the film to slide in, this is on one side only and could have been re-installed upside down.

P.S. Welcome to RFF!

 

[kristatrieu]

Thanks =)

I did cut the leader correctly, I think. However the leader tongue is shorter than the ones I have seen in photographs on "how to" pages. I don't know if that really makes a difference, though?

 

[batterytypehah!]

Again, the sticky over in Leica LTM covers all this. (A sticky is a thread that's always near the top of a sub-forum, regardless of recent activity.)

For a Leica, you need a 10 cm / 4 inch tongue, with an angled cut to meet the edge of the film. It's also important to place this cut in between two sprocket holes.

 

[payasam]

The photo shows that enough of the leader has not been trimmed. You should start the cut 22 holes from the end of the film.

 

[wolves3012]

Thanks =)

I did cut the leader correctly, I think. However the leader tongue is shorter than the ones I have seen in photographs on "how to" pages. I don't know if that really makes a difference, though?

Yes it does make a difference - the difference between loading easily and being a PITA. You really need to cut the proper leader, looking at your photo it looks like you haven't.