zorki 4k first impressions

[ampguy]

I thought I had a zorki 4s, but it's a 4K, anyways, first roll is off at the lab.

The case is awful, smells, and hangs upside down, best to put away, mine's already in the garage in a bag.

The viewfinder/rangefinder is brighter than any other RF I've had, way brighter and easier to focus than my CL.

The shutter sometimes seems to go off by itself, twice, I think it was that case, but something seems weird with that.

The shutter speed seems to align between 500 and 1000, but 500 is fine, so if there's no "750" speed, I guess the next notch short of the 1000 really is 1000?

Vertical RF alignment is a tad off, but horizontal is spot on, maybe the vertical is off by design? Very easy to focus.

Focusing (lens is J8) seems to go a tad beyond infinity focus. When I focus as far as I can see, like a mile, the lens can still more a bit?? So where is true infinity focus, at where my eye sees, or as far as the lens goes? Is this a lens issue?

The only "Cheapness" I really see in this is the dipter thingy seems cheezy, but for me it's just set (all the way to the front of camera for my eyes) and forget.

And then the shutter issue of going off by itself and having to cock before adjusting, and it feeling totally weird on the slow speeds like a rheostat, but I read that's normal.

Anyways, I will wait to see how the photos come out, but this thing seems much more solid than I expected.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

My Zorki 4K arrived with rangefinder vertical misalignment, too.

Chris

 

[clarence]

The viewfinder/rangefinder is brighter than any other RF I've had, way brighter and easier to focus than my CL.

Goodness. Perhaps your CL's rangefinder/viewfinder needs a cleaning? No offense meant, but FSU viewfinder/rangefinder assemblies are really quite dim.

Clarence

 

[ampguy]

first pictures from zorki

first pictures from zorki

fuji 200 print film, I am *very* impressed with the Zorki and Jupiter 8!!

 

[ampguy]

Hi Clarence

Hi Clarence

Perhaps my CL's is dirty, however the Zorki 4's is known for being pretty bright, for an FSU at least.

Goodness. Perhaps your CL's rangefinder/viewfinder needs a cleaning? No offense meant, but FSU viewfinder/rangefinder assemblies are really quite dim.

Clarence

 

[ampguy]

hmm

hmm

Is it a bad thing? It only caused me a little focusing delay, and today was my first time using a zorki.

What about focusing a slight partial revolution past infinity, anybody ever see this happen? What's more accurate, the stop at the end of the lens, or the VF/RF focus? (If it even matters)

My Zorki 4K arrived with rangefinder vertical misalignment, too.

Chris

 

[Laurence]

Perhaps my CL's is dirty, however the Zorki 4's is known for being pretty bright, for an FSU at least.

I have to agree here. I've had several rangefinders, including a Yashica Electro 35, a recent Voigtlander Bessa L, and a Minolta (forget the model). The Zorki 4K viewfinder is as bright as, if not brighter than most. The brightline framing was WAY better than the Bessa L's framing. I could barely use my glasses with the Bessa L, but the Zorki was great even with my glasses.

The images look extremely good. I am impressed with the shot of the glass and exterior bright walls out of that sunroom. There's a lot of dynamic range there, and the exposure is damn nice...stunning actually. I mean that...stunning is a good description of the excellent exposure of the extremely bright whites, yet the blacks are rich as well.

The first shot of the condiments on the table exhibits a silky smooth focal gradient (I sort of hate the term "bokeh"). Creamy and beautiful.

The hydrant shot is snapping-sharp. Look at the texture on the concrete blocks...

Regarding the infinity focus, I've never seen it make a hill of beans of difference, at least to my eye.

 

[palabras]

ampguy, how do you feel the zorki in your hand? is it heavy?

 

[Spyderman]

Very nice pisc. Zorki 4 is great camera and Jupiter 8 is a great lens. I didn't like one thing on my Zorki: that I couldn't see the edges of the frame. I would need an external finder, but unfortunately the Helios finder has only 35 and 85 framelines...

palabras: Zorki 4 is heavy. I used it with a handstrap and after walking in town for a couple of hours it IS quite heavy. You will have to start attending some nearby gym

 

[clarence]

What about focusing a slight partial revolution past infinity, anybody ever see this happen? What's more accurate, the stop at the end of the lens, or the VF/RF focus? (If it even matters)

Unfortunately, if the rangefinder focuses beyond infinity, it could also indicate that your other distances will not be entirely accurate.

You might want to just take a normal lens that has a marking for 1 metre or 1.5 metres and mount it on the Zorki. Place something large and with distinct vertical lines that distance away from one edge of a the table. Place your Zorki at the edge of the table and focus the rangefinder on the object. If the distance that you read off the lens after focusing does not correlate, then the rangefinder cam has to be adjusted as well.

Clarence

 

[clarence]

Very nice pisc. Zorki 4 is great camera and Jupiter 8 is a great lens. I didn't like one thing on my Zorki: that I couldn't see the edges of the frame. I would need an external finder, but unfortunately the Helios finder has only 35 and 85 framelines...

palabras: Zorki 4 is heavy. I used it with a handstrap and after walking in town for a couple of hours it IS quite heavy. You will have to start attending some nearby gym

Hence I decided to switch over to FED 2's. Once you realise you never use anything below 1/30s, there really isn't much point in a Zorki 4.

Clarence

 

[ampguy]

thanks Laurence

thanks Laurence

The 2nd and 3rd pics are very low res, and the default ones back from the lab on the cd were just over the upload limits. The first one is the full size.

I think that I will use it at wherever it seems to focus. I am guessing that maybe someone at one time took it apart and maybe allowed it to focus past infinity, maybe to work on a non standard LTM adapter setup or something.

In any case, until I get out of focus photos, I'll rely on the rangefinder focus.

I love the Zorki and J8 setup!

I have to agree here. I've had several rangefinders, including a Yashica Electro 35, a recent Voigtlander Bessa L, and a Minolta (forget the model). The Zorki 4K viewfinder is as bright as, if not brighter than most. The brightline framing was WAY better than the Bessa L's framing. I could barely use my glasses with the Bessa L, but the Zorki was great even with my glasses.

The images look extremely good. I am impressed with the shot of the glass and exterior bright walls out of that sunroom. There's a lot of dynamic range there, and the exposure is damn nice...stunning actually. I mean that...stunning is a good description of the excellent exposure of the extremely bright whites, yet the blacks are rich as well.

The first shot of the condiments on the table exhibits a silky smooth focal gradient (I sort of hate the term "bokeh"). Creamy and beautiful.

The hydrant shot is snapping-sharp. Look at the texture on the concrete blocks...

Regarding the infinity focus, I've never seen it make a hill of beans of difference, at least to my eye.

 

[ampguy]

Hi Sypderman

Hi Sypderman

Thanks, yes I only plan to use a 50mm on this Zorki as I personally don't like external finders.

Palabras -- it is heavy and solid like a Leica. Much heavier and larger than the CL, just a tad larger and heavier than the Hexar. Smaller than my SLRs. I'm not sure how I will carry it, probably in some kind of bag with a wrist strap, since it has no lugs of its own.

Very nice pisc. Zorki 4 is great camera and Jupiter 8 is a great lens. I didn't like one thing on my Zorki: that I couldn't see the edges of the frame. I would need an external finder, but unfortunately the Helios finder has only 35 and 85 framelines...

palabras: Zorki 4 is heavy. I used it with a handstrap and after walking in town for a couple of hours it IS quite heavy. You will have to start attending some nearby gym

 

[ampguy]

Thanks Clarence

Thanks Clarence

This is a good testing idea. I think I will reserve a few frames to do this test with a couple of lenses on the zorki, and also try the J8 on the CL at the past infinity position and check focus. Thanks.

Unfortunately, if the rangefinder focuses beyond infinity, it could also indicate that your other distances will not be entirely accurate.

You might want to just take a normal lens that has a marking for 1 metre or 1.5 metres and mount it on the Zorki. Place something large and with distinct vertical lines that distance away from one edge of a the table. Place your Zorki at the edge of the table and focus the rangefinder on the object. If the distance that you read off the lens after focusing does not correlate, then the rangefinder cam has to be adjusted as well.

Clarence

 

[Laurence]

This is a good testing idea. I think I will reserve a few frames to do this test with a couple of lenses on the zorki, and also try the J8 on the CL at the past infinity position and check focus. Thanks.

In relation to testing the focal distance, I did a sort of rough test to the Zorki, in conjunction with my Agfa Isolette's spot-on rangefiner. Took an image of my car's hubcap at 1.5 meters (measured accurately to the film plane with a tape measure) with each camera. At that distance, both images came out clean and sharp. Also, did it at 5 meters with the same results.

Good idea on the past infinity position, to use the CL for the J8 lens.

 

[SteveM(PA)]

That's some good-lookin' ketchup.
Are your shutter speeds still legible? Mine have all rubbed off, so I go mostly by feel. Its finder and j8 are a sweet combo.

 

[ampguy]

yes, all speeds are visible

yes, all speeds are visible

It's like a mint top deck, very visible, I think I'm getting the hang of the shutter, it now seats in the 1000 position, where yesterday it was seating in between 500 and 1000, weird.

Also, at 60 and slower, it doesn't fully go down like 125/250/500/1000 (or 750 ), is that normal, since 60 is still black? why the heck is 30 180 degrees away? it goes 60 to 15, with 30 180 degrees away?

That's some good-lookin' ketchup.
Are your shutter speeds still legible? Mine have all rubbed off, so I go mostly by feel. Its finder and j8 are a sweet combo.

 

[clarence]

Also, at 60 and slower, it doesn't fully go down like 125/250/500/1000 (or 750 ), is that normal, since 60 is still black? why the heck is 30 180 degrees away? it goes 60 to 15, with 30 180 degrees away?

Due to the curious design of the slow speed mechanism, 1/30 is the slowest speed that does not rely on the slow speed mechanism (the whirring gears that delay the second shutter curtain). Instead, 1/60 is the highest speed that relies on the slow speed gears, hence you will hear the gears spinning at 1/60, but not at 1/30.

Fascinating, isn't it.

Clarence

 

[ampguy]

OK, I think I understand the lens issue now. The J8 works perfect on the CL with adapter, and I think at some time during it's life it was used on an M with adapter and adjusted for.

For using on the Zorki, one should go by focus, not by full motion toward infinity. With the J8 full screwed onto the ltm to M adapter, there is about .3mm addition to the small amount of LTF distance the adapters need to add to LTM lenses, but with the J8 screwed on tightly, there is now the amount of the slim adapter, plus the small gap. This works perfecly on the CL, focus, and full turning at infinity match.

Now going back to the LTM zorki, when this particular J8 is screwed on fully tight, as it should be, it is a tad closer (~.3mm) closer to the film so it doesn't need the full rotation to reach infinity focus.

I guess a way to verify this is if someone has a J8 whose rf/vf focus matches infinity at exactly end of lens rotation, and then puts that same
J8 on an LTM to M adapter, can they still get infinity focus??

If the above confuses you, just ignore it, the bottom line is the J8 I have works with both LTM, and M perfectly.

 

[Laurence]

Ted, you brought up an interesting point about screwing the lens on tightly in order to come closer to infinity focus per the marks on the lens barrel. I understand what you are saying too, and it's almost like things were made that way to "adjust" for the difference with the adapter! (Of course, that is just a happy accident rather than an "on purpose" thing).

Back to your image #2, of the sunroom. There is a certain "something" about the J8....a sort of "difference" from other lenses that isn't clearly tangible but is there nevertheless. The only way I can describe it is a "smooth/bright look". Extremely pleasing.

I would love to see more examples from your "eye".

Don't forget to not force the shutter speed rotator mechanism past 1000th to get to 1/30th. Instead, you need to spin it clockwise all the way around past B to reach the 1/30th mark. Funky Monkey!

I love the "buzzing" of the slow speed second-curtain actuator. Call me weird, but there is some sort of satisfaction from the sound.

Also...there are some suggestions floating around on how to preserve the painted-on numbers of the shutter speeds. Seems like someone talked about clear shellac, but don't quote me on that. Frankly, I think if a person is careful to not rub the fingers or knuckles on the numbers when changing shutter speeds, that there will be no problem.

And NOW I've heard from a friend who has the Zorki 4 (not 4K), that you DON'T have to cut a leader for the camera!!! He indicates that the camera isn't a "bottom loader" so the leader isn't necessary. I wonder if someone else could confirm that on here?

Also, I want to correct a misstatement I made earlier. There are no framelines in the viewfinder, and I talked about how bright the "framelines" were. In actuality, I meant that the overall viewfinder is bright and clear, even with glasses. I HAVE heard that the overall brightness of Zorkis is kind of dim...but I certainly don't see any diminished brightness on the Zorki 4K...on the contrary, it's bright as all get out!