The First Shots from my Zorki 4 - Also HELP

Limosos · 11-05-2007

Hey peeps, well you may remember my post some weeks back, full of nerves and trepidation about my Zorki 4. Well it arrived lovingly wrapped in brown paper and string (loving the retro already!) and it all seems fine.

I took it on holiday and snapped away. Just awaiting my second roll back, but these are my favourites from the first roll.

I do have one problem though. There is a fant thick line through the centre of every picture. I'm guessing it's either a bit of dust or a scratch. If it's the former which lense would you recommend as a replacement and where should I shop (please not the dreaded Ebay - I hate it!!)?? Or if you think it's something other than dust or a scratch, please let me know!!

Oh and please forgive some of the noise, my scanner doesn't seem to be as good as I would like!

Anyway on with the pics...

M. Valdemar · 11-05-2007

Technically very nice.

Nothing in the lens would make a line like that. That's a scratch on the negative, a scanner defect, or something mechanical.

clarence · 11-05-2007

It's possibly a light leak through the shutter curtain. To fix it you might have to readjust the curtain tensions. I've never done it before.

Clarence

40oz · 11-05-2007

pictures look fantastic, though :thumbup:

wolves3012 · 11-05-2007

I can't see that a lens or body fault could cause a vertical line like that. Is there actually a physical scratch on the negs? If so, I doubt it was done in-camera. The file moves horizontally so any scratches would have to be horizontal-ish. It's not a shutter problem, I don't think. Certainly there's no capping or obvious banding.

Limosos · 11-06-2007

It could well be to do with the shutter curtain, though I hope not. It's on every single picture too, in exactly the same spot, I would have thought it would have move had it been a shutter problem?

It's definately not the scanner, as the scanner made the line less obvious.

Anyway, what lense would you recommend to try next and where is best to shop for them from?

Also - if I were considering another camera in a short while what would you recommend?

wolves3012 · 11-06-2007

For other lenses go for a Jupiter 11 (135mm) or Jupiter 12 (35mm), depending whether you want wider or narrower! You'll need some kind of auxilliary finder to go with anything other than 50mm.

As regards another FSU - take a look in the FSU section and there's a sticky listing the options and what features they have (or haven't!). Decide what you want and go for it, it probably won't be the last either...

I think your logic about your problem not being the shutter because it doesn't move from shot to shot is sensible, assuming you used different speeds on different shots. I wonder if there's a light-leak at one end or the other of the body...I'm not convinced but it just *might* be the cause. Does this light patch extend into the sprocket-hole areas on the negs?

wolves3012 · 11-06-2007

Actually, with a bit more thought, it just *could* be the shutter. IF the shutter drum/restrictor gear sticks in the one place it could slow the blinds in the same place each frame. It would be surprising to show such consistency but it is possible. CLA time?

Have you tried the TV/monitor test? (see the sticky on setting shutter blind tensions for this test). Worth a look and see what it shows...

john neal · 11-06-2007

My guess is either as said above - the shutter blind is sticking, or you have a light leak.

I had a similar problem on a Leica II - Initially we thought it was the shutter not capping, but that was fine. It turned out to be a light leak through a flash socket that had been mounted on the front of the body (probably had been like that for 30+ years).

Is there anywhere on your body that is either non-standard, or a screw missing perhaps?

DaveP · 11-11-2007

I had the same problem, I put on a soft release and then my finger didnt get into the sutter speed knob as it spins.Hasnt happened anymore.

fidget · 11-12-2007

The first image is very interesting. That pale band doesn't extend into the top of the picture and is at a slight angle to the vertical.
It could be a shutter related problem. It is worthwhile trying the initial checks in the HOW TO stickied at the top of this section.
If that shows no problem I would check that there is no leak through the curtains as the camera is cocked. Take the lens off (with no film in!) open the back and look at the overlap of the curtains whilst cocking with a torch or good light on the other side, in a darkened room if you can.
It is more normal for leaks through the curtains to be a problem at one end of their travel, but could possibly be seen anywhere.
Good luck.

Limosos · 11-12-2007

[quote=fidget] That pale band doesn't extend into the top of the picture and is at a slight angle to the vertical.
It could be a shutter related problem. quote]

The bands are on every picture, and they are all perfectly vertical. The reason that one is at a slight angle is because My framing wasn't perfect and the horizon was at a slight angle which I later adjusted!

Still, I think it's almost certainly from dirt in the lense. I had a look and it was dirtier than you're average brothel! (Or so rumour suggest.....)

Peter_Jones · 11-12-2007

Are the bands evident on the sprocket part of the film ? (ie beyond the image)

wolves3012 · 11-12-2007

[quote=Limosos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fidget

That pale band doesn't extend into the top of the picture and is at a slight angle to the vertical.
It could be a shutter related problem. quote]

The bands are on every picture, and they are all perfectly vertical. The reason that one is at a slight angle is because My framing wasn't perfect and the horizon was at a slight angle which I later adjusted!

Still, I think it's almost certainly from dirt in the lense. I had a look and it was dirtier than you're average brothel! (Or so rumour suggest.....)

Step 1 then is to clean the lens. If it's a Jupiter 8 it's not hard to take the optics out for a clean, see:
http://pentax-manuals.com/repairs.htm

Step 2 is certainly do the TV/monitor test to see if the shutter is running evenly.

Step 3 would be trying to find any possible light-leak, not an easy task!

If you want the body CLA-ing and aren't willing to do it yourself, PM me and I'll do it for postage costs.

Good luck!

Limosos · 11-14-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Jones

Are the bands evident on the sprocket part of the film ? (ie beyond the image)

They were in some of the pictures yes.

I've jsut had another roll developed and the bands aren't evident in any of those except for on the one heavily underexposed image.

What does this mean??

Also the faint white band has completely gone on this roll. Is is possible that it's to do with how they were processed as the 2nd roll was developed elsewhere.

wolves3012 · 11-14-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limosos

They were in some of the pictures yes.

I've jsut had another roll developed and the bands aren't evident in any of those except for on the one heavily underexposed image.

What does this mean??

Also the faint white band has completely gone on this roll. Is is possible that it's to do with how they were processed as the 2nd roll was developed elsewhere.

If the band is evident outside of the frame then it didn't come from the shutter. That points to a light leak somewhere. Try taking a few frames then put the camera in bright light somewhere (don't point the lens at the sun unless it' capped, you'll burn the curtains!). Now tape up the sides and the front where the removable back meets it, use black tape of some sort. Take a few more frames and put it back in bright light for a while. Might be worth covering the self-timer up too and repeat. See what happens then. Also have a look for ANY missing screws on the body. Make a note of how many frames you took at each point so you can figure which side a leak is on.

Let us know what happens...