Pros or Cons on Zorki 6

[Austintatious]

I would like some info on the reliability of the Zorki 6 please. I have always owned Japanese cameras in the past and have come to trust them. While considering an FSU Rangefinder as my next purchase, I must admit that I do not really think I want a bottom loader. I also like the lever film advance on the Z6. I would love to hear comments from those of you who have owned or used one. Likes or dislikes etc. 😀

Thanks a lot !

Charles

 

[dgray]

I started a thread called "viewfinder magnification of FEDs and Zorkis" where we are currently discussing the viewfinder of the Zorki 6 and I am considering much the same question. Have a look!

 

[Nickfed]

The Zorki-6 is a good camera that served me well. The film advance lever is not a great asset. It is uncomfortable and too long a stroke. I usually use two short strokes. The swing door back is unique but it's not an asset either. The lock is crude and it can open by accident. I use a strip of gaffer tape for safety. While nobody will claim bottom loaders are a good idea, they aren't that bad. Removable backs are a good idea, and much better made than the Z-6 door.

I don't think the Zorki-6 is a good camera to buy. They seem to attrract a price premium they don't deserve.

A trap for young players!!

 

[Paul Connet]

Hi Charles,

IMO the Z-6 is a very nice camera. I started down the FSU addiction road with a FED-2, then a few Zorki 1's and a couple of NKVD FED 1's, then Keivs and Z-4 and Z-3s, and finally a Zorky 6. It has the limitations of 1/500 top speed and 1/30 slow speed, but that covers most daytime photo ops. It has a good lever wind, a hinged back for easy loading, a pretty fair combined viewfinder/rangefinder with a decent base-length for focusing accuracy, and a nice sized body for carrying around. Some folks do not like the ribbed nylon body covering, but I have no complaints. It looks good and feels fine.

Mine came from the FSU in pretty good shape with none of the usual things that plague most buyers. The only complaint I have is the shutter release on mine is very stiff. Even with a large soft-release I have to be careful when taking a shot not to jerk the camera. I have so many different cameras that this one does not get used much so I have not had the inclination to fix the stiffness problem.

Regards, Paul C.

 

[Paul Connet]

The Zorki-6 is a good camera that served me well. The film advance lever is not a great asset. It is uncomfortable and too long a stroke. I usually use two short strokes. The swing door back is unique but it's not an asset either. The lock is crude and it can open by accident. I use a strip of gaffer tape for safety. While nobody will claim bottom loaders are a good idea, they aren't that bad. Removable backs are a good idea, and much better made than the Z-6 door.

I don't think the Zorki-6 is a good camera to buy. They seem to attrract a price premium they don't deserve.

A trap for young players!!

Nickfed posted this while I was responding so did not get to see his comments until after posting mine.

I suspect Nickfeds Z-6 was mistreated a bit before he got it from the FSU. I have not experienced any of the troubles he talks of. Two-stroking the lever wind is pretty straight forward if you want to do it, and is really not necessary if you do not want to do it. The back door on mine has never popped open and a hinged back door is much faster than the removable back models IMO. The removable back models, (Z-4 & Z-3s) are clunkers and ergonomical nightmares by comparison. They are good for warding off a mugger though. 🙄

Anyway it is your money and your choice. You will want to try them all in good time anyway. 😀

Regards, Paul C.

 

[DaveP]

The Z6 is probably the easiest to use of the FSU's. The latch on the door can be easily fixed by removing two screws and bending the spring slightly. The lever wind makes it easier to advance with out taking your eye from the view finder. Good solid camera, slim and neat. Way better than a Z 4 , and a lot nicer looking........

 

[Nickfed]

I suspect Nickfeds Z-6 was mistreated a bit before he got it from the FSU.

I think not, it was virtually new when I got it. The lock is neither well-designed nor well-made. It wouldn't have gotten off the drawing board at Cosina. I am not alone with this problem. - nor with the solution. Meanwhile the Zorki-4 has two locks, both worthy of a Mack truck, and I have never heard of one coming open by accident.

I like my Zorki-6. It is nontheless a down-market camera and its design qualities are accidental. And it is definitley overpriced for the unwary. 🙄

 

[Austintatious]

Thanks all. Lots of information here. I guess in the final analysis it's all up to me anyway. Most FSU cameras are in need of some sort of work any way. I suppose any LTM lens will fit a Z6. I think I like the Jupiter 8 for looks and speed. As for the nylon covering, I would replace that with leather any way. Any one on the forum have one they will part with for a reasonable sum ?

Charles

 

[Nickfed]

Haha! One thing I would never complain about is the nylon trim. There is nothing wrong with it, it has never occurred to me that it might be seen as inferior, and it is as good as the day it was made.

 

[reagan]

"The removable back models, (Z-4 & Z-3s) are clunkers and ergonomical nightmares by comparison. They are good for warding off a mugger though."

Zorki.4 : 1956 ~ 1973 - 1,715,677 copies made
Zorki.6 : 1959 ~ 1966 - 385,207 copies made

I guess the Clunker Market held up pretty good. Of course, the "Personal Weapon" angle probably accounted for most of the demand, heh? 😉

Good luck, Charles!

 

[kvanderlaag]

I love my Zorki 6. I rave about it a lot here, really. It's a good, solid camera, with reliable speeds, full features, and a nice bright finder with diopter correction. The hinged back is a huge help, and it loads nice and smooth. It's my street shooter, and the one I carry around when I need a camera that I know will perform. I've become quite attached to mine, and I got it for about fifty dollars Canadian.

 

[Laika]

I would like some info on the reliability of the Zorki 6 please. I have always owned Japanese cameras in the past and have come to trust them. While considering an FSU Rangefinder as my next purchase, I must admit that I do not really think I want a bottom loader. I also like the lever film advance on the Z6. I would love to hear comments from those of you who have owned or used one. Likes or dislikes etc. 😀

Thanks a lot !

Charles

A Zorki 6 would be a good intro to FSU RF's IMO. Its a hinged back film loading is very easy and familiar to just about anyone who has used a film camera. Its has one of the longest RF base lengths so it will have great focusing accuracy but this may only show using telephoto lenses like the J9 or the faster 50mms like the J3 at or near wide open. While it lacks the slow shutter speeds in my (and others) experience if your going to have a problem with the shutter its going to be one of the slow speed, yeah a service will fix the problem its going to cost you about what you paid for the camera (if buying out of russia). The winders are normally smooth for a Soviet (much better on average than the Zorki 5). The finders are good IMO but not as good as the Zorki 3/4 models (they are as good as it gets for FSU RF's)... Oh and try and get one with a J8 over the Ind-50 (or just buy a nice J8), the Ind-50 is good optically (but ugly to look at) but the J8 is the king of the FSU 50's and the extra stops are very useful w/out any slow shutter speeds

The only thing I'm not really big on is the look compared to some of the other Soviet offering. If you want to see how good a Zorki 6 can look check out these two custom rebuild by Jim Blazik, They are to die for IMO 😎

http://www.geocities.com/fzorkis/zorki_6.html

http://www.geocities.com/fzorkis/3opkuu.html

 

[w3rk5]

The Zorki-6 is a good camera that served me well. The film advance lever is not a great asset. It is uncomfortable and too long a stroke. I usually use two short strokes. The swing door back is unique but it's not an asset either.

I pretty much agree with NickFed's comments. I never had a problem with the lock though. Overall it's a good reliable camera if you get it from a good seller. Even then, you might have to do a little adjustments here and there. One thing I really liked about the Zorki-6 is it's viewfinder/rangefinder. Big, bright, and contrasty compaired to my FEDs.

 

[allthumbs]

I pretty much second everything already said here, pro and con. Some additional thoughts:

I like the look of the photographs I take with my Z6, especially with the Jupiter 8 or 12 and traditional BW films. I think I can perceive a difference from the look I get with more modern stuff, and it's a difference I like.

In terms of reliability and ruggedness, a good Z6 may be as good as anything out there, thanks to its overbuilt, bare-bones simplicity. In terms of ergonomics and features: eh.

Mine had very stiff wind action and shutter release at first. Over time, things began to loosen up. Now, after about nine months of intermittent use and excercise, both mechanisms are... well, less stiff. I don't need the soft-release any more. Winding is smoother, but some films are easier to advance than others (my bulk-rolled Tri-X being the most difficult), so maybe I have a pressure plate problem.

The stroke is long, so I learned to double-pump. This also eliminated occasional capping, so apparently that 'problem' was due to incomplete winding/cocking (user error!). That thin, toothy wind lever is not what I'd call a pleasure to use, though.

The diopter lever is easy to knock out of adjustment. You may have to fiddle with it often.

The door: I've never had it open accidentally, but then I like to keep the bottom half of the leather case on (I cut the case in half). This gives me a comfortable grip and also makes it impossible for the door to open; the downside is that it makes it impossible for the door to open.

With the older LTM cameras you're not supposed to change shutter speed before cocking the shutter. The Z6 doesn't mind. The Zorki feels a bit clunkier to me than a Fed2, but it is also faster and easier to shoot. The shutter speeds are limiting, but I would not trade any simplicity or ruggedness to have more.

The Z6 gave me a lot of what I wanted and needed: a cheap, simple, rugged and fuss-free entree to LTM rangefinders, FSU cameras and old-school film photography. Its flaws and limitations are quite acceptable for those roles, IMO.

 

[DaveP]

Ihated that nylon covering when I was shopping for one looking at pictures of it. When it arrived , i fell in love with the covering! It looks very good and has a super grip to it..........another bonus to the Z6 is the fixed take up spool.

 

[Austintatious]

This is just what I hoped for, lots of good info from nice folks who have experence with this camera.
Steet shooting is what I want it for (B&W) so it sounds like slow speeds won't be a problem. I do not think I can hand hold below 1/30 anyway. The black one pictured in the Soviet RF site is pretty sexy looking indeed!

Thanks again to all of you for the feedback !!

Charles

 

[varjag]

Slow speeds are useful when you have no other option; and with street shoot it is a fairly frequent occurence. The attached shot was done at 1/5 second (Kiev-4A + J8), leaning on a wall.

If lever wind is a must, maybe consider Zorki-4K?

 

[Jocko]

I also agree with everything here - to plump for a particular soviet rf is always to compromise between positive and negative features.

For me, the Zorki 6 has two significant postives - a long-base rangefinder and an excellent viewfinder.

The negative is the catch. I lost several films to the door suddenly opening, until members of this forum put me on the right track. An effective repair is easy - but the catch design is abysmal and unlike the rock-solid FED 2, I find it difficult to wholly trust the camera,