Zorki 4 Back Query

[ImpMan71]

Hi,
I have just bought a job lot of Fed's & Zorki's as spares or repairs:
Fed 2
Fed 5
Zorki 4
Zorki 4K
Other than the 5, they all work to a degree. The Fed 2 actually had a film in which I failed to notice until it was too late :-( but after adjusting the range finder seems fine other than most of the black paint is flaking. I have a test film it in & just need it to stop raining to give it a go!
Is there a way of separating the backs to remove the chrome base?
I want to repaint them - possibly have them powder coated.
I can see 3 screws for the tripod mount, but cannot see how the catches disassemble.
Thanks for any advice.
Colin

 

[wolves3012]

For the Zorki, rotate the catch 90 degrees and you'll see a pin pushed right through the part that flips. That pin retains the catches and IF you can get it out there's your answer. If not, you're stuck. On the FED 2, there's a screw on the inside, with a lock-screw threaded into the centre of it. I have never undone them but I assume it would release the catch.

 

[ForestCap]

On FED-2, the small pillars that poke into film canister and take up spool have screws in them, unscrew them and the big screw for the tripod mount, then everything's released. But Zorki-4 doesn't have the same structure, I couldn't figure out a reversible way to remove them.

 

[ImpMan71]

Hi,

Thank you both, when I have run the test film through the FED I will take a look.
I have just looked at the Zorki and as you say, I cannot see a way to knock the pins out as there is no clearance to knock the pin through.
Wolves, I'm struggling a bit with the slow speed mechanism on the Z4 - on 1000th it fires when the shutter button is released rather than pressed occasionally (this was my reason for stripping it). Also on half second sometimes it doesn't stay open as long as it should - any suggestions?
It seems the positioning of the slow speed mechanism is very critical, is it possible I just need to keep trying to reposition it?

Thanks again,
Colin

 

[wolves3012]

ImpMan, the 1/1000th is not affected by the slow-speed escapement. If it fires when you release the button, the curtain latch isn't working properly and it's generally higher speeds that are affected by that. Suggestions: the spring that pushes the crescent-shaped arm is incorrectly fitted, it's applying too much force or the arm itself isn't properly free or is dirty/greasy. Check out those points. With regards to fitting the s/s mechanism, there's usually a little "wiggle room" in the exact positioning on its screws and that can make a small difference to effective speeds, most noticeably 1/15th. Assuming you wound it up far enough when re-fitting and the drive pins are properly engaging each other, I can't offer any ideas why only a half-second would be wrong, sorry. Usually, if 1/15th is right the others will all follow. You might try re-fitting the speed selector with the top-plate still off, winding on then setting various speeds to satisfy yourself the s/s is engaging and being wound up as expected.

 

[ImpMan71]

Hi Wolves, sorry for my late reply! I put a small drop of oil under the sprung pawl that holds the second curtain, I think I'm right in saying and it all works fine now. I processed my test roll and all good. I just need to look at the 4K which has a similar fault and then have a go at the Fed 5b. This is the first camera I have seen where the curtains are almost transparent in places -I'm guessing where they have burnt through. I also need to see if I can get the selenium cell to work first before I try changing the curtains.
Thanks ever so much for the 4K sticky on here Wolves, it helped me get my first one working about 5 years ago and now this one - hopefully the next!

 

[wolves3012]

This is the first camera I have seen where the curtains are almost transparent in places -I'm guessing where they have burnt through.

Possibly not burnt through. In my experience, later FEDs often have terrible curtain fabric that sheds the rubber coating. Not that it helps much to know why they've fallen apart if they have...

 

[ImpMan71]

It does look a large area to have burned through!
Will be good practice before I do one of my Leica's!