I've just bought a Zorki 4 - Should I be scared??

[Limosos]

Hi,

I've just won my first Zorki 4 on Ebay. It seems to be in excellent condition, has just been CLA'd and was surprisingly cheap. The seller had an excellent rating so i took the gamble.

I've heard a lot of excellent reviews about the Zorki 4 and i'm really excited about recieving it but I have that natural sense of paranoia!

I'll be keen to keep it serviced and well maintained, but i'm not sure who I can contact about this. I live in the UK so if any other British folks have any advice I'd really appreciate it!

Also, this is my first foray in the world of 35mm film. I'm only a wipper snapper( the grand old age of 22!!), so i've always used a digital SLR for my work. Unfortunately - as much as I love my DSLR i'm finding it a tad too generic if you know what I mean? So i've ventured out a bit!

The concept of film loading is a bit alien to me, especially a bottom loader. Is this something I will struggle with??

Oh and on other question. You're all going to call me an idiot, but will the Zorki take normal rolls of film, the type you can buy anywhere, or is there a specialist type that I would need to find? Does anyone know a good online stockist in the UK per chance??

If any other Zorki 4 owners could give me a bit of advice as to what to expect it would be great!

I'm really excited about this so no one of horror stories please!!

Thanks for you time 😱)

Andy

 

[lushd]

Hi Andy - I am sure others will join in but to set your mind at rest about 2 of your worries, the glorious Zorki 4 takes standard 35mm film as available anywhere and the back comes off for loading. Oleg Khalyavin is the best person to service it - he lives in Ukraine but if it has been done recently it should give several years of trouble free operation.

Instructions can be found here:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/zorki/zorki.htm

Welcome to a lot of fun with photography.

 

[Xmas]

Andy

Jessops will have a wide selection of film if your local supermarket is too limited, the local supermarket may have a too antique minilab, Boots may have a later technology. Max Spielmann is cheap and quick will scan to CD for 2.90 GBP.

A Zorki may keep going for years if you use it.

B&W is easy to home process, the home process kit bits are available 2nd owner real cheap, you can buy 35mm film in bulk lengths and load it into a day light loader and load your own cassettes, while you watch TV.

You are spoilt for choice...

Noel

 

[wolves3012]

Andy

Jessops will have a wide selection of film if your local supermarket is too limited

Noel

Jessops USED to have a wide selection! Not so wide anymore I can tell you, at least not the main store in Birmingham (UK Birmingham, that is). They have 2 shops near me and they've recently taken the minilab out from the smaller one and kept one only in the main store.

 

[brachal]

You may want to get a light meter; the Zorki doesn't have one. Always cock the shutter before changing speeds. Always. Failure to do so may damage the shutter.

You should be afraid. The Zorki 4 is a notorious "gateway camera." Nobody on this forum has only one FSU camera. It starts innocently enough, but then, before you know it, you'll want to try a Fed -- a nice Fed 2 most likely -- and then a few lenses. You'll spend long hours wondering if Jupiters really are better than a good Industar. You may perform a lens test. Then you'll "need" a Zorki 6, or maybe one of the bottom loaders. Then you'll read a random thread and end up with a couple of Kiev bodies and an assortment of Kiev-mount Jupiters.

Oh yes, be very afraid. I know. It happened to me. 🙂

 

[wolves3012]

Hi Andy, welcome to RFF!

The Zorki 4 is a highly competent camera provided it's working properly. It takes standard 35mm film and it's not a bottom-loading camera, the whole back comes off, so it's pretty painless to load. The Jupiter 8 lens usually found on Zorki 4s is a nice lens, most people like it and it's fairly fast at f/2. First rule to learn, however, is NEVER alter the shutter speed unless you've cocked it. Doing so is quite possibly going to break the mechanism when you next wind on. If you do alter it accidentally, do this:

First, lift the knob and turn it clockwise as far as possible before winding, setting the last possible speed. Wind very gently and feel for extra resistance. If there is any, STOP winding and lift-and-turn clockwise again. Keep going like this until the shutter is cocked (it should end up on 1/30) then set as desired.

As regards servicing, if you're mechanically minded it's not difficult to do it yourself. There's a sticky thread on here, that I wrote, that would show you what you need to know if you attempt it. If you feel it's beyond you there are several recommended repairers if you look through the posts on here, although I'm not sure about UK ones.

Anyway, have fun and enjoy!

 

[wolves3012]

...this is my first foray in the world of 35mm film. I'm only a wipper snapper( the grand old age of 22!!), so i've always used a digital SLR for my work.

You're all going to call me an idiot.

If any other Zorki 4 owners could give me a bit of advice as to what to expect it would be great!

Andy

First, remember a film camera doesn't have a "review" or a "delete". Either pause before the shot or accept a lot of dud pictures. Also remember the Zorki doesn't have a light meter, either get one and learn to use it properly or try your luck at guessing!

We won't call you an idiot - we all started with zero knowledge too!

What to expect: Initially probably a lot of badly-exposed or blurred pictures (or both). Once you get the hang of it you can expect high-quality sharp ones!

Hints:
Try and memorise the F.A.S.T. rule: F-Focus, A- set Aperture, S-set Shutter then T-Take the picture. Remember the camera is FULLY manual; what you forget to set won't set itself, though you may be lucky! Returning the focus to infinity after each shot means you can only turn it the right way for the next one. To speed things up for opportunist shots you can also set the lens to hyperfocal distance (look it up) to maximise the chances of in-focus quick-shots.

 

[Limosos]

Thanks a lot for all of your advice, you wouldn't believe how useful it already is! I think my DSLR has made me a bit lazy, so this should be a good, fun kick up the bum!

I'll post some images as soon as I've managed to take some!

Incidentally, do any of you know where I could get my hands on a Zorki 4 repair/maintenance manual? So i can CLA it myself?

Book or PDF download are fine.

Thanks peeps!

Andy

 

[mike goldberg]

First of all, welcome Limosos! Where are you in the UK?

You can have a look at my Zorki-4 below; it is a recent arrival, having been CLA'd by Oleg in Russia. Let me add, I've had several different FSU cameras, and the Zorki-4 is my favorite!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegoldberg/1171652915/

Here's a question for wolves3012: I noted your comment about setting the shutter on 1/30. Of course I wind & cock before changing speeds with the small, knurled knob but why 1/30... and when?

Regarding maintenance, there isn't much to do except use it with moderate care, as you would any camera. Much has been written in RFF on film vs. digital. Let me tell you this: more than a few of us here use digital cameras, as well. It's best if I speak for myself. Tho' I'll pick up any tool to do the job, with a Leica or Zorki, I feel the joy of photography, and I feel like I'm a part of photographic history.

BTW: When you get your hands on a Zorki-4 user guide or repair manual, please share the Link.

Enjoy and ciao...

 

[fidget]

Welcome Andy, to the camera world equivalent of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Yes, you should be scared 😱
You are now at the top of the famous slippery slope. Having ordered a Zorki 4 (very nice BTW and a good first choice) you will have one foot on the slope and need only the tiniest nudge to be on your way down, collecting FSU cams as you go.
As far as most accepted wisdom goes, the slope could be bottomless, leading on to more exotic marques and rare examples. By the time that you discover how ridiculously easy and cheap it is to develop your own film (the real silver stuff), how good it can look.....you will be lost......Good luck. Please give us reports on your progress, so we know that we are not on the slope alone.

OTOH, you could leave the camera in the box and never look at it.......that might help 😉

Dave...🙄

 

[Limosos]

Haha you guys have been brilliant! I'm more excited now than ever!

How tricky is it to learn to develop your own photos? Can you do this with regular rolls of film?

 

[wolves3012]

Incidentally, do any of you know where I could get my hands on a Zorki 4 repair/maintenance manual? So i can CLA it myself?

Have a look at the top of the FSU forum on here. There's a sticky thread that I wrote, with pictures, showing how to CLA the Zorki 4 and 4K. It goes far enough to CLA one pretty thoroughly. The one in the pictures is now silky-smooth, fully functioning and takes perfectly exposed shots! You'll need a few basic tools but nothing exotic.

 

[wolves3012]

Here's a question for wolves3012: I noted your comment about setting the shutter on 1/30. Of course I wind & cock before changing speeds with the small, knurled knob but why 1/30... and when?

Simple. The danger from winding *after* adjusting the speed is that you'll foul up the slow-speed mechanism and break something by winding it beyond its limits. By progressively winding on as I described you'll end up on 1/30, almost guaranteed. This speed is furthest from the slow-speed escapement's limit, so you won't damage anything.

This is true for any FED/Zorki with slow-speeds. Having taken many of these cameras apart and seeing how they work, I can't honestly see how you can damage one that doesn't have slow-speeds and the ones with aren't too easy to ruin, but it *can* be done and it has been. You need to be pretty careless to do it and ignore the force required when winding far enough to break it.

On most models, it's pointless trying to set the speed before cocking because the final setting can't be seen. Exceptions are the models with the inner/outer two-piece shutter dials (like Zorki 2, 2C, 5, 6 and FED 2) and Kievs. These can safely be set before cocking, although on Kievs there's some question whether the mechanism is set properly if you do.

Rather than try and remember which can and can't, it's just simpler to wind before cocking, on all models.

 

[mike goldberg]

It's good to have this info from a man that has been inside and done CLA. Even for those not so proficient mechanically, your CLA post [in FSU RF] is worth looking at, to know what's inside, under the top plate.
QUESTION: On some FSU models, moving from slow to high speeds is more smooth, than the the other way around. Care to comment?
Thanks...

 

[wolves3012]

It's good to have this info from a man that has been inside and done CLA. Even for those not so proficient mechanically, your CLA post [in FSU RF] is worth looking at, to know what's inside, under the top plate.
QUESTION: On some FSU models, moving from slow to high speeds is more smooth, than the the other way around. Care to comment?
Thanks...

I was doing the CLA anyway, so I thought I may as well document it and share. The 4/4K are such common cameras that plenty of people might benefit.

Moving from high to slow speeds, on cameras so equipped, means winding up the slow-speed escapement. It's used to delay the second curtain beyond the "natural" time of the shutter (about 1/25 second). The slower the speed, the more it gets wound up and the longer the delay. It's just a simple mechanical timer. Changing to a higher speed allows it to unwind again, which is what the buzzing noise is if you do it quickly or fire the shutter. Kievs engage this mechanism below 1/125 and FED/Zorkis below 1/30.

 

[kuvvy]

I'm sure you will enjoy the Zorki Andy. It will be completely diferent than using your digital camera that's for sure. I had a Zorki 4 a long while ago which I sold. But I have a Zorki 4K arriving this week along with the Jupiter 8 lens.

 

[blw]

I might need that CLA thread soon too. I just finished the first roll in my 4K and when I went to open the back to remove the film, I saw (luckily it was low light in a bar at night) all the film on the right hand spool.....ugh.

So I quickly closed it back & haven't tried to salvage it. I'm taking it to my camera shop today to see if they can salvage it for me or if I get forced into home developing finally to salvage it myself.

Anyway, I wasn't all that surprised to find the film on the wrong side of the chamber. The wind-on mech seems very rough & a bit tight. Is this what happens if you change shutter speed without cocking (which I did do once or twice)? Maybe CLA won't be enough.....

Sorry to hijack a bit Limosos, but welcome to RFF & the top of the slippery slope! Enjoy the ride down.

 

[gb hill]

Thanks a lot for all of your advice, you wouldn't believe how useful it already is! I think my DSLR has made me a bit lazy, so this should be a good, fun kick up the bum!

I'll post some images as soon as I've managed to take some!

Incidentally, do any of you know where I could get my hands on a Zorki 4 repair/maintenance manual? So i can CLA it myself?

Book or PDF download are fine.

Thanks peeps!

Andy

Donald has a pdf on the Zorki 4 in post #2. You guys, and Mike this includes you also since you requested a manual, should read the threads.😉 😀

 

[gb hill]

Limosis you stated the camera has already been cla'd so you won't need to cla it again. Just use it.🙂 BTW welcome to the real world.😉

 

[Limosos]

Donald has a pdf on the Zorki 4 in post #2. You guys, and Mike this includes you also since you requested a manual, should read the threads.😉 😀

Do you have a link to that please?

Thanks muchly!