Half a roll and I broke my Zorki 4

danielnorton · 01-06-2006

I was very excited yesterday when the package from Max (darkkavenger) arrived, the box was really beat up, but the camera (a zorki 4 with I50) was packed very well and arrived in perfect condition. After a few test fires, I loaded up a roll and went out to test my new beauty (I also got a I22 from Fedka and wanted to test both lenses).

Shot about half the roll and it started to get dark so I headed into my studio with my friend to shoot some flash pictures, that's where I screwed up, after only two exposures, I fired the camera without winding and it died, basically the wind knob turned, but was not engaging the shutter.

I also could not move the rewind knob to rewind he film, so I went into a dark room and removed the film, same problem.

brought the camera home last night and started tinkering, based on what I read in this thread Thread and the one Chris references, I got the thing apart and working (so it seems) As I assembled the body I tested the shutter each step of the way, but at one point it stopped working again, this time it engages when you rotates the film advance, but pressing the shutter button does nothing...

I worked backwards, stripping down the camera again, but still have the same problem.

basically if I physically push the bar that has the teeth for the film up (towards the top of the camera), the shutter fires.. can't quite figure out what's up.. any advice on this one?

I hate to retire a great looking camera so quickly

The only positive note is I was able to test both the I50 and I22 on my bessa so at least I got that accomplished

thanks in advance for any help or sympathy

Daniel

Solinar · 01-06-2006

I'm guessing here, but is the collar around the shutter release set to the picture taking position? I have a Zork 3 and Zorki 3m that have the older advance and rewind lever, but I've read that the rotating ring around the shutter release on the Zorki 4 can give new users trouble.

darkkavenger · 01-06-2006

Hello Daniel,

can you upload some photos? I got your e-mail and I'm really sorry to hear this, seems kmack received his Kievs correctly, as well as a friend of mine received his Fed-5 without troubles.

Please let me know more about it... I'll try to get you another Zorki-4 or eventually I'll send you my Zorki-S.

Thanks!
max

danielnorton · 01-06-2006

Andrew,

I think it is

hard to tell without the cover on the camera but I've tried rotating it to a few different positions with not luck, I think the next step might be to take it off again, maybe I screwed it on in the wrong position.. I wonder if that's possible...

Max..

No worries, you came through with your part of the deal, the camera was perfect, I screwed it up.. I would definitely recommend you as a seller to anyone .

I will try and put up some digital snaps tomorrow when I get time to work on it again.

darkkavenger · 01-06-2006

Daniel, there's a collar ring around the shutter button, could you check if it's depressed or not? You'd have to turn it so that it gets to its normal "upper" position by rotating it left or right, I can't say right now because I've no zorki around (except my dad's Z-6) .. try this and then try to wind again.. I wish you a lot of luck! And feel free to contact me, you know it'll be a pleasure for me to help you!

max

darkkavenger · 01-06-2006

Maybe this post can be helpful : http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=14690

Kim Coxon · 01-06-2006

The other possibility is that the problem lies with the push rod the goes back up to the timing mech. If this is sticky, it will cause similar problems.

Kim

kmack · 01-06-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim Coxon

The other possibility is that the problem lies with the push rod the goes back up to the timing mech. If this is sticky, it will cause similar problems.

Kim

Kim may have nailed it. I do not have my Zorki handy but there may be an adjustment under the metal plate below the toothed reel. I'll look at my Zorki later.

One other thing to check, the self timer. it will sometimes cause the camera to do what you describe. Try using a small screw driver to complete the timers travel.

danielnorton · 01-06-2006

Thanks for all the responses..

The two teeth do engage and cock the shutter, I'm starting to think it is definitely the rewind or shutter button stuck down, not allowing the film transport to move up, and fire the shutter, I'll have to check that first.

Solinar · 01-06-2006

Thanks G'man. That is what I meant to say. On the Zorkis holding the shutter button down and twisting it clockwise locks the shutter release.

danielnorton · 01-06-2006

I tried turning the shutter button collar in both directions, counter clockwise it definitely locks the shutter, clockwise it engages rewind (which I guess also locks the shutter) so I'm thinking I need to be somewhere in the middle, I may have to leave early and start working on this today

Solinar · 01-06-2006

Daniel, it is the shutter button itself, not just the collar that can rotate. This is how the shutter lock works on my Zork 3 and Zorki 3m. It is worth a look.

captainslack · 01-06-2006

The further bright side to all this is he's getting another Zorki 4 in the mail from me. Should arrive today or tomorrow.

danielnorton · 01-06-2006

I didn't realize the shutter button itself moved, that could very well be it.. oh man won't be home for a few more hours

Knowing my tendency to break things I actually have a total of 3 zorkis heading my way

guess I know myself pretty well

thanks everyone! will update later or tomorrow once I try these things..

Daniel

darkkavenger · 01-06-2006

Yes keep us up to date

kvanderlaag · 01-07-2006

I wish I had such an easy time finding Zorki 4s!

Good luck with this one, I'm interested to see how it plays out. FSU cameras are interesting in that they're still rather intricate little beasts, but simple enough that several people around here know (pretty much) exactly how they work.

Good times!

danielnorton · 01-07-2006

First problem solved..

seems when I was taking thngs apart to see what might be wrong I took the screw out of the sprocketed film take up and mistakenly replaced it with one that was a bit longer.. this was holding it down just enough to cause the issue I had..

Anyhow, now I have a different issue.

Seems when I try to reassemble the camera the baffles are putting too much pressure on area around the shutter and making it stop about halfway through movement. I'm about 90% sure I have them in the right grooves and I've managed to get it working by keeping the screws a bit loose, however when I started to put the cover (the actual outside of the camera) on it causes the baffles to be pushed down again and now I'm dead in the water, I have a shutter that operates as long as I don't put the outside shell of the camera on, which might be a problem

any baffle advise?

Here's a picture of the screw problem and the 2 baffles

danielnorton · 01-07-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by kvanderlaag

I wish I had such an easy time finding Zorki 4s!

Just check this forum every 30 seconds like I do

funny I knew I would love the zorki so much I bought 3, having never seen one, I wasn't wrong, I think they are very cool cameras, as long as you don't break them

grifon · 01-07-2006

Not sure what you mean by baffles... but what I found when tearing my camera apart, is that the curtains slide significantly better if the black frame shaped cover (on the inside of the camera, basically on the side of the curtain where the lens is) is as far away from the film plane, and closest to the lens. If you loosen the bolts (there is two on the bottom, and two on the top) it will allow for about a millimeter of play. The two bottom bolts are under the bottom cover, they are also the ones holding the leaf spring in place. The ones on top are a bit harder to get to. (you have to remove the slow speed mech, and also remove the metal plate that it is secured to) but adjusting the bottom spacing should be sufficient.

I hope that this is what your problem is, and it works out for you.

danielnorton · 01-07-2006

Gman I think that's how I have the blinds, here's a better shot (attched)

grifon, I had actually removed the screws you are talking about on the bottom earlier in the project, so I went back and checked, sure enough I was able to pull the window forward after loosening them again

new roadblock

so now the curtain moves past the left side (as you are looking at the attached image) but get's stuck in the middle as soon as I add the circled screw (works fineup until then)

tried leaving the screw out and putting on the front cover, same problem

reagan · 01-07-2006

I feel like I'm watching live brain surgery on the Learning Channel.

Hang in there Dr. Daniel & Co. !! You'll get there.

edit: P.S. Great pics!!

danielnorton · 01-07-2006

the screw was hitting the shaft, I pulled the camera apart again and I can where it was scrapping.. all my screws got mixed up when I moved my work box, so I'm guessing a bit on what fits.

Anyway I reassembled without the blinds and the body cover goes on easily and the shutter works fine, so it's the blinds for sure..

when I initially pulled the front off I missed one screw in the blind to the right (as the camera faces you) so I bent the blind a bit.. I straightened it out, but now I'm starting to think I straightened it too much..

so before I put the blinds back in, I put a little curve in the blind, reassembled, used a short screw in that spot and the shutter fired fine, then I put the body cover on, it was a little tighter than without the blinds and the shutter sticks again...

soooo..

tomorrow (burnt out on this today) I will pull it apart again and try and put a little more curve in the blind, hopefully that will do it..

Thanks everyone for your help, if it wasn't for you guys, this would already be a "parts zorki" now I have hope that soon I will be posting images from camera

darkkavenger · 01-08-2006

It's so fun, in a way, to see "my" old Zorki disassembled!

flashover · 01-10-2006

man I would of hit it with a hammer by now. I usually just taken them apart and them ship them of to the G'man for spare parts.

danielnorton · 01-11-2006

Flashover,

believe me I thought about it.. actually I'm in a holding pattern now waiting for another zorki to arrive so I can compare the blinds.. I bent the blind like I was thinking and the shutter seems good now, but the blind seems like it might be coming too far in front of the shutter and blocking some light.. once my other zorki arrives I can see if it look much different and go from there..

at the very least, I'm learning how this thing works and that's gotta be good.