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Old 17th May 2018, 08:02 PM
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skellum skellum is offline
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Default Hello Zorki.

Recently I've been spending a bit extra time at work, and have just started knocking kitchen and dining room into one. Not much time for photography, and so as a kind of substitute for actually getting out there I have just acquired a spotless Zorki 4 from West Yorkshire cameras.
Took her for a spin after work tonight, and what a sweet little camera to use. Everything is actually well screwed together, and it has a reassuring 'heft' in the hand. A lot quieter than my SRT 101, a bit noisier than either of my x6 folders.
Unfortunately it just highlights how much trouble I'm in with my bloody eyesight; I've been short-sighted most of my life, but for the last couple of years my close -to vision is also shot. The routine is now glasses on, glasses of, glasses on again . . . Specs on I can't see all the corners of the Zorki viewfinder. Specs off I can read the little numbers on the shutter speed dial, and I can see the whole finder.
I just can't make out anything more than ten feet away. What a pain.
The Zorki feels like it's going to be interesting to use, and it has no strap lugs! Reminds me of the story about the SAS. Supposedly they don't have straps on their rifles, as a weapon slung becomes 'luggage'.
Maybe a Zorki always in the hand is always ready for action.
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Old 17th May 2018, 08:36 PM
Michael Michael is offline
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Colin, I loved my Zorki 4K forty years ago and now I love my Leica IIIf, which does have strap lugs. They both have the same lens mount too. There must be a moral somewhere.

BUT - I really hope you enjoy the simple life you now get. When I need a walking stick I'll dispense with the neck strap and carry the camera round on a monopod.
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Old 17th May 2018, 08:59 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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The Zenith SLRs also have no lugs. The strap is attached to the case. It’s a bit of a nuisance if you want to ditch the case. I remember my Nikon F, a long time ago, came with the lower part of a leather case which was quite nice. Unfortunately, it also had a ‘built-in’ strap. The strap was in poor condition, so I decided to remove it. I then realised that it had steel reinforcing at the attachments, which needed a hacksaw, and a lot of spare time to remove. The case was also steel-reinforced. No wonder it weighed so much!
Alex.


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Old 17th May 2018, 10:11 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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I had heard of a Zorki 4 but that was as much as I knew about it. I did a Google search and found an AP report of several years ago. There seemed to be so many snags to watch for that it reminded me of the advice that Bob Hope gets about an imminent gunfight he has been challenged to in "Son of Paleface"

The excerpt from the film is available on You Tube. Worth a look if you have never seen the film and like a laugh. He gets the kind of advice that I have seen on another forum when someone asks the admittedly bland question "What's gone wrong with this negative" and provides little else in the way of information

Mike
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Old 18th May 2018, 06:24 AM
John King John King is offline
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I have used several Russian made cameras, one the same as yours a Zorki 4, plus a Fed 3 and a Kiev 4. Of them all I much preferred the Kiev although at the time extra lenses were few and far between. I never had any of the experiences some have had with the shutter. In fact it was quite a pleasure to use and more sophisticated than the other two. The F2 Jupiter lens once stopped down to F4-5.6 was very very good.
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Old 18th May 2018, 07:06 AM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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I have a Zorki 4 camera body, but I've never got as far as buying a lens because of the poor viewfinder. By contrast, I regularly use my Kiev 4M, the viewfinder is much better, and I can't fault the results from it. The only trouble with both these cameras is the microscopic shutter speed and aperture markings which I struggle to read except in bright light.

Last edited by EdmundH; 18th May 2018 at 07:14 AM.
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Old 18th May 2018, 11:43 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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AFIK the Zorki has a lever to adjust the viewfinder to suit your eyesight, not sure where but if there is one the dioptre adjustment may just get it right for your eyes, Most FSU rangefindes have one, If anything like a zorki I had a while ago it is on the left
Richard
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Old 18th May 2018, 12:02 PM
Michael Michael is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Gould View Post
AFIK the Zorki has a lever to adjust the viewfinder to suit your eyesight, not sure where but if there is one the dioptre adjustment may just get it right for your eyes, Most FSU rangefindes have one, If anything like a zorki I had a while ago it is on the left
Richard
Underneath the rewind knob, Richard; but I don't think Colin needs to use it.
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Old 18th May 2018, 02:11 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I new there was one somewhere, unlike the one on the Barnack leica's the zorki works for the viewfinder as a whole where the Leica only adjusts the rangefinder window
Richard
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Old 18th May 2018, 02:25 PM
Michael Michael is offline
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Richard, I had never noticed that and I've just checked on mine. Thank you for that information.
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