Zorki 4K first impressions

[ChrisPlatt]

My first experience with FSU cameras was very, very bad - a Kiev 35A.
It has taken me years to get over it and consider buying another model.

I have an Industar 61 L/D 55/2.8 lens obtained in a previous trade,
so I took a chance and tried a Zorki 4K - now this is a real camera!
The controls work well, good combined range/viewfinder, fit & finish
much better than expected, and the camera has nice heft and feel.

The only defect on mine is the RF patch vertical alignment is off.
Karl A Bryan will take care of that when I send it to him for CLA.
I am sure this rig will be a very nice shooter when I get it back...

"Excelsior, you fathead!"
-Chris-

 

[Jocko]

My first experience with FSU cameras was very, very bad - a Kiev 35A.
It has taken me years to get over it and consider buying another model. Chris-

Hallo Chris - I thought of buying one of those sometime in the 90s, when they suddenly started being advertised in Amateur Photographer. I phoned the shop and found the owner effing and cursing in considerable distress - he was in the process of sending just sent back a newly arrived batch of 100; every single one was faulty! Apparently some are transclucent too!

Mind you, they say the lens is great 😀

Enjoy your Zorki!

Ian

 

[Bas]

Adjusting the vertical alignment of the rf patch on the Zorki 4 is not as difficult as it may seem. If you make a little search, there is a post, I think by ChrisN, explaining very well how to adjust the vertical patch. I've seen also that some people simply rotates the mirror with a couple of pliers, but personally I went with ChrisN's approach and it did the trick.

Here's the link, it was in my bookmarks 😉
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6117&highlight=zorki+vertical+adjustment

And yes, I love the heft and feel of the Zorki. That's why I don't use a Canonet QL17 GIII, it just feels too light. With the Zorki I've made some shots handheld of 1/2 S, and they came sharp! The only thing that bothered me was the self timer lever, which I finally removed when I made my home made leather cover 😀

Congratulations for your Zorki!

Cheers
Bas

 

[comp_wiz101]

I found a much easier method for adjusting the vertical alignment
If you look at the other rangefinder window without the top cover, you can see to slots on either side of the round glass prism. Using a lens tool or small narrow pliers, you rotate the prism until it lines up. When I did mine, I moved it to see if it would, and I got it adjusted properly by fluke!

 

[comp_wiz101]

P.S. I use my Zorki 4k with I-61L/D... great combination! Sharp, pretty fast lens with a good shutter speed range and fast winding. A good home CLA and it can be a great shooter. The silkscreening on my shutter speed dial was rather worn out, and I was afraid that it would disappear. So, I made myself a B&W dial to print out and glue in place. Doesn't look as nice as engraving, but it looks good enough. If I ever get a laser printer, I can always print it out onto transparancy.
Here's my post on it:
Worn Silkscreen Syndrome Fix

 

[ZorkiKat]

I found a much easier method for adjusting the vertical alignment
If you look at the other rangefinder window without the top cover, you can see to slots on either side of the round glass prism. Using a lens tool or small narrow pliers, you rotate the prism until it lines up. When I did mine, I moved it to see if it would, and I got it adjusted properly by fluke!

Check if the RF really focuses right. FSU Leica-derived rangefinders require a sort of calibration which requires both infinity and minimum focus settings to be adjusted if the RF is work accurately.

See these rangefinder adjustment pages for directions on how this is done.

 

[lushd]

I have a Kiev 35a and it's cool. Works well and great little lens but I do wonder how durable it will be. But the Z4k is the business and will outlive us all.

 

[kiev4a]

My Kiev 35Ahas a decent lens and worked OK after I painted the interior with flat back paint to keep the sun shining in. Can't say I would trust it to be a primary camera, however. If you want a camera in that size range get an Olympus XA.

Just be careful with the shutter speed dial on the Z4K. The numbers are painted and can wear off.

 

[comp_wiz101]

Yep, I adjusted the rangefinder for close and inf. focus after adjusting the vertical... I had to do this already on my Zorki C