Zorki, Leica Copy, Film Loading Problem , Serial : 5601070746

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 2, 2015

Hello there,

That camera came very expensive , someone sent it from Florida with paying 60 dollars shipment and my mother and I been shocked.

Now , I found there is a back plate for film inside the camera where it moves with springs. Now That backplate doesnt allow to film to slide its place. I am trying to push the film to its place and film becomes wringled but no result.

Now the big question , should the back plate - IF THIS IS ITS ROLE - should be pushed to back or to the lens side.

I cant open the camera for repair and there is no one to repair and I have no money to replace it.

Umut

OptiKen · Sep 2, 2015

Is this a bottom loading Zorki?

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 2, 2015

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 2, 2015

That camera came very expensive , someone sent it from Florida with paying 60 dollars shipment and my mother and I been shocked.

Sorry Umut for your misadventure.
You could have asked here for a list of good sellers and lower prices.
I know of quite a few good ones on Ebay selling good cameras from Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

OptiKen · Sep 2, 2015

Make sure you cut the film like a Leica cut.......4" long leader about 1" wide. Insert the small end of the leader in the take up spool and secure then place both spools in the camera at once keeping the long skinny leader straight. It should go straight in without getting caught on anything.

OptiKen · Sep 2, 2015

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 2, 2015

Ricardo ,

I dont know if I would have money or not , its still goverment decision. I think I have couple of months to learn from them. Thank you.

Optiken,

Thank you very much. I am using Barnacks for last 20 years and that trimming done and it does not relate to that. I had a 1946 IIIC with same problem and repairman removed the lens , set to bulb and squeezed the backplate with two fingers and click ! Everything ran smoothly and easily.

This time above does not work !

Thank you very much.

summicron1 · Sep 2, 2015

Having the long leader is critical, Umut. The tapered part at the end near the film can allows the film to slide under the pressure plate. A film cut in the modern fashion, with just a 1 inch leader, will not load into any bottom loading leica-style camera.

The longer leader does not need to be precisely cut -- I did it once with a pen knife on a park bench -- just have 4 inches cut, and tapering over to the edge after that. If it is longer than 4 inches, ur still good to go.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 2, 2015

Hello Summicron,

Please read my post above.

Thank you very much for your help.

Umut

Dali · Sep 2, 2015

The pressure plate is there to keep the film flat at the focal plane and not curved. It has 2 springs between the camera's body and its own back to push it toward the lens. Normally, these springs are weak enough to allow the film to be inserted (in this case, the pressure plate move back the thickness of the film so springs get a little additional pressure).

Lens removed, can you push back the pressure plate easily with 1 finger?

Too, are you sure the camera's body is not twisted or damaged in this area? Zorki's and FED's body shells are made from soft metal and can easily be bent. With a camera shell bent toward the lens , the pressure plate could push against the shutter crate and prevent a film to be inserted (i.e. not enough room).

Just my 2 cents...

Xmas · Sep 2, 2015

Sounds like it is a rebuild camera job, lots of the FSU cameras are rebuilt with a kitchen knife.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 3, 2015

Hello Dali ,

I think something happened to the camera. Backplate is acting strange. No finger pressure does not put it to its place. Let me wait couple of months and try to buy new one.

Thank you,

umut

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 3, 2015

Xmas said:
Sounds like it is a rebuild camera job, lots of the FSU cameras are rebuilt with a kitchen knife.

aha !!!

removed account4 · Sep 3, 2015

money back guarantee if not satisfied ?
hope so ...

Dali · Sep 3, 2015

On additional reason which imply the camera was rebuilt... Maybe the pressure plate is not located at the right place. Let me explain... In the inside part on the camera shell, there is a reservation the size of the pressure plate and its 2 springs wher rhe shell wall is thiner. At the assembly stage, when the shell was slided around the shutter crate to be screwed to the top plate of the camera, the pressure plate moved and went out of its reservation and now has no room to play its role and is stuck against the shutter crate.

If you have small screwdrivers and 30 minutes to spare, you can check it by removing the body shell and re-assemble it or try, shutter open, to slide the pressure plate with your fingers until it finds its reservation.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 3, 2015

john,

everything was 1 years ago , it was a gift.

dali,

i tried this with fed 6 months ago and could not remove the cover. I think I have to spare 150 dollars for 3c.

thanks.

Jim Jones · Sep 3, 2015

Barnack cameras can be loaded without trimming the leader to 4 inches. Insert a piece of card stock or thin business card into the film slot between the pressure plate and the film gate. Then insert the film cartridge with the film attached to the take-up spool between the card and the pressure plate. The card will guide the film past the film gate where it may have been hanging up. Remove the card and proceed normally. If you have trouble inserting a card between the pressure plate and film gate, there must be a problem with the camera, or perhaps a small piece of film jammed somewhere.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Sep 3, 2015

Jim,

Thank you very much , this was very helpful, I could insert thicker paper in to plate gap area but thinner , softer film could not be inserted. I will try with thicker paper and film again. Plate requires a force to open the gap.

Thank you very much,

Umut

Zorki, Leica Copy, Film Loading Problem , Serial : 5601070746

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