Zorki 4k wont fire or cock

[JohnDudelord]

hey all, my zorki 4k is not firing or cocking. i believe that the shutter bumped in the leather case (it has done so before) and i think i may have changed the shutter speed before cocking it. not realising, i cocked the shutter and it started playing up. i fiddled with it to see if i could get it working, but i did more harm then good. now the shutter wont fire, and the thumb advance is jammed shut unless the shutter button is depressed.

is there any fix for this at all, or should i just invest in a new camera?

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Did you have a look at the DIY CLA pages here? It's quite easy to open the camera's topplate and see what is stuck / wrong with the shutter speed assembly

 

[wolves3012]

It's a little hard to know what the cause is, what is the current state? Is the shutter cocked and refusing to fire or uncocked and refusing to cock? If you aren't sure, take the back off (unload the film in a changing bag if it's loaded and you can't otherwise get it out) and see which side of the frame the metal curtain-laths are. If they are on the right side (looking into the back) it's cocked, to the left and it's not.

If you're handy with small tools and small parts, it's not hard to take it apart but if you're not familiar with how it all works you'll probably do more harm than good. Unfortunately, a 4K is not worth big money so it's probably not worth investing in professional repairs unless you really have good reason to.

Where in the world are you located?

 

[JohnDudelord]

the shutter appears to be cocked and won't fire. sadly i'm not too familiar with this style of camera, so i would probably do even more damage.

i'm in Australia, but i wouldn't have a clue on where to get it fixed.

 

[JohnDudelord]

the shutter appears to be cocked and won't fire. sadly i'm not too familiar with this style of camera, so i would probably do even more damage.

i'm in Australia, but i wouldn't have a clue on where to get it fixed.

 

[mburns]

Just use the recovery method in the sticky thread.

Just use the recovery method in the sticky thread.

Yes. Follow the method given above in the first sticky thread in this sub forum for recovery from the wrongful setting of a shutter speed. After all, there is nothing else to be done, other than the use of force which then necessitates repair.

 

[wolves3012]

the shutter appears to be cocked and won't fire. sadly i'm not too familiar with this style of camera, so i would probably do even more damage.

i'm in Australia, but i wouldn't have a clue on where to get it fixed.

There are a couple of things you could try, to release the shutter.

First, take the back off and look below the sprocket. Refer to photo 31 of the "ZORKI 4/4K" sticky and you'll see there is a pin on the bottom of the sprocket and a corresponding one below it. Try pushing the lower part downwards, so the pins separate. Does that release it? You can just pry it with a fingernail or small screwdriver but don't force things.

The second thing that holds it cocked is a latch, hidden beneath the black metal cover in the very bottom of the camera. The cover is held on by 2 small screws (just be aware there are two small spacers under the cover, they must go back in their respective places). The latch can be seen in photo 50 of the sticky and it's fairly obvious how to release it, although it should not actually jam.

These two things are all that keep the shutter cocked, if you release them both and it still doesn't fire, you do have a more serious problem.