My Zorki crapped out for No Gear Sunday

gb hill

gb hill

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Looks to be time for a CLA on the Zorki 2c. Picked up my photos today for No Gear Sunday & light leaks are all through my photos. Bummer! I noticed my bottom plate was a tad bit loose but never a problem before. I have a light seal kit from interslice but not sure how to properly seal the bottom plate considering it's a bottom loader. Any ideas on how to go about it?
 

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I also don't understand why there are sproket hole leaks on the top being a bottom loader! Shouldn't the leaks be on the bottom only?
 
Leaks from the bottom would most likely show at the top of the frame. That looks like multiple leaks from all over the place - or is it even a camera problem?
 
Any chance that is stretched film instead of light leaks? Or bad development?

That looks entirely too regular to be light leaks.
 
Brian Legge said:
Any chance that is stretched film instead of light leaks? Or bad development?

That looks entirely too regular to be light leaks.
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Could be developing. I just assumed light leaks since the bottom plate is a tad loose. I did have some problem as I was rewinding the film. To top it off the CVS CD has a Trojan Horse type of virus that my AVG Anti-virus detected. My wife had to bypass it somehow to grab the photos. She checked the photos for viruses & they were ok. She is taking the CD back to CVS tomorrow for a refund. One more reason I need a scanner:) to scan my own film. Perhaps I'll try runing another roll through it. I did get 2 decent frames from it.

01212.jpg
 
I'm with Brian here on developing as the cause for those strange marks. Either the film was stressed or it wasn't agitated properly. Were these frames from the ends of the roll? I see similar things from rolls which had been reeled too tightly.
 
ZorkiKat said:
I'm with Brian here on developing as the cause for those strange marks. Either the film was stressed or it wasn't agitated properly. Were these frames from the ends of the roll? I see similar things from rolls which had been reeled too tightly.
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Throughout the roll except 2 frames. I haven't had any problems with the camera but I'm gonna run another roll through. This was a C-41 processed B&W film, perhaps the roll was bad or the processing. I did have a problem rewinding the film into the canister. At one point the film felt it was binding. Never had that to happen before. I'd still like to solve the problem with the slightly loose bottom plate If any one has any ideas!
 
gb hill said:
Throughout the roll except 2 frames. I haven't had any problems with the camera but I'm gonna run another roll through. This was a C-41 processed B&W film, perhaps the roll was bad or the processing. I did have a problem rewinding the film into the canister. At one point the film felt it was binding. Never had that to happen before. I'd still like to solve the problem with the slightly loose bottom plate If any one has any ideas!
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What happened to your film did not originate from a camera-related leak.

It could be that the film had trouble going through the rollers in the C41 processor. That's one way that marks similar to yours can form.

Check the locking tab which locks the plate to the shutter crate. If the looseness is up/down in direction, try bending the tab down a bit. Be careful not to over do this, as too much bending may prevent the tab from locking with the crate. If your Zorki has a circular tab instead of a tongue shaped one, this solution won't work.

Before doing anything, check if the central screw which holds the internl locking tab and the external key tab is tight in its place.

If the screw is tight, but the locking tab still plays, you might be missing a spacrer or shim.
 
ZorkiKat said:
What happened to your film did not originate from a camera-related leak.

It could be that the film had trouble going through the rollers in the C41 processor. That's one way that marks similar to yours can form.

Check the locking tab which locks the plate to the shutter crate. If the looseness is up/down in direction, try bending the tab down a bit. Be careful not to over do this, as too much bending may prevent the tab from locking with the crate. If your Zorki has a circular tab instead of a tongue shaped one, this solution won't work.

Before doing anything, check if the central screw which holds the internl locking tab and the external key tab is tight in its place.

If the screw is tight, but the locking tab still plays, you might be missing a spacrer or shim.
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I just checked the central screw & it was loose. Tightened it a bit & now the bottom plate is nice & snug. :) Thanks Jay! Still learning about these bottom loaders.
 
gb hill said:
I just checked the central screw & it was loose. Tightened it a bit & now the bottom plate is nice & snug. :) Thanks Jay! Still learning about these bottom loaders.
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Glad to hear that it only took a simple turn to fix the problem :)

The turning action of the key and tabs can make the retaining screw loose. One way to prevent, or at least minimise its possibility, any future loosening is to add lacquer or "Locktite" (the removable kind) to the screw's threads.

You will have to remove that screw to get into the threads. With the baseplate removed,

1. Set the tab to locked ("ЗАКР"-3AKP) position. Tape over the tab key to keep it, as well as the tab, in place.

2. Lay the baseplate on a table. Tape the baseplate to the table.

3. Remove the retaining/central screw of the locking tab. Be careful not to upset the position of the locking tab and its shims.

4. Dab the threaded body of the screw with nailpolish or lacquer or locktite. Then screw back into place.

5. Do not overtighten! I've seen the heads of these screws break.
 
I shoot almost exclusively with black and white film, and I always develop it myself to avoid the problems which sometimes occur when using a lab.

Another reason I develop my own film is the low cost. I got my developing tank used off eBay for cheap, and got the rest of what I needed at a local camera shop. All told, the cost was less than $50 for all the equipment I needed, including the chemicals I needed to get started. Developing costs are super cheap, 1 liter of developer is $3 or so (enough to develop ten 36 exposure rolls) and $8 will buy you enough fixer to develop 40 rolls.

You can find how-to videos on Youtube, it's very simple.
 
Frontman said:
I shoot almost exclusively with black and white film, and I always develop it myself to avoid the problems which sometimes occur when using a lab.

Another reason I develop my own film is the low cost. I got my developing tank used off eBay for cheap, and got the rest of what I needed at a local camera shop. All told, the cost was less than $50 for all the equipment I needed, including the chemicals I needed to get started. Developing costs are super cheap, 1 liter of developer is $3 or so (enough to develop ten 36 exposure rolls) and $8 will buy you enough fixer to develop 40 rolls.

You can find how-to videos on Youtube, it's very simple.
Click to expand...
Your right & I've been doing it for awhile but i don't have a scanner to scan my negs so sometimes I shoot this stock of B&W C-41 process so I can get a CD. As soon as I get a decent scanner & shoot my supply of film I will develop my own full time because I can print in a traditional darkroom to boot.
 
gb hill said:
Your right & I've been doing it for awhile but i don't have a scanner to scan my negs so sometimes I shoot this stock of B&W C-41 process so I can get a CD. As soon as I get a decent scanner & shoot my supply of film I will develop my own full time because I can print in a traditional darkroom to boot.
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You can find a good deal on a scanner if you look. I started with an Epson 8970 scanner which I found in a used computer shop, it cost me only $10 and worked great.
 
I'm with the others on this being a processing problem. I saw the thumbnails and immediately thought "developing issue"

I'm surprised that it happened with a machine running C41. It's not from scanning.
 
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