Zorki 4 changed the speed before winding now it's stuck

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

I know, I know, you aren't supposed to change the speeds first but I was in a fit of photographic ecstasy and didn't realize I had changed speeds first until after the shutter jammed. Now I press the button and it won't fire. I've tried moving the shutter speed control around. I'm getting ready to tear the top off but I've not found anything online that describes what I'm looking for in the way of a jam. I read someplace that a cam will go over another part and stick but I can't find a description of what I should be looking for. I've torn apart a lot of rangefinders in the past but never anything in the FSU or Leica vein.

Any advice is appreciated!

Jeremiah

daveandiputra · Nov 22, 2011

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44840
The last post on this thread may help
Good luck!

Cheers,

Dave

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

Thanks for the link but I've already tried that. I'm afraid that there is no option but surgery at this point and I need to know what parts I'm looking for that are bound up. I'm thinking of just pulling the slow speeds since I will probably never use them anyway.

daveandiputra · Nov 22, 2011

That's to bad, I assume you know then about the zorki 4K CLA sticky on that forum? Maybe that can solve the problem? well here's hoping the zorki get fixed soon.

Cheers,

Dave

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

I read through the CLA but I can't find anywhere that says what the issues actually are when you set the speed before winding! I've read tons of info and everything just says it's bad because you wind up with the shutter speed set incorrectly and sometimes it jams but I've not found a single thing that says what parts jam. I guess I'll just open it up and start poking...

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

Ok, I've stripped it down, I removed the slow speed mechanism. I've pulled of the timer mechanism. (That probably won't go back on) I've pulled basically everything you can apart on this. The shutter is still cocked but nothing I do can get it to trip. What the hell should I be looking for next?! Almost all the references I've seen show the low speed as being the issue. I don't see what can be holding it back now!! This is driving me nuts! I'm ready to say that the FSU camera design is just crap and toss this one in the lake or sell it on ebay for parts.

Ottrdaemmerung · Nov 22, 2011

You could try contacting Yuri Boguslavsky, the proprietor of Fedka.com, and see if he has any insight into the problem - or perhaps he could repair it for you?

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

I'm not going to waste any more money on this camera by sending it to someone else. I've rebuilt several cameras now and I've never had this kind of problem before. Part of the problem is lack of documentation. I can go online and get a repair manual for just about every other camera but I can't find any really good references other than basics. I know that the issue isn't in the low speeds. I'm trying to get the shutter completely out of the camera now, I figure that if I just reset everything to zero maybe I can get it to work but I can't figure out how to get the last screw out to completely remove the shutter housing from the top.

JRieke · Nov 22, 2011

ok, next question, I thought I knew the answer but now I'm getting mixed up and tired but I'll ask anyway, which side should the shutter material be rolled on when the shutter is cocked? Right now mine has all the material rolled onto the drum and only the tab ends on teh two rollers to the left.

geoffox23 · Nov 27, 2011

This may be helpful...

Issak S. Maizenberg
"All you need to know about the design and repair of Russian cameras"
cccp.alien-planet.net/maizenberg-cameras1.pdf

steven_e007 · Nov 28, 2011

I was thinking of selling my Zorki 4K on fleeBay (I didn't want to, but am getting 'grief' about the number of cameras I own )

I decided to keep the Zorki when I realised they sell for such very low prices. Maybe it is because of where I am... (UK), but I'd check your local ebbeeGumay and other outlets, paying myself even the minimum working wage I wouldn't spend more than an hour on one before chucking it in the bin and buying another becomes the only sensible option - unless of course you really *need* to fix it.

Ralph Javins · Nov 28, 2011

geoffox23 said:
This may be helpful...

Isaak S. Maizenberg
"All you need to know about the design and repair of Russian cameras"
cccp.alien-planet.net/maizenberg-cameras1.pdf

Good morning, GeofFox;

Please check the "URL" or Internet Address for Isaak Maizenberg's book. That one did not work for me when I just "clicked" on it, but searching for Isaak S. Maizenberg produced the same URL or address, and clicking on that one did work. And, please note that the ".pdf" file is over 18 MegaBytes long (18MB+). It took a while to download it over my RF modem.

In any case, thank you for providing the reference. Now to see what happens if I try to print out all 307 pages.

geoffox23 · Nov 28, 2011

Hi Ralph

There was a restriction with quoting the full link, but I see you found the book OK.

I have a "stuck" Zorki-4K coming in the mail, so hopefully the combination of the RFF CLA pdf and Isaac's book will solve my problem, too.

Cheers
Geoff

Zorki 4 changed the speed before winding now it's stuck

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