New member & Zorki-6

[Blank288]

Hi all,

After some years of gradually collecting and repairing a series of FSU rangefinders, and some months of following what's going on here, I realized that perhaps the most missing 'item' in the collection was a membership. So here I am ...

The actual reason for this message is the Zorki-6 + Industar-50 which arrived from Kharkov last week. It appears to be in exceptional condition - everything smooth and snappy. So first thing to do is shooting some film with it.
But since I eventually CLA'd all my Fed's and Zorki's (and had to change shutter curtains on some too) I think I'll lift the hood of this Z6 too, soner or later.
And here is my question to you experts. In his repair book, Maizenberg mentions a spring which is hidden under the transporting lever, and which has to be unhooked from it. I haven't found however one letter about how to reinstall this spring. Normally these kind of springs unwind more or less suddenly and forcefully 😱 during such operations and have to be retensioned to some extent. Does anyone of you have experiences with disassembling a Z6, and particularly refitting this spring?

I have temporarily no digital camera, so I can't post pictures of the lovely Z6. But I have a weblog with a sample of my photography, with FSU-camera's and some others mixed up. A real website is in progress ...

http://erikblankesteijn.blogspot.com

Erik

 

[DaveP]

Go ahead and take it apart, that spring is self explanatory once you see it, ,easy. I will add that the screw you remove in the top plate right there is the catch for other end of the spring so heads up on that.

 

[Blank288]

Ah. Thanks, Dave!
In the past I've had complicated experiences with loosened springs in other cameras.

 

[Valkir1987]

I have partially disassambled my Zenit 3M a long time ago, the winding lever spring should be the same as in the Zorki 6. Remember there is a small counter spring holdin the shutter. If you attach the spring to the great gear for the winding lever, you can tension it by gently lifting it and turning it into the right position without winding the shutter.

Greeting from the Netherlands. 🙂

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Welcome Erik,
and good luck with the exploration under the head of your Z6.

Brian.

 

[TVphotog]

Everybody is right. the spring is no where near as bad as the one in the Z4K. That one gave me fits. The Z6 spring pretty much just pops on and off. I had my second one apart and lubed and back together in an hour or so. Very simple operation. If you get to removing the shutters and such let me know how. I have sat staring at my first one(which is still apart) trying to figure that one out.

 

[Blank288]

Hi TVphotog,
Curtain transplantation won't be necessary. I've just finished a test roll with the Z-6. Everything runs as smooth and reliable as one could wish, and curtains are spotless. When the results are fine, I probably leave the camera as it is. (Would be the first time in certainly eight FSU cameras!)

I've renewed curtains on a Zorki-1 and a Fed-2, and partially on a Zorki-3M and -4. According to Maizenberg's book the Z-6 shutter has to be dis-/reassembled in quite a different way; it should be harder to refit the curtain assembly in the body. Maybe that's why you get stuck?

 

[Blank288]

Well: I picked up my testfilm and discovered some light leaks and slightly uneven shutter running at highest speeds. So off went the hood. I lighter-flushed and oiled all moving parts, re-tensioned the curtains, cleaned the vf-optics and replaced all light seals.
Indeed the lever-spring doesn't cause too much trouble once you discover the trick how to hook it on the setting lever. I picked up the hook with a small screw-driver while replacing the lever.

Erik

 

[TVphotog]

I haven't gotten up the courage to remove the shutter from either of my Z6s yet. On one, I know eventually I will have to. I do think that I need to re-tension the shutters. There is quite a bit of tension when winding the film. I may have to search out a copy of this book you speak of...

 

[Blank288]

Maizenberg, Isaak M., All you need to know about design and repair of Russian cameras. A collector's and repairman's handbook. (Private publication).

Getting involved in tinkering with FSU cameras more and more, I bought it some years ago. After all the book has been a fantastic aid, and I never regretted the purchase though it was quite pricey.
It describes only models (a.o. Kiev, Fed/Zorki, Zenit, Start, Moskwa, Smena, Lubitel and derivates) until 1960 or so, but constructions of newer types mostly can be retrieved with this book too.
I can recommend it, but it could be hard to find right now.

Erik

 

[oftheherd]

A quick search on the book's author and title gave http://websearch.cs.com/cs/boomfram...=http://www.g-st.ch/privat/kameras/zorki.html which is in German or a germanic language. Looks like lots of commentary but no photos on the innards of cameras. Might be of use to some though.

Welcome Blank288.