Problem with my Zorki

[brokenarms]

Hi. first post here. Glad I found this place.

I am having a problem with a large white line 2/3 of the of the way across the frame. It happens to half my shots.

I took of the lens , set the zorki on a powerful torch and shined it through the curtain.
I took a 20 second exposure with my DSLR pointed right at it on the ground with a tripod.

This is the result

I would really appreciate any help with this problem as I use this cam at least once a week and was my fathers from new back in the day.

Is there a safe way to seal these holes without hurting the shutter?

 

[Dez]

I am confused by your pictures. Is the shutter in exactly the same position in both pictures? In the second one, the shutter is only 2/3 wound. This is not a position that the camera would be left in long enough to be a major problem, even if there is a slight leak around the junction of the two curtains. Does the shutter wind properly all the way to the right, and discharge properly all the way to the left? If not, your problem is something other than a light leak. Can you please show one of the images you are getting with the white line?

If you have a line like that when the shutter is either fully wound or fully unwound, then it is likely that you have some problems with porosity of the curtain, and there are some things that can be done.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[brokenarms]

Thanks for the reply.

You are correct. I failed to wind it correctly before the dslr pic.

What should I be looking for. A light seal perhaps?

 

[Dez]

Again, there is something a bit strange here. Remember that the image is upside down on the film, and if you are seeing a white band 1/3 from the right side of the image, the leak will be 1/3 from the LEFT of the film gate assuming this is a leak in the shutter curtain.

There are other possibilities other than the shutter curtain for such a leak, but they are unlikely. In particular, check to see if there is any exposure of the film outside of the image area. If this is the case, look for inadequate sealing of the back on the right side. It is possible, but quite unlikely, that the two overlapping curtains are allowing a light leak only in one particular position as they are being wound. Just watch the curtains as you wind slowly to verify this is not the case.

Porosity in the curtains is quite common in old FSU cameras. If this is your problem, it is more likely to be in the leading curtain, but check by viewing through both leading and trailing curtains at a very strong light source. Assuming minor porosity in a vertical stripe in one curtain, this is easily dealt with. I have had good success using a very flexible black artist's acrylic paint. The kind I particularly like is M. Graham & Co Mars Black, which can be bought in a small tube at a good artist's supply store. Use a very small amount of it on a fingertip, and rub it into the cloth of the curtain from the rear while supporting the curtain with another finger from the front. The idea is to rub it into the fabric, not have an obvious coating. In fact if it is done well, it will be very hard to see. If you use too much, bits will eventually flake off and create white spots on your negs. The paint will dry in a few minutes.

Of course the best thing to do is to replace the faulty curtain, which is a fairly major job with this camera, and if you are not sure about your ability to do it yourself, you probably shouldn't undertake it. The sad fact is that the cost of having professional repair done will probably exceed the value of the camera. there are tons of Z4's available from reputable vendors on ebay at dirt cheap prices.

Good luck,
Dez

 

[brokenarms]

I have found something of interest.

Under a certain angle of view I found what I would describe as a small glazed line on the curtain. This line can not be seen head on or any angle other than the one the digital picture was taken. It a wear make . It seems to be in the same place as the mark on the pics and fades in the same place. I cant see any light penetration through it. Maybe at a certain angle light does pass through.
Here are some pics with the levels adjusted to show it.

I am going to try the paint you suggested on that line.

I guess I will not know till I use a roll.

Again thanks for your suggestions. Very helpful.

 

[jordanstarr]

I think you found the problem. It's not a pinhole issue and the line in your photos is too faint to be an actual gap. Because it only happens in half your shots, it's only on one of the curtains.

 

[farlymac]

It might only happen on half of your shots due to time between exposures. If you take a series of shots in rapid succession, you are less likely to get the leakage line. But if you take a shot, and wait a minute or more until the next one, then enough time elapses to do the damage. Lucky for you, this is not one of the earlier Barnack copies, where you would have to take the camera apart to fix the leak. That's why I retired my Zorki 1, I didn't want to tear it down anymore. Well, that and the squinty viewfinder.

PF

 

[Dez]

I have found something of interest.

Under a certain angle of view I found what I would describe as a small glazed line on the curtain. This line can not be seen head on or any angle other than the one the digital picture was taken. It a wear make . It seems to be in the same place as the mark on the pics and fades in the same place. I cant see any light penetration through it. Maybe at a certain angle light does pass through.

What happens when you attempt to shine a very bright light through it- something like holding the back of the camera an inch or so from a light bulb and sighting through the front of the camera? I suspect you have located the problem, but you should do that test.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[brokenarms]

i have a quite powerful large hand torch which I used in the first pic. I held it against the opening of the cam with the lens off. Cant see any light get through. Im not 100% sure I have solved this yet. Need to load a film and get snapping on my day off to test it. I got some of that paint you mentioned to smear on the mark.

 

[fidget]

Does the white mark extend beyond the frame on the negs?