Zorki C question - extra parts

[Snacks]

Hello all,

My Zorki C is playing up (shutter curtain stalling at top and bottom speeds) and I'd like to give it a clean, but I'm having trouble with disassembly. I was expecting to see a lens mount ring with four screwholes, but there seems to be an extra ring on top of that which I can't find reference to. Am I missing something? Any advice would be very welcome.

 

[Nomad Z]

A picture of this extra ring might help.

 

[wolves3012]

A picture would help but I can make a suggestion as to what the "extra ring" is. If the close-focus screw is missing from the lens, when you remove the lens you'll be leaving the lens mount in the camera - this will be your "extra ring". It's supposed to come out with the lens, not stay in the body. This assumes the lens fitted is the usual Industar 22 collapsible.

Assuming I'm right, you'll need to remove the ring - preferably by re-fitting the missing screw with the lens in place. Here's a picture of an Industar 22, clearly showing the screw. Is this missing on yours and does the scale ring you can see correspond to the "extra ring"?

 

[Snacks]

Thanks wolves, that's great. I thought I'd have to removed the screw in order to remove the lens, but now I see. Problem solved!

Edit - yes, probably should have mentioned the focusing scale... oh well, never mind.

 

[wolves3012]

No problems. I've often see these cameras as "body only" on auction sites and with the focus scale still in place. I've also seen the lenses for sale with the mount (scale) missing. Must lead to some confusions about how the heck you fit other lenses, for those that don't realise what's happened. The scale is part of the lens, not part of the body.

 

[Snacks]

Thanks again. I got the camera apart and gave it a good clean. The funny thing is, 1/500 works fine when I hold the camera portraitwise, but it sometimes fails to release the shutter curtains properly when held for landscapes.

 

[wolves3012]

One thing I'd check is the shutter release. There's a crescent-shaped arm that is the second curtain release, it's pressed inwards and downwards by a small spring. If that spring has the wrong amount of tension on it (too much or too little) that can cause the problem you describe. I'd also be making double sure that the shaft that arm is on is clean and free to move.

 

[Snacks]

Cheers, I'll take a look.

 

[Peter_Jones]

I have had a couple of FSU cameras where the crescent is poorly made and does not come into contact with anything except its own stop - every speed 1/500 !!

Happy minutes with a file or whetstone usually fettles it.