Leica style leader film - Zorki 4 ?

[JS1]

Hi all,
my first post is a really stupid question I guess. I found on the internet that for most early Zorki's, but also the Zorki-5 one needs a long thin Leica style leader.

I was give a Zorki-4 which belonged to my grandfather and I would like to shoot some pics. Does the Zorki 4 also required this leice type film leader or no ?

thanks for your help
Johan

 

[ZorkiKat]

No need to trim. The Zorki-4 has a sliding back. Leica-trimmed long leaders are only needed for bottom loaders like Zorki-1, 2, 2C and 5.

The Zorki-5, while bearing a latter model number, did not come after the Zorki-4. Back-loading Zorki started with model 3.

 

[JS1]

Many thanks ! I was indeed confused with the Zorki numbering

regards
Johan

 

[ZorkiKat]

Well, the Zorki-5 were indeed introduced after the Zorki-4, but not necessarily as a replacement model 🙂 The Z-4 went on to be produced long after Z-5s were discontinued.

 

[mnmleung]

Leica style leader film - Fed 2 ?

Leica style leader film - Fed 2 ?

Sorry to ask such a newbie question. I have recently purchased a Fed 2 and am wondering if I need to cut regular off-the-shelf film like I would for Fed 1. Is there some diagrams / photos available?

Thank you very much in advance. Ming

 

[MartinP]

The Fed-2 does not need a long "leica style" leader.

Only the bottom loaders need any change to the current standard length. These are listed above for Zorki. All the FED models after the FED-1 had removable backs and not bottom loading.

 

[mnmleung]

thank you, MartinP. Do the take up spools vary in how they look? I saw a photo on flickr and the spool looks different from what I have. Ming

 

[ZorkiKat]

Ming

The spools may vary a bit in appearance. But generally, FED cameras are not as choosy as Zorki when it comes to spools. The FED takeup spool shaft goes only halfway (unlike the Zorki's) so more spools would fit the camera. The difference in the spools- which cause incompatibility with some cameras- is often found near the base.

The later FED spools even had retractable knobs. This is not much use to FED-2 though.

 

[dee]

It's also a myth that the film does not have to be shaped for Kiev 2/3 etc - it needs a centre tongue ...

 

[ZorkiKat]

It's also a myth that the film does not have to be shaped for Kiev 2/3 etc - it needs a centre tongue ...

If you're doing cassette to cassette spooling, the centre-cut is indeed necessary. May also be true if using a takeup with a centrally located slit. But later takeups, including the DIY types made from 35mm spools will take normally cut tongues.

In the past (pre WW2), factory boxed 35mm film were labelled as "for Contax" or "für Leica-Retina-Uzw."