HELP!!! Zorki 4k jammed :(

LowriderS10 · Aug 30, 2010

Hey gang,

So over the weekend a friend of mine gave me a Zorki 4k he hasn't used in AT LEAST 20 years, maybe longer.

At first when I was playing with it everything was great...but after a few actuations it just jammed

here's what it does:

The winder lever was stuck, but if I hold the shutter release button down WHILE attempting to wind, it'll let me...now it'll wind freely...
The shutter speed dial is stuck
The shutter release button will go down, but will not in fact take a picture.

What's going on and now do I fix it? I was soooooo excited about this camera

Thanks,
Tamas

vedmak · Aug 30, 2010

see if there is a rewind lever that you could accidentally flipped

LowriderS10 · Aug 30, 2010

Where would that be? I don't think the Zorki has one of those...pretty sure you just lock the shutter release button with the knob around it and rewind with the unconnected knob on the left of the camera (as seen from the back of the camera)

vedmak · Aug 30, 2010

exactly, try to turn this knob in the other direction, also when you wind the film does the winder lever stop or you can wind to infinity? Is there a film in the camera now? I think on those cameras you can set your speeds only when the shutter is cocked, otherwise it might jam.

LowriderS10 · Aug 30, 2010

Yeah, I've done some research and I'm guessing it jammed when I tried to change the shutter speed w/out winding it (how the heck was I supposed to know?? )...anyways...what do I do now?

No film, lever keeps winding 'till it bumps into the body, turning the knob around the shutter release button either way has no effect on the problem

Captain Slack · Aug 31, 2010

Yep, you broke the Cardinal Rule of FSU cameras: Thou Shalt Not Change Thy Shutter Speed Until Thou Hast Wound It First.

I did the same thing once. Pretty sure everyone who messes with these beasts does. There is a solution, although it'll mean not having the camera for a bit. Contact Oleg through his website: http://www.okvintagecamera.com/. He'll fix it up at a good price & it'll be better than new.

BobD · Aug 31, 2010

Zorki bodies are inexpensive. Just get another.

ic-racer · Aug 31, 2010

LowriderS10 said:
Where would that be? I don't think the Zorki has one of those...pretty sure you just lock the shutter release button with the knob around it and rewind with the unconnected knob on the left of the camera (as seen from the back of the camera)

Keep playing around with that. My "4" locked up like that the first time I used it with film and re-wound it.

vedmak · Aug 31, 2010

ic-racer said:
Keep playing around with that. My "4" locked up like that the first time I used it with film and re-wound it.

if you did not damage the shutter itself by forcing it until it broke, you could try to reposition the shutter dial30 degrees from its current position and try to rewind, sometimes the shutter is just misalligned, try not to force things, so as not cause more damage, if you are unlucky and that does not fix it, I would pick up another one, zorki 4 are cheap, cheaper than sending it to Oleg.(shipping alone is over $50 from USA)

LowriderS10 · Aug 31, 2010

Cap'n Slack: thanks, but I'd love to give it a shot myself...it can't be that hard

BobD: I know...but I'd love to fix this one...it's in gorgeous shape, plus it was a gift

ic: I keep monkeying with it, but nothing doing...there's gotta be a way to fix it, even if it means taking it apart

codester · Aug 31, 2010

Send it to Oleg. By tossing it and buying another, you're shortening the supply of cameras. By sending the camera to Oleg, you keep him in business and keep a camera in service that is no longer being manufactured. We all need to get off this throw-away kick. Not everything is meant for the trash heap.

vedmak · Aug 31, 2010

LowriderS10 said:
Cap'n Slack: thanks, but I'd love to give it a shot myself...it can't be that hard

BobD: I know...but I'd love to fix this one...it's in gorgeous shape, plus it was a gift

ic: I keep monkeying with it, but nothing doing...there's gotta be a way to fix it, even if it means taking it apart

if you broke the little part that catches the shutter, you will need to machine that part or find a replacement, even though the type of leica like shutter is not very complicated, you better have some experience under your belt and the right tools to do that, indeed if you value that cam, maybe it is better off to send it to qualified tech, there is a guy in NYC - google for Fedka, if you do not want to ship to all the way to Oleg in Russia.

Blanc · Aug 31, 2010

kiev's are that hard and worst.

You probably locked the shutter dial between it's selector and the slow speed mechanism.

the first thing to check is the complete or partial cocking. Just unscrew the black plate at the bottom of the beast and look at the only shiny thing, try with the right screwdriver to move it, on the other side at the same time try to move the shutter dial backwards (to the highest speeds) you have 2 extra mm on the shutter drums that can let you get threw your problem.
Be careful and do it slowly.

If you want to try to handle the upper part, good luck the cocking knob spring is one of the worst ever built (don't let him go, and if he does try to stop him by any possible mean involving shooting it with a firearm, this spring left me a nice scar on the arm...)

LowriderS10 · Aug 31, 2010

codester said:
Send it to Oleg. By tossing it and buying another, you're shortening the supply of cameras. By sending the camera to Oleg, you keep him in business and keep a camera in service that is no longer being manufactured. We all need to get off this throw-away kick. Not everything is meant for the trash heap.

You pay for it and I'll get right no that. Money's tight right now and I'm trying to see if I an fix this myself...which should be pretty obvious from the thread

LowriderS10 · Aug 31, 2010

Blanc said:
kiev's are that hard and worst.

You probably locked the shutter dial between it's selector and the slow speed mechanism.

the first thing to check is the complete or partial cocking. Just unscrew the black plate at the bottom of the beast and look at the only shiny thing, try with the right screwdriver to move it, on the other side at the same time try to move the shutter dial backwards (to the highest speeds) you have 2 extra mm on the shutter drums that can let you get threw your problem.
Be careful and do it slowly.

If you want to try to handle the upper part, good luck the cocking knob spring is one of the worst ever built (don't let him go, and if he does try to stop him by any possible mean involving shooting it with a firearm, this spring left me a nice scar on the arm...)

Thanks for the help! No matter what I do with the shiny gear on the right, the shutter speed dial won't move

LowriderS10 · Aug 31, 2010

Captain Slack said:
Yep, you broke the Cardinal Rule of FSU cameras: Thou Shalt Not Change Thy Shutter Speed Until Thou Hast Wound It First.

I did the same thing once. Pretty sure everyone who messes with these beasts does. There is a solution, although it'll mean not having the camera for a bit. Contact Oleg through his website: http://www.okvintagecamera.com/. He'll fix it up at a good price & it'll be better than new.

Thanks for the link...I checked it out and it's more than I can justify...for him to fix it and return it, I'm looking at $74 US, plus I still have to ship it to him, which is another $10-20. Since I already have a lens, I can pick up a body for half that at the most, but more realistically for a quarter to a third of that.

Captain Slack · Sep 1, 2010

LowriderS10 said:
Cap'n Slack: thanks, but I'd love to give it a shot myself...it can't be that hard.

Then you may want to check out this: http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-131.html

photoncatcher · Sep 1, 2010

The knob around he shutter release should turn counter clockwise, and spring back up. Down, and clockwise is the rewind setting. I just double checked my 4k, and if it is in the rewind setting, the film advance lever will pump like mad, but the advance itself, and the shutter are disconnected.

LowriderS10 · Sep 1, 2010

CS: thanks, I was actually looking at that page the other day...interestingly enough, he says that what happened to me is highly unlikely...guess I'm unlucky

photoncatcher: thanks...yeah, I tried the knob around the shutter release in every possible position before posting Any ideas as to what I can actually do about this?

Craig Swensson · Sep 6, 2010

Try this, works well...Google Zorki 4 manual. The first one that comes up is butkus.org, bookmark this site for future `old' camera finds.
The manual will state that you should wind on first otherwise you may cause damage.So its not a given that damage will occur. Plenty of folks have done the same as you without causing damage..pull it apart and have a look.
regards

HELP!!! Zorki 4k jammed :(

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