Zorki-4 Spools Wrong Size? - Misaligned Film

<p>I have recently bought a 1957 Zorki-4 which works extremely well except for one very annoying fault - the film does not run true within the guide rails, so leaving a dark slanting band along the top of each print due to the spools dropping downwards - as far as I can work out. Upon close investigation I found two surprising things; 1. A standard modern 35mm spool rattles up and down inside the camera if the camera is gently shaken (film fully retracted into the cassette for this test). 2. The takeup spool does the same! It is not therefore surprising that during use the film drops downwards off its guide rail so that the exposed frame virtually encroaches on the sprocket holes at the top of the film. I notice that the original takeup spool has a thread cut on the outside of the bottom part - is there some kind of screw-on spacer missing from here, allowing the spool to fall downwards inside the camera, instead of being tightly located between the top of the camera body and the rotating latch in the base of the rear cover? As for the film cassette, I can only assume that it is shorter than the original Zorki reloadable cassette which of course is now obsolete. I am confused - can anyone advise me as to exactly what the problem(s) is here and how it can be fixed so my film runs true within its guide rail? Thanks!!</p>

<p>This problem has already been discussed here:<br>

http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00Tx4X<br>

I don't think it has anything to do with take-up spool. If your film cartridge rattles up and down I suggest, in addition to the solution in the older thread, to try bending the flat spring on the inside of the left-hand bottom lock.</p>

<p>I have already read the thread you refer to and I made a comment at the end that I had removed the two flat washers situated above the rewind fork to see whether this would help. The result was that this made absolutely no difference to the problem. I started this new thread as I believe there is something else (maybe several things) wrong here. I will now try your suggestion of bending up the spring on the backplate latch to see if I can get the film spool to stay in its proper place i.e. hard up against the top of the camera body so that the film runs true between the guide rails.</p>

<p>Sorry, Alan I didn't recognize your name at once in that other thread. Anyway I opened my Zorki up today to refresh my memory about old modifications and indeed I have done more than just removing those spacers and bending the spring:<br>

1.Take-up spool has been made non-removable.(did it before i noticed that film runs wrongly, but it ensures that take-up spool is at right height)<br>

2. That little phillips-head screw on lower film rail really ensures that film cannot sink too low, but I'm afraid that in combinaton with Zorki's undersized pressure plate and tensions in film it can cause problems with film flatness<br>

3. I recall that at some point amid these modifications i reinstalled pressure plate upside down, causing it's upper edge not to reach upper rail, this only made everything much worse. At attached picture it should be in correct position.<br>

These, or some of these mods have made my camera much better, but I cannot give guarantee they will work for you.</p><div></div>

<p>Tonu, thanks for this useful reply and the photo. Is the leaf spring seen on the left-hand latch an original part of this camera or did you fit this yourself? I just realised that my camera does not have this spring which could have a lot to do with my problem!! If it were in place I'm sure this would stop the film spool moving downwards.</p>

<p>Alan, yes, it's an original part but it shouldn't be too hard to make a replacement. It's designed to press the film cartridge up but to stay clear of spool. </p>

<p>I have now come up with a couple of modifications which I hope will solve this problem. For the takeup spool I fitted a 10mm diameter light coil spring to the bottom (threaded) collar of the spool. I trimmed the spring so it protrudes by approx. 4mm. The protruding end of the spring fits into the well on the RH latch and applies light upwards pressure which holds the spool upwards in its correct position. A very thin nylon washer placed over the central pin of the latch acts a bearing for the bottom of the spring. For the film spool I couldn't find a suitably sized coil spring to do the same thing so I fitted a 1.7mm thick 12.5mm diameter nylon washer into the well of the LH latch. This happens to exactly fill the gap between the well in the latch and the bottom of the film spool but still allows a working clearance so the spool can rotate freely. It all seems to run smoothly. I guess I'll have to wait for the photos to see if this has done the trick. Watch this space.....</p>

<p>Good, but are you sure about the need to modify take-up spool? In the take-up spool side of my camera the film position is already defined by the sprocket wheel - film can't sink too low there without disengaging from the sprocket wheel. And if you add too much (external) friction to the take-up spool, it may stop mid roll and jam the film. Or what if the spring itself somehow jams? It's best to try the camera with some dummy film first. One can also check film position by looking at it through shutter gate.</p>

<p>Good point about the takeup spool. I may remove this spring once I've shot this film. I'll try and find a suitably sized coil spring to support the film spool because I can't find any source of the leaf spring which is missing from the LH latch assembly. Can anyone help with sourcing this vital component?</p>

<p>Here with a Zorki 3C that really looks the same as a 4 from the back; it has its sprocket riding low with respect the guide rails by about 2/3 mm. Thus shots with this body have a telltail 24x36 image that is lower on the 35mm film than another Zorki body. Its been that way for the last 12 years; and has not been a problem with film flatness or focus. I have shot something like 300 rolls thru this camera. With this one zorki body here; the sprocket is low with respect to the guide rails. On teh plus side I can spot which of my negatives where shot with this body. The body with Jupiter-8 5cm and case cost about 12 bucks; and the shipping was 6; It was paid with a 20 dollar bill. An ebay buy from the Ukraine to the USA. Almost all of my zorkis were bought for less than 20 bucks includeing shipping about 9 to 12 years ago via ebay. To fix mine would require moving the sprocket up.</p>

<p>I finally got the test film developed and found that the modification had worked perfectly, with all frames now exactly centred between the 2 lines of sprocket holes - perfect prints obtained.<br />To summarise, the fix was to remove the 2 large spacing washers above the rewind fork (an easy job) and then to fit a nylon washer (doesn't have to be nylon) between the bottom of the standard 135 film cassette and the latch below. Washer dimensions were 1.7mm thick, 12.5mm outer diameter with a central hole to fit over the (3mm diameter) centre pin on the latch. This thickness of washer completely filled the gap below the film cassette, so holding the cassette upwards in the correct position. Fixed! I can now glue the washer onto the latch with a thin film of superglue to make this a permanent modification. As Tonu says, the coil spring which I fitted under the takeup spool was not necessary as this spool simply captures the film as it is fed off the sprockets. I'm sure this simple fix could be used for any other camera with the same kind of problem e.g. FED1, 2 etc although the washer dimensions may be different.</p>