Zorki 4 fragile?

[gabrielelopez]

Hi folks,

I'm waiting to receive a Zorki4..before it I had a Fed 2 that I loved and after I passed it as a present to a girl and decided for the zorki4.

Usually when I get one of these cameras in hand i use them for a while then I make them a total CLA...I don't care if the value of it exceed the camera, it just isn't a question about numbers...

Now i keep reading around good comments about the Z4 but even about how much fragile in use it is, expecially regarding slow shutter speeds..??

There is something particular about it that I need to know before use? can it be so fragile in reality??

Other than this, hope it comes soon, seems like it has been shipped one hundred years ago.. :bang:

Thank you very much..

 

[chojna]

Only the usual - ALWAYS wind on BEFORE changing the shutter speed
Otherwise same as any other FSU camera - some good ,some bad etc

 

[gabrielelopez]

thanks, other than the wind before trick...I got used to it with the Fed2...

I've heard about the biggert VF, is what I searched using the fed2...

tks

 

[kmack]

Fragile? A few weeks ago I scooted mine from the roof of my pickup to a hard concrete pavement. Dinged the corner and that was about it. I would not recommend pounding nails with it but I would not describe mine as fragile.

 

[xayraa33]

the wind mechanisim on the Zorki 4 is less fragile than the lever wind on the Zorki 4K IMHO. with FSU cameras and lenses it is always a gamble in the quality department.

 

[reagan]

"...but I would not describe mine as fragile."

Ditto. But I'm biased. I like Zorkis. My "pretty tough" story involves my wife, who, while moving furniture, books, etc. was carrying in her arms amid other things, my 1956 Zorki 4. Something slid from her grasp and in an attempt to catch it, she released the Zorki... grabbed for it but only succeeded in slapping it, increasing it's velocity before it slammed into the floor... after which, in an attempt to hurriedly step over it, she inadvertently kicked it into the wall!! (By this time I had passed out.) Total damage: none. Shot pictures that afternoon.

But even now, when I get into a disagreement with my wife and she verbally traps me in a corner, my last bastion of defense is, "Oh yeah? yeah? Well...... well..... YOU kicked my Zorki!! What about that?!!"

The Zorki 3 has a reputation for being faulty/fragile in it's slow speed selector. So a little bell goes off in my head when changing speeds to do it properly (as mentioned above) and according to the Zorki 3 manual. I don't abuse them, since, like kmack said, they're cameras and not hammers. But personally, I don't worry too much about babying the Zorkis. In the event of a worst case scenario, they can be repaired. Til then, shoot 'em.

 

[grifon]

There is quite a few rumours going around Z4's slow speech mechanism being "fragile". I have to disagree with that one, the slow speed mech in Z4 is quite simple, and its pretty hard to break it (I tried). What does happen sometimes is the whole slow speed module gets shifted (the alignment of it in respect to the shutter mech is crucial) and then it will cause trouble, but it is an easy fix.

The only reason why you wind before changing speeds is, if you select a slower speed before winding, the slow speed mech will be engaged before it is supposed to next time you wind it, and therefore it will be wound farther than it is designed for, so you're risking breaking the spring, or jamming the little gear on the bottom of the slow speed module, that releases the second curtain. But once again, if that does happen, its not hard to correct. (but you'll have to tear it apart for that)

 

[je2a3]

Slow speeds tend to be a problem in old cameras that were not properly maintained, even Leicas. OTOH, I've examined the innards of a Zorki 4 and the later 4K. The older 4 seem to be slightly more robust in build quality which confirms what everyone has said so far. If you get a working Z4 I don't think you'll have problems at all, it's either dead or alive. Nice camera and big VF, just a tad heavy and bulky compared to other FSUs for my taste. Good luck!

 

[Andrew McK]

I've found my Zorki to be pretty damn solid. Of course you should not be throwing the thing around. Just because it feels like you could throw it through a plate glass window or use it as some sort of weapon doesn't mean that you should.
It is a tool to be used, respected and looked after.

Saying that. I find the slow shutter speeds to be weaker than a FED's.
Not fragile, just not as good.
You won't break them as long as you cock the shutter before changing the speed but you know that as it is the golden rule of FSU cameras.

 

[Solinar]

The Zorkis are like trucks. I have two of them.

The reason that Zorkis have a reputation for troublesome slow shutter speeds is their gears crud up from dried out lubricants and can be remedied with a proper CLA.

My Zorki 3M needed servicing by Oleg, but my older Zorki 3 is going strong without any servicing on my part.

 

[gabrielelopez]

Thank you for your direct experiences..I imagine that like often happens, you can't believe many things you read on the web. I used a Fed2 in an intense way everyday for a year and really had no problems at all, and I'm totally happy that the zorky will do the same..

I just love the fact of getting nice photos with a minimal money waste, and FSU cameras attract me a lot...

I'll keep you updated when it will arrive, thank you a lot.