Z 6 on the way

[moretto]

I've spent some time looking for a good Z 4K..and than this one popped out ! Except the lack of slow speeds, (and cosmetics) what is the difference? Any tips?
It seems more robust than the z4K though....
..anyway, it is in the mail and I'm just showing off 😀.
I was thinking of painting it black, but this one is in very good condition..
I wonder why it wasn't popular like the Z4? At least in my region..there are tons of Z4 around, but Z6 is very rare.

 

[wolves3012]

You'll love the Z-6, they have a bright, accurate and easy-to-use VF/RF and are easy to load. When you get it, check that the door fits snugly and that the felt seal is intact (runs vertically by the hinge). Very under-rated camera in my view. The lack of slow speeds isn't much of a handicap in daylight shooting and the I-50 is a sharp, if not pretty, lens.

 

[moretto]

Thanks for the tip, wolves. I suppose there will be some light-leaks..did that on both of my x-700 Minoltas..I still have some spare seal material. As for the I-50..I had no choice but to take it along with the camera..but of course, I have a few good J-8s, and an I61LD waiting for Z6 😉)

 

[wolves3012]

I had to do my X-700 too but the Z-6 doesn't have the same seals at all. I had another look, there are 2 felt seals, one runs vertically up the body, where the hinge closes. The other is on the door at the hinge end, vertically again. Because they're felt they don't end up the sticky mess that foam seals do.

The main issue with a Z-6 is whether the back fits snugly and isn't slack or out of shape. With it closed, you shouldn't be able to press the middle in, especially along the top and bottom. If you can then you may have light leaks but try it first to see.

A J-8 goes nicely (some were supplied with one) but don't write off the I-50, it's a nice, sharp lens.

 

[oscroft]

Congrats, Z6 is a great camera - I certainly prefer it to the Z4

 

[moretto]

I had to do my X-700 too but the Z-6 doesn't have the same seals at all. ....
.....A J-8 goes nicely (some were supplied with one) but don't write off the I-50, it's a nice, sharp lens.

OK, in that case I don't have spare seal material 🙄 ...
Usually , before messing around a "new" camera, i shoot a test film, preferably color (so developing is not a variable like home processing). And I usually put it on the bright light or sun and roll it to be exposed in several angles for a few minutes. If no film exposing occurs, it is good enough for me.

I'm not writing off the I-50 in terms of sharpness and quality, got a black one which is pretty sharp, but let's be honest, it is ugly 😀 .. and I don't like the aperture ring, having to point the camera in my face to read the aperture numbers.. 😱

 

[wolves3012]

You may well find the seals are fine, they don't go all messy like foam ones. Give it a check over first for obvious faults and give it a test run.

And yes, the I-50 isn't pretty but it does a good job!

 

[lubitel]

fed2 and Zorki6 are my favorite FSU cameras. Zorki6 has a longer RF base than Z4, though I guess the finder isnt't that big. I used it with J-9 a bit and it worked well with it.

 

[nzeeman]

i love z6 - i had some problems with ripping film - but that was solved by cleaning rewind knob with wd40 to move easier...

 

[Spyderman]

i love z6 - i had some problems with ripping film - but that was solved by cleaning rewind knob with wd40 to move easier...

careful with WD-40 around cameras, and especially Z-6, becuase the rewind knob is just above the viewfinder. You don't want to have it leak onto the glasses and have to clean it from there...

 

[martin_t]

i love z6 - i had some problems with ripping film - but that was solved by cleaning rewind knob with wd40 to move easier...

Some of the pressure plates installed in these cameras
were too short, causing them to fall out when you open
the film door. Make sure yours is installed correctly, with
the shorter, top edge of the plate facing up.

 

[KoNickon]

I just finished my first roll with a pretty green skinned Z6 I got a while ago. It's a fair amount older than the Zorki 4 and especially 4K, so age does play a role here, but its features are nice -- long rangefinder baselength, larger rewind knob than the 4/4K (much easier to use), and an excellent dopter adjustment -- I think it's better than the 4 and 4K's. If I needed a camera but couldn't find my glasses (!), it would be the camera I'd take.

With the 4 and 4K, I think the Jupiter 8 is the standard lens; I could be wrong. So getting an f2 lens rather than the f3.5 Industar 50 is definitely a bonus of the 4/4K, but I am looking forward to seeing what the I-50 can do, since I think it's a Tessar design.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I think it is comparable to the Z5 that I just required from a fellow rff-member. I haven't shot a roll yet but my first impression is that it is a much nicer and better build camera than all the other zorki's that came lateron - apart from the Z6 of course which has the self timer (I have them all now, with the exception of the Z6 and the C-3 which compares to the Z4). It is much more modern design than the later Z4 and Z4-K. I am really curious about why they stopped production. The base length of the rangefinder is even longer compared to a Leica M!. The diopter is also really nice and the viewfinder is very clear.
My Z5 came with two FED lenses, not original Z-lenses of course, but one of them is the much acclaimed L/D 61, in my opinion the best FSU lens ever produced.
Enjoy your Z6!

 

[moretto]

hm I guess Z5 and Z6 are the same, only Z6 has hinged door and self timer... i've seen come posts about black body Z6, but they are out of date so I cannot see the photos..anyone has some?

 

[wolves3012]

hm I guess Z5 and Z6 are the same, only Z6 has hinged door and self timer... i've seen come posts about black body Z6, but they are out of date so I cannot see the photos..anyone has some?

They're similar but not the same (even apart from the door/self-timer). The Z-5 has a deeper top-plate and shallower body.

 

[moretto]

Now that You mentioned, Wolves, it is visible on the photos, on Z6, the top plate just reaches to the lense, on Z5, they are overlapping. Interesting.

 

[moretto]

Finally arrived. 😀
Unfortunately, the lens front element is scratched from years of cleaning, I guess. And it looks like it has nothing to do with the body, which is in mint condition. Looks that the seller (or the previous owner) threw in the first lens he found, just to complete the offer. Looking forward to test film with my trusty J-8. 😉

 

[moretto]

The first roll, the first problem. Shutter button is hard to press. No comparison to other Zorkis and Feds..much harder, more like big'n'heavy Zenit E. I have examined the problem, without dissasembling for now, and located the problem on the same "gizmo" as on the Zenit. The two pins (on the attached picture, circled red- thank you for the pic, Wolves 😉), should dissengage easyly when pressing the shutter...well, they aren't. They are clean and shiny, but they refuse to slide smoothly off each other. As the rest of the camera is working very smooth..is there any chance of dealing just with this two pins? Some kind of grease or something? Or some tip&trick?

Thanks in advance

 

[oscroft]

The first roll, the first problem. Shutter button is hard to press

Interestingly, the shutter button on my Z6 is quite hard to press, but it's not really too much of a problem.

 

[moretto]

OK, let's call it "inconvenience"..🙄.. I can live with that, just want to know if that is normal or not. And I'm not comparing it to Leica or Yashica... it is hard in comparison to Z4, Fed 3/4, Kiev4...