i did something bad... zorki 1 - getting paranoid :(

[hyunkseo]

hey guys i did couple things wrong today, and hopefully i didn't damage my camera. (It still functions fine i think)

so here are the things i did...

so lol being me... i TOTALLY forgot to trim the film and just loaded it. i shot it all day around 20-30 pics then i was like... wait a minute i had a 24 exposure film (and I felt some resistance on the film everytime i wound it) then later at home, when i took it out... it did not advance ONCE.

So I cut it, then I shot a test reel. Then when I tried to wound the film, I tried to wind it without engaging the film rewinding knob. Then I stopped myself from forcing the rewinding knob then quickly searched it then I was like wow... that's what the knob was for. stupid me. then i took it rewound the film successfuly and extracted the cartridge.

then i read after doing all this, that if i don't cut the film properly it might shred and rip the curtain??? is this true? I put a super mini LED light (Proton) and checked for light from the curtains in a pitch black room. When I put the LED light in the right compartment (where the cartridge goes) I see light when I OPEN the curtain (from holding the shutter in bulb mode) and no light otherwise (so I'm assuming the curtain is fine). i couldn't get any light to show behind the curtain when i put the LED light on the spool compartment.

do you guys think there is something wrong with this camera after the stupid things i've done to it?
and any tips for cutting the film?

thanks guys.

one way to find out, i'm going to get a color film from rite aid or something then get it developed that day then check the pics.

:/

 

[hyunkseo]

oh lol and one last stupid thing i did (this was before I found out i needed to engage the film rewind lever) was i twisted the shutter collar off (the shutter came off, but i easily put it back in and assembled it back) but i didn't twist it back so hard.

i don't know what would have if it will even break anything if i have twisted harder.

eek the shudderss.

i just shot a ilford hp5+ 24 exp film through a industar 26m hope it comes out okay <___<

 

[mdarnton]

I doubt you did anything bad at all. The camera is a tank, and there's not too much inside of it to go wrong, and anyway, it doesn't sound like you did anything too bad. If you'd have hurt the shutter, you'd know it, and see it.

 

[hyunkseo]

ok thank you.

so is the Zorki 1 (I ahve the 1D) actually durable? I've been treating it like a baby, and although one of the rule is not to be paranoid about these cameras, truthfully i am a bit paranoid from reading FED articles.

Was it early pre war or early FEDs that were weak and fragile?

 

[wolves3012]

The Zorki is not a fragile camera (nor are the FEDs) you don't need to be paranoid. Usually, it's the film that suffers if you don't set the the rewind lever before trying to rewind; it usually rips the perforations. You can get small chips in the mechanics from this and from bad loading techniques but it's not all that common. Just needs a little practice to do properly.

If you look at the top of the Leica LTM sub-forum, you'll find a thread explaining how to load those and the Zorki 1 is exactly the same. You'll probably also find suggestions about loading a film with a standard leader by taking the lens off and shuffling the film in with the shutter held open. This always causes arguments over the pros and cons but the camera was designed to be loaded with a long-leader film and other methods are pushing your luck.

The only real weak-spot on the Zorki 1 is setting the shutter speed when uncocked. Certain speeds, uncocked, could cause you to try and move the dial between what is really 1/500th and 'B'. If you force it, you'll break the pin that's there to stop this but you do have to be careless. As with any camera, you shouldn't have to force any of the controls so it should ring alarm bells if things are stiff.

 

[newspaperguy]

Wolves just gave you sound advice... and I consider him one of the true experts here. My Zorki 1d is one of my favorite users, and has not given me a problem in the 10 years I've owned it. Read the postings... and enjoy your new camera!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I'll go along with the others and add that we've all been there and done that.

The only problem as I see it is that there's no English instruction manual for the camera - I don't think they were imported by any one in bulk and it was only when the FED 2 came along that a manual was produced in English.

What we all did was scramble around for as much as we could pick from forums and so on: even books on the Leica II will help. Once you found it all then you have to sit down and sieve through it. In the end you'll find they are simple straight forward cameras; the designers of the FED and Zorki improved a little on the original model for it.

As Wolves says, take care loading (film must run smoothly over the sprockets but you can see that with the first turn of the film winder, then put the bottom plate on) and the rewind knob must turn with it. Plus his excellent advice about the shutter speed dial (again, we've all done it).

So enjoy the camera and post some shots.

Regards, David

 

[batterytypehah!]

Not much to add, except that cutting the leader to the required shape is very easy. I truly don't understand why everybody doesn't just do it the way it's designed, instead of risking malfunction or even damage (even though that risk admittedly is small).

Here's how, based on some Russian TACMA (tasma) film that was made for these cameras. Pull 10 cm of leader out of the cartridge. Leave three perforations at the cartridge side and make a cut to extend the film tongue to that spot. Give it a nice S curve towards the edge and make sure you come out in between two perforations. When you're done, the leader should be 9cm long.

It doesn't need to be super accurate. In fact, instead of a measure, I use my middle finger which is very close to 10cm from tip to knuckle.

 

[ktran]

As to whether Zorkis are durable: it's made it this far, to end up in your hands, didn't it??

I just count 13 sprocket holes back from the short side, and cut the curve with a sharp pair of scissors (sharp is important).

 

[farlymac]

If you want a leader cutting guide, you can usually find a Prinz brand one on eBay. It has guides for both ends of the film, if you are into loading your own OEM cartridges, and is not very expensive. It's little quicker that doing it freehand like I used to, but not really any better. Like batterytypeha says, getting the curve at the point between the sprocket holes is the most critical part, so it doesn't snag on the way through the image frame.

PF

 

[hyunkseo]

sample images that i got from Rite Aid's CD
film is Fuji ISO 800..

i dont think there are any light leaks...yay!

 

[wolves3012]

Wolves just gave you sound advice... and I consider him one of the true experts here.

You flatter me but I'd have to say I don't consider myself "expert". I have a good knowledge of the mechanics of most FSUs but I'm not so well up when it comes to the detail differences between years and such like.