new Zorki-1 user

[PeterL]

Hi,

About a month ago, I became the very proud owner of a Zorki-1 with an Industar 22. The Zorki is in quite a good condition (by far the best of the 4 I fondled) and the lens is great: it's even hard to find usage marks on the lens barrel 😱

I payed the full amount of 200 PLN (about €50) and added 25 PLN (€6) for a Leningrad-4 selenium light meter.

Then I discovered this forum. D'oh ! So now I'm bidding on a Summar lens on yaBe and stuff. You guys are really doing it to me. :bang:

Aside from that, the Zorki is great. I'm also the proud owner of an Olympus OM kit, and this is my first rangefinder. I have to say it takes some getting used to focusing with the squinty rf window. Also, a focusing handle instead of a ring is a bit strange. And I need to work on how I hold this camera, it's a different grip from an SLR. I also want to work on guesstimating the light without a meter and framing without bringing the vf window to my eye. Lots of film will go to waste for that 🙂 For the rest, it feels great to work with a camera that hardly does anything, but does everything it does really well. And it's darn small, I'm going to carry it anywhere from now on. In summary, I'm hooked.

My first roll of film (Portra400VC) came out okay. The negatives seem larger than those of my OM, and they're slightly rotated (left top and right bottom corner actually overlap just a bit with the perforations). The prints I had made (I don't print myself) cut off quite a lot from what I remember framing for, so I took a photo of a calibration chart to see what I can expect in the negatives and on the prints. The Elmar copy Industar-22 gives nice warm colours, quite charming and more muted, less exhuberant than my Oly lenses. I'll be checking what the difference is between wide open and stopped down, because I love the old-style rendering that I've seen on some of the pictures posted here. Which is also why I'm bidding on that Summar. An extra stop-and-a-half won't hurt either.

My second roll (XP2) is nearly done. Currently, my gallery has no Zorki pictures yet, but I'll have some scanned real soon and post them here for your viewing enjoyment.

Peter.

 

[santino]

congrats on your new Zorki!

I guess you got it from Poland?

 

[reagan]

PeterL, welcome to RFF and rangefinders... and Zorkis! The One is a good one. You're right, they're very simple shooters, but do well what they do. Enjoy the forum... lots of info and camaraderie here.

 

[Jocko]

Welcome indeed - excellent camera, excellent choice, and this is a fine place to be!

 

[hoot]

Congratulations on your acquisition, Peter, and welcome.

I have to say it takes some getting used to focusing with the squinty rf window.

Agreed; it is a bit small. But you can console yourself with the fact that it's much brighter than the combined rangefinder/viewfinder window of all later Zorki models. I prefer small and bright to big and dull. 😀

Also, a focusing handle instead of a ring is a bit strange. And I need to work on how I hold this camera, it's a different grip from an SLR.

Those things will become second nature to you if you use the Zorki regularly. In my opinion, its ergonomics are better than those of an SLR. However, people with very large hands may disagree.

I also want to work on guesstimating the light without a meter and framing without bringing the vf window to my eye. Lots of film will go to waste for that 🙂

Not necessarily. Carry your little Leningrad with you, but keep it in your pocket. Use the Sunny 16 rule to estimate the light, and set your camera accordingly. Then whip out the meter and compare its reading to your estimate. You'll find that after a few days, you've become an expert! Now you can leave your meter at home, or just use it in backlit situations and indoors, as I do.

You'll also find that even when you do use the meter, it is by no means necessary to meter every shot, as people whose cameras have built-in meters tend to do. Just meter a bright shadowy area, or a neutral gray surface, and stick with those settings until the light changes drastically.

The negatives seem larger than those of my OM, and they're slightly rotated (left top and right bottom corner actually overlap just a bit with the perforations).

Yes, they are indeed slightly larger, but the height/width proportions should be the same. On the other hand, the tilt you describe seems to suggest the camera could use a CLA.

The Elmar copy Industar-22 gives nice warm colours, quite charming and more muted, less exhuberant than my Oly lenses.

Quite so. I am currently using the Industar-22 to shoot color photos on commission for a travel guide.

I'll be checking what the difference is between wide open and stopped down, because I love the old-style rendering that I've seen on some of the pictures posted here.

The I-22 is a lovely performer at f/4. The bokeh is gorgeous. Since you're a former SLR user, don't worry about the fact that rangefinders don't focus closer than 1m or 70cm. Get as close as you want and let the foreground fall out of focus if you wish. It will look just fine.

For the rest, it feels great to work with a camera that hardly does anything, but does everything it does really well. And it's darn small, I'm going to carry it anywhere from now on.

Yep; you certainly have grasped the beautiful essence of the Z-1. Enjoy!

Currently, my gallery has no Zorki pictures yet, but I'll have some scanned real soon and post them here for your viewing enjoyment.

I, for one, am very much looking forward to them!

 

[PeterL]

Agreed; it is a bit small. But you can console yourself with the fact that it's much brighter than the combined rangefinder/viewfinder window of all later Zorki models. I prefer small and bright to big and dull. 😀

Oh, I didn't know the later Zorkis were not as bright. I actually find my rf window isn't the brightest, either. The vf is great, though.

Not necessarily. Carry your little Leningrad with you, but keep it in your pocket. Use the Sunny 16 rule to estimate the light, and set your camera accordingly. Then whip out the meter and compare its reading to your estimate.

Yes, that's how I was thinking of going about too. And, as you say, it's very easy to notice that the light is almost the same as before, so there's no need to get out the meter again. A built-in light meter is a luxury that trades brainlessness for battery dependence 😉

Yes, they are indeed slightly larger, but the height/width proportions should be the same. On the other hand, the tilt you describe seems to suggest the camera could use a CLA.

Hm, I'm quite reluctant to send it in. Hell, I want to use it 🙂 If it's just a slight tilt, who cares. I'll see what comes out of the callibration frame I shot & adjust my framing accordingly. My roll is done, just need to send it in.

The I-22 is a lovely performer at f/4. The bokeh is gorgeous. Since you're a former SLR user, don't worry about the fact that rangefinders don't focus closer than 1m or 70cm. Get as close as you want and let the foreground fall out of focus if you wish. It will look just fine.

I've actually never worked with foreground bokeh before *blush* I like how people on this forum actually go out of their way to explain things and frequently just post a picture to show the effect. And good photo's too.

And Santino, yes I got the Zorki from Poland. My girlfriend was living in Wroclaw until recently and we visited Krakow together. We discovered a few very charming old photography shops with Zorki-FED-Kiev-Zenith etc lined up on the shelves of wooden cupboards. I'd done my homework, and it was clear the shop owners enjoyed having somebody fairly young walk in, show interest in the archaeology they have on display, know at least a bit about it and have somebody along who speaks Polish 🙂 If you're ever in Krakow, there's a photographer with a big Leica sign on the main market square. He doesn't sell equipment, but he can point you to the shops that do.


Peter.

 

[hoot]

Oh, I didn't know the later Zorkis were not as bright. I actually find my rf window isn't the brightest, either. The vf is great, though.

The RF window is always tinted duller than real life so that the gold RF patch will "pop out" against the dimmer background. The Z-1, and screwmount Leicas, don't have this problem because using two different windows means that the magnification of the RF window can be much higher, and the VF window can be much brighter. (However, many high-end RF bodies, such as the Leica M3, have a combined RF/VF window that is practically as bright as real life; the RF patch being much brighter than real life.)

A built-in light meter is a luxury that trades brainlessness for battery dependence 😉

Not necessarily. You can also use a built-in meter intelligently, by metering a neutral gray surface in the same light in which you wish to take your photos, then ignoring the meter until the light changes. In fact, I want my next body to have a built-in light meter so that I can avoid the added bulk of the external meter altogether. The problem is that bodies which are both metered and reliable tend to be horrendously expensive.

Hm, I'm quite reluctant to send it in. Hell, I want to use it 🙂 If it's just a slight tilt, who cares. I'll see what comes out of the callibration frame I shot & adjust my framing accordingly.

Yes, you're right. In fact, I figured the problem could be that your film canister and/or film takeup spool weren't inserted all the way into the camera body. Double-check to see if your film leader is long enough. Check this page (click) for more info.

I've actually never worked with foreground bokeh before *blush* I like how people on this forum actually go out of their way to explain things and frequently just post a picture to show the effect.

Sorry, bub. The only photo I could offer for demonstration (i.e., foreground bokeh with the I-22) is one I'm forbidden to publish because it was commissioned for the travel guide I may have mentioned previously. Trust me on this, though, and try it yourself.

Have fun!

 

[Skinny McGee]

Welcome to the show... You will indeed enjoy your Zorki1 and that little lens is great I love mine... If you follow the normal junkie progression you will find your self wanting a 111A or 111c next. Then M3.. so good luck start saving..... Some one had posted this chart awhile back it will help with exposure..

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=13479


Here is a shot from my Zorki

 

[jonasv]

this thread makes me want one even more! definitely on the look-out for a nice zorki-1 with collapsible i-22 or i-50... hmm... i've been looking at okvintagecameras, but they don't have descriptions, so i guess i'd have to email oleg about it. unless anyone has recommendations where else to buy? locally is not an option unfortunately, and i'd like a trustworthy seller...

 

[kmack]

this thread makes me want one even more! definitely on the look-out for a nice zorki-1 with collapsible i-22 or i-50... hmm... i've been looking at okvintagecameras, but they don't have descriptions, so i guess i'd have to email oleg about it. unless anyone has recommendations where else to buy? locally is not an option unfortunately, and i'd like a trustworthy seller...

Fedka has a Zorki 1c in stock but you may want to check The Soviet Camera Store, I have never dealt with them but I am sure that someone here has an opinion.

 

[PeterL]

The RF window is always tinted duller than real life so that the gold RF patch will "pop out" against the dimmer background.

Thanks for the explanation.

(However, many high-end RF bodies, such as the Leica M3, have a combined RF/VF window that is practically as bright as real life; the RF patch being much brighter than real life.)

Thanks for "enabling" me 🙂 High on my wish list is a Zeiss Ikon body with the Leica Summilux 35/f1.4 and 75/f1.4. But it'll be quite some time before I'll take that step. First, I want to see how I like using the Zorki for a couple of months.

Not necessarily. You can also use a built-in meter intelligently, by metering a neutral gray surface in the same light in which you wish to take your photos, then ignoring the meter until the light changes.

Funny you say that. My OM-4Ti body has a built-in multi-spot meter which is a very good way to start thinking about the light, but I found myself spotmetering the palm of my hand rather frequently recently (as a substitute for a grey card) to get a feeling of the overall light in that place, instead of metering the scene or the subject.

Yes, you're right. In fact, I figured the problem could be that your film canister and/or film takeup spool weren't inserted all the way into the camera body. Double-check to see if your film leader is long enough.

My first roll was put in by the man in the shop. He counted 21 perforations (the site says 20) but only cut off the perforations, not half the width of the film. I've done the same with the roll I just finished, but I'll try cutting off half with my next roll and see what the result is.

Sorry, bub. The only photo I could offer for demonstration (i.e., foreground bokeh with the I-22) is one I'm forbidden to publish because it was commissioned for the travel guide I may have mentioned previously. Trust me on this, though, and try it yourself.

I wasn't actually asking for a photo, I was thanking you for the explanation and then saying how great the site was because many times there's photo's posted to show something, at the same time. 🙂

Peter.

 

[Skinny McGee]

Fedka has a Zorki 1c in stock but you may want to check The Soviet Camera Store, I have never dealt with them but I am sure that someone here has an opinion.

Oh Great i wish you would not have posted that site that is just to yummy!

Thanks Alot you#@%^ 😀

 

[hoot]

Skinny, those prices are ridiculous; I would go for Oleg. He will advise you on which body to buy. I couldn't be happier with my near-mint $65 OZ-1 (Oleg Zorki-1) and $5 OI-22 (Oleg Industar-22). 😀

Peter, that's a rather, um, tall wishlist... I would be afraid of dropping such expensive equipment, or having it stolen. (However, I agree with your choice of Leica glass on a non-Leica body.) The lovely thing about the Zorki is that it's just a picture-taking machine, and if you break or lose it, you can shrug it off and get another one.

 

[kmack]

Oh Great i wish you would not have posted that site that is just to yummy!

Thanks Alot you#@%^ 😀

We aim to please. 😀

Skinny, those prices are ridiculous; I would go for Oleg. He will advise you on which body to buy. I couldn't be happier with my near-mint $65 OZ-1 (Oleg Zorki-1) and $5 OI-22 (Oleg Industar-22).

I agree about Oleg, Oleg is the best in the business right now. But, Yuri (Fedka), even if his prices are higher, will stand behind his products and is located in the U.S. so shipping is not as much a problem for U.S. buyers.

 

[PeterL]

Peter, that's a rather, um, tall wishlist... I would be afraid of dropping such expensive equipment, or having it stolen. (However, I agree with your choice of Leica glass on a non-Leica body.) The lovely thing about the Zorki is that it's just a picture-taking machine, and if you break or lose it, you can shrug it off and get another one.

Yes, I know 😀 I love dreaming, but then I also love having teasers. I'm currently without a income, so the Zorki was very welcome as a cheap, but very impressive, entry into the world of range finders.

As an aside (and referring to the "load with a card or not" thread elsewhere), if anybody is reading this thread and wondering about bottom loaders: I actually find it ridiculously easy. It takes a bit more time than with a hinge door, but it's not the 3D puzzle some would want you to believe.

Right, time to load a new film & start shooting 🙂


Peter.

 

[ZorkiKat]

As an aside (and referring to the "load with a card or not" thread elsewhere), if anybody is reading this thread and wondering about bottom loaders: I actually find it ridiculously easy. It takes a bit more time than with a hinge door, but it's not the 3D puzzle some would want you to believe.

Right, time to load a new film & start shooting 🙂


Peter.

Peter

Good to hear that you find the correct loading method easy 🙂 It doesn't take much time either, once mastered. It takes less than 30 secs to load film if the leader is properly cut. That's not much longer than more common back door loading. It doesn't take long to master this technique. Leica knew what they were doing and it's probably best to trust their wisdom on this. 😀

The leader can be cut with scissors. They don't have to be perfectly straight at the cut edge- actual width doesn't seem to matter too. As long as the tapering is gentle, no sharp corners or cut perforations, everything should be OK.

And BTW, subject your Zorki to a focus test. More often than not, many of these cameras lose their focus calibration. The lens cam often gets misaligned due to improper or careless lens mounting. (Always do this with lens set at minimum focus, and turn slowly...avoid lens removal altogether unless necessary). The Zorki (and FED) used a movable cam which both allowed minute adjustments and gave plent of opportunities to go off. The roller cams of the original Leicas were far more robust.

Jay

 

[hoot]

I agree about Oleg, Oleg is the best in the business right now. But, Yuri (Fedka), even if his prices are higher, will stand behind his products and is located in the U.S. so shipping is not as much a problem for U.S. buyers.

Thanks for the explanation, kmack. Re-reading my post about this, I'm afraid it may have come across as rather flippant; you're kind to let it slip. 😀 I didn't realize shipping was such a big issue. Oleg charges me about $20 for shipping, which I feel is a normal price for the distance involved. His parcels always manage to pass Austrian customs unopened, and with a "TAX FREE" sticker slapped on... even with a Summitar inside.

Yes, I know I love dreaming, but then I also love having teasers. I'm currently without a income, so the Zorki was very welcome as a cheap, but very impressive, entry into the world of range finders.

"What your hands provide you will enjoy"... Enjoy your Zorki. No use lusting after equipment you can't afford in the near future. (Note to self: I need to learn to follow my own advice...)

It takes less than 30 secs to load film

Am I doing something wrong? I need both hands to stick film into the spool (one holding the canister; one holding the spool). This leaves me with nowhere to put the Zorki. I had the same problem with my M3, except that the strap lugs allowed me to dangle the camera from my wrist while loading the spool. On the other hand, the Zorki-1's wrist strap is attached to the bottomplate, so I'm still left with the rest of the camera in my hand. Unfortunately, I even dropped it on cobblestones once, for precisely that reason, while in a hurry to reload film for street shooting. Got any wisdom to share? (Sorry for kidnapping your thread, Peter.)

 

[PeterL]

Am I doing something wrong? I need both hands to stick film into the spool (one holding the canister; one holding the spool). This leaves me with nowhere to put the Zorki. I had the same problem with my M3, except that the strap lugs allowed me to dangle the camera from my wrist while loading the spool. On the other hand, the Zorki-1's wrist strap is attached to the bottomplate, so I'm still left with the rest of the camera in my hand. Unfortunately, I even dropped it on cobblestones once, for precisely that reason, while in a hurry to reload film for street shooting. Got any wisdom to share? (Sorry for kidnapping your thread, Peter.)

I'm sure you'll get your punishment for that in due time. 😛
I thought I figured out film loading, and the first time I did it, everything went *so* smoothly... But just now, I was struggling, and the wind button didn't even seem to catch the take up spool, and nothing wanted to do what I wanted it to do, until I noticed I forgot to lock the rewind unlock back into normal position *blush*
I also need some place to put the Zorki, but hey, it's a 50 year old camera ! It needs a rest from time to time 🙂 I haven't had the need yet to load it on the go, but I guess squatting down and putting the Zorki in my lap should work.

Peter