Zorki 4 speeds off

[mh2000]

Hello, I have a beautiful 50th Year Zorki 4 that has some issues. One is that the curtains are kind of not completley moving smoothly so I'm getting some minor banding which I think a CLA will fix (read the sticky), but the camera also exposes identically at 1/60th and 1/125th (I tested with film and fixed lighting on wall). Slow speeds and faster are all correct, 1/60th is bad. What do I have to do to fix this?

This is important being the slowest speed I can hand hold... almost like cutting my ISO in half for available light photography.

Thanks!

 

[Valkir1987]

The 1/60 on the Zorki 4 works on the slow speed mechanism, and if something in it is a little stiff, the 1/60 won't work properyor won't work at all. It is very close to 1/125.
Best way to set the 1/60 time is to lift the speed button (with a wound shutter of course), wind the slow speed mechanism and let it drop in at 1/60.

A good CLA is really worth the job for a Z4, even if there is only a problem at 1/60. The Sticky is very usefull for this. I got all my Z4's with dried up grease and overtensioned shutters, they all needed attention.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[mh2000]

thanks, this is reasuring!

I've read the sticky and Maizenberg's book on the subject, but I am unclear what exactly the slow speed mechanism does for 1/60th if the pin doesn't actually wind the slow speed mechanism (is the delay governed by the initial gap?).

It does make intuitive sense that a small error in the slow speed mechanism could have the greatest effect on the 1/60th speed.

Hopefully I can pull it all off and get this camera into service again.