zorki 4k repair?

<p>Within having my beloved Zorki 4k for a few hours, I managed to break it.<br>

The winding mechanism just goes freely without much tension, I cant move the shutter speed past like 1/15 of a second, and the shutter curtain is stuck closed, plus the shutter wont even fire. When I push the rewind knob down, nothing happens. Any ideas? <br>

Also, since im not counting on it being fixed, would a FED 5/5b/5v be a good replacement? And would my m39 mount Industar 50 lens which came with the Zorki 4k fit on it?<br>

Thanks,<br>

Collin</p>

<p>First check out the manual at http://www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/zorki_4k/zorki_4k.htm to see if you can identify any potential misstep in the the procedures you used. These are not cameras that stand for a lot of random twisting, setting of speeds at the wrong point (before cocking the shutter, eg), and other things that wouldn't matter on cameras that are less shy and sensitive.</p>

<p>I only have one, earlier period Zorki, but someone like Subbarayan Prasanna may be able to make suggestions on "unjamming" it.</p>

<p>I personally like FEDs better than Zorkis, myself, but if you were attracted to the Leica-ish character of the Zorki, consider a FED-2. The later FEDs are quite decent cameras in a sort of "put on weight, haven't you?, way</p>

<p>Any of the M39, non-SLR (they have different flange distance), mount Soviet cameras should take the lens, I think. But the likelihood is that you might have trouble finding one of these without a lens on it. The lenses are quite good, being developed out of pre-war Zeiss and other German designs, not that Soviet optics weren't good in their own right.</p>

<p>Collin,<br>

Having bought dozens of Russian cameras, literally, all I can say is that the lenses are usually great, but the<br>

bodies....<br>

You would be far better off buying either a Leica II or III, or even better, a Bessa R. The Bessa would be my first choice, as they have great meters and are dead reliable. W/ the Lieca cameras I mentioned, you are buying basically an antique camera that may or may not need an expensive CLA.</p>

 

<p>Careful, steve, as I said, these are very sensitive cameras and would certainly take offense at your slurs upon them.</p>

<p>I could <em>almost</em> stipulate that you might get a better camera after spending 5-10X the price, but the Leicas wouldn't have half the charm of a camera that was designed to be hand-built, but was produced in the millions in mass production.</p>

<p>Many, perhaps even most, of them actually worked right off the assembly line and the others were generally tinkered into working conditions by repairmen who, nowadays, are converting old Zorkis back into gold Luftwaffe Leicas with wicked grins on their faces (faces of the workmen, not the cameras). :)</p>

<p>Under, and coaxial with, the shutter button is a collar that controls the film rewind. If this collar is in the rewind position, the film winding mechanism is disconnected and turns freely. Try pushing down on the rewind collar and then turn it clockwise. The collar is spring loaded and should pop up. Here's an easy test to see if the camera is in rewind mode: if the film sprocket (between the shutter and take-up spool) turns freely in both directions, the rewind collar is engaged.</p>

<p>+1 for Gordon. My 4K did exactly the same thing to me a few days ago, I actually had to work this collar a bit back and forth and it released. Gunk gets built up in there and it can get a bit sticky, and it doesn't have to be fully twisted to cause problems, the tiniest bit will make it lock. Good luck, I love mine.</p>

<p>Some decades ago I owned a 4K for a short time and I remember I had a similar problem, it also was related to the collar around the release button or rather to the mechanism which is below it and couples the winding mechanism to the shutter. I do not remember what I did in these cases but after a while of prying around it worked again.<br>

However, if this problem persists, you are probably better off buying another 4K or Zorki4 which is the same without an advance lever. </p>

 

<p>It will cost less, initially, to buy a replacement. However, that way you face the risk of getting another body that is not functional. The option is to have your present body overhauled and be assured of a working camera. Try www.okvintagecamera.com (in Russia) and www.fedka.com (in the USA although I believe repairs are carried out in Ukraine). Whatever you do, make sure to read the camera manual and do as it says.</p>

<p>Its not an issue with the rewind mechanism, and I dont know what else to do.</p>

<p>at this point, I am going to just buy a new body, since I already have a lens anyway. my options seem to be a zorki 4 or a FED 5B, any opinions either way?</p>

<p>FED 5 are just plain ugly. As features are pretty similar, I would choose a FED 2 or a FED 3A instead. On the Zorki side, I would try to find a Zorki 6.</p>

<p>While the Zorki and FED rangefinders are relatively crude in comparison to their German and Japanese counterparts, they have a tractor-like ruggedness. The consensus is that, as new models were introduced, the build quality went down. The most common problems experienced are due to dried up lubrication and bad shutter curtains and tapes. Most versions will develop erratic shutters if you forget to cock the shutter before changing the shutter speed. The slow shutter speeds are timed by a separate gear train. When you select a slow speed, you are actually charging these gears. If you're not able to select a slow speed, the slow speed gear train on your Zorki may be jammed.</p>

<p>In addition to the link to the manual provided by JDM, the following ones might be of some interest:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/zorki4k.html">http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/zorki4k.html</a><br /> <a href="http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34">http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34</a></p>

<p>Note that the Rangefinderforum has a thread on selecting an FSU camera. If you're reasonably adept and adventurous, the following thread provides information on disassembling a Zorki 4K:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33914">http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33914</a></p>

<p>If you are just going to replace the camera check out Fedka.com. Sure, the bodies will cost a little more, but are much more likely to be in good working order. He is here in the US and stands behind his cameras and lenses.</p>

<p>Never, *NEVER* set the shutter speed on the older Russian cameras with out cocking the shutter!<br>

Always, *ALWAYS* cock the shutter BEFORE you change the shutter speed.<br>

There may be some models that don't require this sequence but it is a safe policy to use with all these older roller blind shutters. </p>

<p>Indeed, cameras with some limitations but dirty cheap and relatively easy to fix. As already mentioned to avoid the sensible slow shutter speeds you can buy a Zorki 6 or a Mir which do not have these speeds at all.</p>

<p>I have a Zorki 4K (refurbished) with J-8 and J-12 and comparing to my Leica M7 and Leica optics the difference is not too big. I paid for my Zorki 4K plus J-8 , J-12 and sun hood with camera leather case Eur. 100,-.<br>

I won't tell you what a M7 + Summicron and Elmarit will cost but you can buy 82 sets as above descriped.</p>