Zorki-4

[Dave Wooten]

Any one use this camera on a reg basis, I picked up one and would like to put some film thro it...any lens recommendations? I have only 50 mm jupiter 8 f/2

 

[PhotoJim]

Nothing wrong with the J-8.

The J-12 (35/2.8) is excellent. The 85/2.8 (J-11? I can never remember) is also good although some samples are better than others.

The Zorki 4 is one of my favourite Soviet shooters. I'm not sure why. I vastly prefer my 4 to my 4K, even though the 4K has a lever wind mechanism. I prefer the knob.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Had one, never used it. Rep is quite good lens, weak shutter. As with any focal-plane shutter camera, if you hold the body with lens and back removed against a light (like a window) and fire the shutter at all speeds, you should see a complete rectangle with sharp corners if the shutter is opening OK. This doesn't of course test the accuracy of the speeds, although you can guess whether they sound right, but at least you can establish that the shutter isn't "tapering" (not opening until partway through its travel).

Regards,

David

 

[mabman]

I have a 4k - it's an OK camera, especially if you're just using a 50mm lens on it and can therefore use the built-in vf/rf.

My only complaint (and this might just be my sample) is that the slow speeds are tempermental - you have to wind slowly and all the way to the end, and when you want to take the shot depress the shutter button very evenly and all the way down, or else the slow speed mechanism doesn't engage. I've had it in to my local repair guy - he's overhauled it and says that's as good as it gets. Fortunately, I don't use the slow speeds that often

I'm tempted to get another one to see if this is a systemic problem with these cameras or not - but then, I really don't need another 35mm camera

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Just a note on the 85mm lens, it is a J-9. I think the J-11 is the 135mm lens.

Wayne

 

[Prarry]

I have a FED2 and a 4K and four lenses, two 50, 35, 85, 135. The 135 I never really use. All have been to Oleg (O.Khalyavin <ok@capital.mari-el.ru>, www.okvintagecamera.com) for CLAs. All came back in wonderful "brown paper packages tied up with string" (really!), smelling slightly of oil and working wonderfully. Have it cleaned and lubbed, remember about changing speed only after cocking the shutter and enjoy.

 

[PhotoJim]

Another bouquet for Oleg. He has overhauled four of my six Feds and Zorkis. They all are working great.

 

[Eric Rose]

I loved my Zorki IV! Great little shooter and the Jupiter lens is quite sharp. The only thing I would recommend if you wear glasses is to put some duck tape over the metal parts of the eye piece. I scratched my glasses mine.

 

[kman627]

I have a 1957 Zorki 4, , love it, and use it all the time. I use both the Jupiter 8 and a Canon 50mm f1.2 LTM. The LTM is great for speed, but even stopped down to f2 it can't come close to the performance of the J8 as far as sharpness goes. So unless I'm really hurtin' for light, I get by fine with the J8. I like the way the camera handles, it has a nice presence in my hands. The contrast in the rangefinder/viewfinder is great too for being 51 years old.

 

[srs5694]

I'm more of an SLR person than a rangefinder person, so I don't use my FED 2 or FED 5 that much, but I do own both, along with Jupiter-12 35mm and Jupiter-11 135mm lenses, and a handy multi-focal-length viewfinder that mounts on the accessory/hot shoe. The Jupiter-12 is a nice 35mm lens, and I can certainly recommend it. I have less of an opinion of the Jupiter-11; I've just not used it that much. Both will work on the Zorki 4. The accessory viewfinder is a practical necessity when using accessory lenses with the FEDs, which show only a 50mm view in their viewfinders. I don't know offhand if the Zorki is the same way or if it has frame lines for extra focal lengths in its viewfinder.

As with any focal-plane shutter camera, if you hold the body with lens and back removed against a light (like a window) and fire the shutter at all speeds, you should see a complete rectangle with sharp corners if the shutter is opening OK. This doesn't of course test the accuracy of the speeds, although you can guess whether they sound right

Actually, it's possible to use an (old-style CRT) television as a shutter speed tester. I used to have a URL to a site that gave specifics, but I lost the bookmark in a disk crash. The idea is to look through the shutter at the TV as you trip the shutter. At 1/60s and slower (in the US and other NTSC countries; 1/50s in PAL countries) you'll see a complete frame. As the speed increases, you should see partial TV frames. With a horizontal-travel shutter, such as in Zorkis, the partial frames will appear as diagonal bands. This is of course a crude test, but it can help you to verify that the shutter speed isn't grossly off. I used this method to help adjust the shutter speed on a Kiev 6C medium format camera that I bought a few months ago. It arrived with shutter speeds that were way off, and I managed to adjust them to the point that my exposures are reasonably accurate, at least when using print film. (I've not yet shot slide film in my 6C.)

 

[k_jupiter]

I like Zorkis. But.. the Zorki 4 (one with painted on SS one with etched SS) both will not let me come out of film rewind. The little button you push to let you do it... gets stuck. You cannot get it t advance the film, no matter where the 'r' lever is set.

Now my Zorki 1. What a camera. Trim the film leader to Leica specs, go shoot. Nice camera.

I use my Jupiter 85mm on a 42mm fujica 6xx series camera. Nice setup.

tim in san jose

 

[Martin Reed]

The Zorki 4 is one of the few cameras you can severely damage just by using it normally. I recall getting a brand new one & writing the shutter off by changing speed before cocking it. The Zorki 6 was a finer piece of work (if you can use that sort of qualification for these!) but lacks speeds below 1/30th.

 

[Navy E9]

I like Zorkis. But.. the Zorki 4 (one with painted on SS one with etched SS) both will not let me come out of film rewind. The little button you push to let you do it... gets stuck. You cannot get it t advance the film, no matter where the 'r' lever is set.

Now my Zorki 1. What a camera. Trim the film leader to Leica specs, go shoot. Nice camera.

I use my Jupiter 85mm on a 42mm fujica 6xx series camera. Nice setup.

tim in san jose

Not sure but you must turn (clockwise)the shutter plunger itself (should be a dot on it) back to line up with the dot on the top plate. It has a tendency to twist counterclockwise when releasing the shutter collar to rewind.
All three dots have to line up at 6 o`clock to be in the film advance mode.
John

 

[k_jupiter]

Not sure but you must turn (clockwise)the shutter plunger itself (should be a dot on it) back to line up with the dot on the top plate. It has a tendency to twist counterclockwise when releasing the shutter collar to rewind.
All three dots have to line up at 6 o`clock to be in the film advance mode.
John

I'll look at that. It seems the little mechanism at the bottom of the camera that engages the sprocket drive won't return to the up position. This might be the cause.

That would be nice. I like the Jupiter 50mm lens that are on them

tim in san jose

 

[Navy E9]

I'll look at that. It seems the little mechanism at the bottom of the camera that engages the sprocket drive won't return to the up position. This might be the cause.

That would be nice. I like the Jupiter 50mm lens that are on them

tim in san jose

My suggestion is exactly what you need to do having re-created your exact problem myself.
John

 

[kman627]

For rewinding, I turn the knob below the shutter release as far clockwise (down) as it will go. Once the film is set in the reel then for loading, I return the knob to the counter clockwise and turn the film advance knob to make sure there's tension. I've noticed that sometimes it will take a little bit to catch.

 

[Navy E9]

For rewinding, I turn the knob below the shutter release as far clockwise (down) as it will go. Once the film is set in the reel then for loading, I return the knob to the counter clockwise and turn the film advance knob to make sure there's tension. I've noticed that sometimes it will take a little bit to catch.

And sometimes it will not catch , that is if the shutter button happens to get rotated a hair counter clockwise .
And that`s exactly what I `ve been trying to explain here.

 

[ic-racer]

Nothing wrong with the J-8.

I like my Jupiter 8 also. The lens had to pass 31 lines/mm at the center and 14 at the edges to be certified by the factory. I presume these are 'wide open' values. The less expensive Industar seems to have better specs, but can't be tested at F2.0 because its a F3.5 lens.

Translated it says "Definition on film of 'KH-1'" then the columns on the bottom table show "lens tested," "Center," "Edge"

The first lens is the F3.5 Industar, which was required to get 38 lpm center and 20 lpm edge. The second lens listed is the F2.0 Jupiter-8 which was required to get 31 lpm center and 14 lpm edge to pass.

 

[ic-racer]

And sometimes it will not catch , that is if the shutter button happens to get rotated a hair counter clockwise .
And that`s exactly what I `ve been trying to explain here.

I have had this happen also.

 

[k_jupiter]

My suggestion is exactly what you need to do having re-created your exact problem myself.
John

Well damn! If that wasn't the problem. I took the Zorki out, found the two dots off by a quarter turn, adjusted them and now the camera works. When I find the second one this weekend, I am sure it will be the same thing.

Off to shoot with my Jupiter 8s.

tim in san jose

 

[Navy E9]

I don`t think this situation is noted in any instruction manual but it should have been. I discovered it when i opened the package containing my first Soviet camera (Zorki 4).
John