Zorki-4 Viewfinder/Framing

[Steinberg2010]

Hi - I'm curious to know how the view through the viewfinder of the Zorki-4 relates to the coverage of the Jupiter-8 lens.

For example, do you get everything visible through the finder on the resulting negative?

 

[brachal]

The viewfinder approximates the view through a 50mm lens, but it won't be exact. Expect it to be slightly off in some way.

 

[luiman]

My impression is that the viewfinder of Zorki-4 is quite longer than a 50 mm, at least for me that I wear glasses.

 

[ZorkiKat]

The VF of the Zorki-4 has the 50mm field, and is shown 'life-sized'. As with any other non-reflex finder, this VF shows slightly less than what the 50 will put on film.

However, the 1:1 magnification of the Z-4 VF put some compromises on what is readily seen through the eyepiece. Unlike most other finders, the extent of the frame edges are instantly seen. In the Z-4, the eye has to move around the frame to see what goes on at the edges. Somewhat like 'tunnel vision'.

Placing the eye farther from the eyepiece, as what would happen when eyeglasses are used, will make the tunnel vision effect worse.

 

[pschauss]

With my glasses on, the Zorki 4 viewfinder approximates the coverage of a Juipter 9 (85 mm) unless you make a point of looking in the corners. To a certain extent all of my LTM cameras (Leica IIIa&f, Zorki 1, Zorki C, Zorki 2C) have this problem, but for some reason, the Zorki 4 is more extreme. On the other hand, it allows me to use my Jupiter 9 without an auxiliary viewfinder.

 

[Steinberg2010]

Ok, thanks - so basically it's an approximation of a 50mm field of view and I should just take framing with a pinch of salt!

 

[ZorkiKat]

Ok, thanks - so basically it's an approximation of a 50mm field of view and I should just take framing with a pinch of salt!

If you want a better (at least better than what the onboard "50"mm finder on the Z-4) view which shows a fairly accurate field, you can use an accessory finder instead. These come in many forms- turret, imarect type (cropping window), or the zoom types. These are universal finders in the sense that they are adjustable to show the field of lenses from 28 or 35 to 135mm.

If you are only using a 50mm lens, the mirror/brightline finders would be better to use.

 

[ibraz]

Take a slr (not a crop sensor digital one) and a 50mm then compare what you see in both viewfinders.
You'll see, a Z4 viewfinder is not as bad as it seems at, you just have to get to know it in order to have fun.

 

[kievman]

the Zorki 45 shows very close to 100 percent of the frame, you just have to press your eye very close to viewfinder. And the Magnifcation of the Zorki 4/4k viewfinder is really a 1:15 to 1:00 magnification, or bigger than the life size- kievman

 

[George Bonanno]

For somewhat accurate framing with my FED 50mm f3.5 lens on my Zorki 4 I use a standard Russian turret finder set midway between ∞ and 1 meter. In most cases it's good enough. However at exactly ∞ or at 1 meter it's best to set the finder at the proper setting.

Once you get accustom to the field of view of your lens using the internal or an external finder one can accurately frame with utmost accuracy. It's just a matter of getting familiar with the camera and lens combination. Practice makes perfect.

In other words... take pictures. After about three, four or five rolls of filum you'll then be right on target with your framing.

When this mental and visual framing is set into your mind your pictures will be framed as imagined.