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  #1  
Old 12th August 2020, 09:44 PM
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Britman Britman is offline
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Default Another Zorki 4K question

Now I don't own one but everything I read or watch warns about the shutter and not setting it unless you wind on.

My question is, if one should do the unthinkable. Can it be fixed or will the camera become an instant brick?

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Old 13th August 2020, 07:44 AM
John King John King is offline
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Default Zorki Shutter

I have had a Zorki but that was a fair time ago and the way to set the shutter speed is after winding on. Not that it will necessarily damage it, but when the shutter is released, the shutter setting dial rotates and it will finish up in a very odd position alongside the scale. This is perfectly normal. It will only show on the correct speed position after the shutter is wound on.

As for damaging it - I don't know, but common sense tells me that to try to adjust the shutter before it is would on is just pure guesswork. The mark may align with 1/30th of a second, but after winding on may only register to show the speed is actually 1/500th.

The upside of this is a mechanical shutter should never be left fully cocked as it will over time weaken the springs, so if you are not sure of what speed you will be setting - don't wind on until you are ready to use it. This way of setting the speed after cocking also applies to many of the early Praktica's, also Fed's, Zenith's and I believe Leica's too.
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Old 13th August 2020, 10:51 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Zorki's, like Feds, need the shutter cocked to change film speeds, if you don't then yes, you can do damage to the shutter, as I k now well from experience, my first fed, a £ 20 camera came with no instruction's, and didn't google it because I there was no internet,( a long time ago) |I changed speed without winding on, and the shutter jamed up completely, the Russian shutters are not that well made, and were copies of the Barnack Leicas, the screw mount's and with them they warn you, in big letters, to never ever set the shutter speed without winding the shutte first, for the faster speeds, with the slower speeds, on a different cam with a setting dial on the front of the Leica, fine, and always store the camera with the shutter speed set at 30, and I follow that rule with my Leica and fed's,
Richard
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Old 13th August 2020, 01:21 PM
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skellum skellum is offline
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Going back to the original question the answer is a definite 'maybe'.

Operating the Zorki incorrectly may produce a jam which can be 'teased out' https://www.rangefinderforum.com/for...ad.php?t=73844
Or, might cause damage which requires dismantling to repair.
If you can handle that yourself well and good, but if you have to pay for a repair it will certainly cost more than replacing the camera.

I have a Zorki 4, as do a couple of other members here. I like the camera: solid build (mine laughed at being dropped on the steel deck of a car ferry) quiet, viewfinder adjustable for eyesight.
However: doesn't have strap lugs, I can't see the whole viewfinder with glasses on, needlessly fussy film changing, and you must remember to wind on before changing speed!

Cheap enough to buy, try, and sell on at no loss if you don't like it.
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Old 22nd August 2020, 01:36 PM
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Britman Britman is offline
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Well, long story short.

Bought a FED 3 type B, seller sent me a Zorki 4.

I bust it within a few hours. 😂

I don't remember changing the shutter without winding on but the shutter dial is totally locked up now. Cannot change speed although the shutter still fire's, about 1/500th I think as that was the last speed I had it on.

Shame really as it's a lovely cosmetic condition.

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Old 22nd October 2021, 06:32 AM
egrabczewski egrabczewski is offline
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I've just had my Zorki 4K serviced after finding the rangefinder stuck and the shutter not quite working. Now it's perfect but I'll take care to heed the warnings above (and also inside the Zorki camera case - although the red label is almost illegible now). Thanks for the warnings!
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Old 22nd October 2021, 08:39 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Working with and repairing much larger Focal plane shutteredSLRs the issues are similar.

Essentially the problem is that when you set the shuter speed you are altering the slit width between two overlapping curtains. when uncocked they aren't under as much tension, one curtain is fixed (always advances the same distance), the other sts the slit width as it's advanced while the shutter is cocked.

So when you cock the shutter the two curtains advance together, the inner one sets and the outer one continues until it sets the correctslit width. The issue then is if you adjust the speed with the shutter cocked the outer curtain may stay at the wrong slit width. this can cause incorrect exposures.

With a smoothly running camera there shouldn't be a proble and it's changing speeds significantly that potentially causes issues particulary changing fom a a high speed to a low speed, because the outercurtain may not reposition but the ribbons will then be slack potentially jamming. I have a few FED and Zorki cameras in good/excellent conditionand when you handle them they don't get close to the smothness of an old quite work Leica IIIa.

Ian
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