Zorki 6 shredded film

anselwannab · 09-28-2005

I've had three rolls of film thru my Zorki 6 and had some problems. The first roll I had to start over again, but it was one I had rolled myself, so It might have been my leader that caused it.

The last roll got shredded when I tried to re-wind it. I was sure it was all the way rewound- it was not going to move. The second roll also got stiff rewinding, and I opened the back a bit early. Once I closed it rewound fine. The tear is about a third of the way thru a 36 frame roll. I guess I could have done it when I was advancing the film, tore it by wracking it to fast or something, but I don't remember it.

Is this a common problem, or does it have something to do with me. The film advance is pretty smooth, not my Canon F1, but not bad.

Including three shots, the film in camera, the film itself and the camera insides.

Thanks,
Mark

Kin Lau · 09-28-2005

Don't have a Z6, but on my Z2, Z4 & Z4K, there's a collar around the shutter release that needs to be pressed down and turned before rewinding. Is your's turned all the way?

Roman · 09-28-2005

Well, Ronnie/'hoot' had similar problems with his Zorki 6.
You did keep the rewind button (next to the shutter button & wind lever) pressed all the time while rewinding? With a Z6 it will not stay pressed, you have to hold it down the whole time.

BTW, my own Zorki 6 worked perfectly until I used it at a trip to Berlin in winter, with outside temperatures of around -15°C, when it started to produce overlapping frames; sent it to Oleg, and now it is winding as smooth as a Leica.

Roman

anselwannab · 09-28-2005

I held the rewind button next to the shutter release, but I didn't turn any collar or anything else like Kin mentioned.

I do have meat paws for hands, and I wonder if I didn't keep the button pressed all the way. I'll try to keep better tabs on film advance and film rewinding next time.

Thanks for the help.

Mark

DaveP · 09-28-2005

Push down on the collar and turn it.........

Roman · 09-29-2005

Nope, with the Z6, unlike most other Zoirkis, you don't have to turn a collar (actually, there is no collar, just the flat button).

Roman

DaveP · 09-30-2005

My fault! I was looking over at a Fed 2 , sorry!

hoot · 09-30-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roman

Well, Ronnie/'hoot' had similar problems with his Zorki 6.

Actually, in my case, the film got shredded during advancing, not during rewinding.

anselwannab · 09-30-2005

Thanks for all the help. I halfway wonder if I shredded it a bit on the advance and it caught and shredded when I rewound. I'll have to keep better track of how it runs.

I really want to see what kind of pics I can salvage from the rolls. I took them in b/c I just don't have time to get my wet lab going. Won't be in town for when they're done, so I'll have to wait till next weekend.

Thanks for everyones help, atleast I have an idea what watch for.

Mark

hoot · 10-01-2005

Good luck! I sent my Zorki back to the seller, and will ask him to send me a FED-2 in replacement. The latter is less prone to do annoying things like that.

Let us know what happens.

Heath · 10-01-2005

IO just shredded a roll in my Zorki-4 today. The roll was ripped into 3 pieces. I had turned the rewind collar but it just wouldn't rewind. So I placed the camera in my makeshift changing bag (inside a thick dark pullover) and when I removed the back I felt the film was shredded. Oh well. Pity, because I think I had some good shots too, plus it was the roll I was using to test my J-12.

Heath

Doug · 10-01-2005

What strikes me as quite strange, Mark, in your illustrations, is that the damage to the film is only along the bottom edge sprocket holes. The upper sprocket holes look fine... I'm not familiar with that camera, but from the evidence I'd wonder if the bottom and top sprockets do not turn together? Either the film is advanced/driven by only the lower sprocket, or the lower sprocket is not released for rewind along with the upper one. Is that even possible?

It also seems to me from the extensive damage that you should have been able to feel that happening...

I have had sprocket-hole tearing with several Olympus Pen FT/FV cameras due to my not feeling additional resistance to winding at the end of the roll. But the film isn't extensively torn, just the small bits of material between the holes (on both the top and bottom). The film wind on these cameras tends to be stiff and gritty, and combined with the extra "low gearing" of advancing only half a frame with a full stroke of the lever, contributes to the lack of feel.