The Zorki 4k - Russian RF - Fixed and ready to shoot!

[Hamish Gill]

Just after Christmas one of our members (David mitchell) was kind enough to give me one of his Zorki 4k cameras ... All be it with a few niggles. The first being the RF was a mile out! With the help of a link he sent me - Rangfinder adjustment - I seem to have solved that issue.
The other issue looked a little more complicated initially, but with a bit of googling I think I have solved it.
The second curtain was very sluggish on the speeds below 1/60th, David had done a bit of digging and come to the conclusion it needed retentionong or lubricating. I went for the retentioning option as it looked easier
It's a different camera in the pictures, but these instructions worked - HOW TO: FED & Zorki Curtain tension. - Rangefinderforum.com. The 4k just has a plate with two screws that covers the tentioners.

So here it is, my now (seemingly) 100% working Zorki 4k

Zorki 4K by Hamish_Gill, on Flickr

The lens is my http://www.realphotographersforum.com/lenses/8784-leitz-leica-summarit-50mm-1-5-ltm.html and the lightmeter is my http://www.realphotographersforum.com/lighting/2323-voigtlander-vcii-meter-review.html.

 

[Brian Moore]

My Zorki C might have the same curtain issue. I'll have to take look.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Gotta be worth a go!!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Looks incredibly cool. Can't wait for the shots. Remember to load it with film

 

[Hamish Gill]

Haha, thanks Rob, that's a great tip!
Just debating what to load it with ... I want somthing I can dev in town as I can't be bothered deving my self at the mo.
I have portra 160, fuji reala and xp2 ... I've shot a lot of xp2 recently, but the others are a bit slow. I just have a feeling portra is going to have give lovely results with the summarit! I think I've just talked my self into portra ...
i suppose I could shoot a roll at 400 ISO ...? Brian? Your thoughts?

 

[Brian Moore]

Portra 160, Hamish. I very much like the color palate of that emulsion and I think with that Summarit it should be particularly nice.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Don't know what the letter K stads for in your Zorki 4k, but there is a Zorki 4 on ebay right now at a great price (so far):

Zorki 4 rangefinder camera including jupiter 9 85mm f/2 great portrait lens | eBay

 

[Hamish Gill]

Have you pushed it before Brian I'm thinking ........

Half way through typing I've just remembered this
http://www.realphotographersforum.com/landscape-architecture/4436-mists.html

I reckon if I load a roll and shoot the indoor stuff at 800iso (effectively under exposing) then set the meter to 160 in day light I should be pretty safe ... If the indoor shots come out a bit under, well that's probably a better reflection of the lower light situation anyway ... If you follow??
That should turn out ok eh?

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Don't know what the letter K stads for in your Zorki 4k, but there is a Zorki 4 on ebay right now at a great price (so far):

Zorki 4 rangefinder camera including jupiter 9 85mm f/2 great portrait lens | eBay

that will go for around £100 I'd guess with that lens ... I think ...
dunno what the k stands for but the k modle has a thumb lever film advance

 

[Brian Moore]

Not sure I follow. Pushing happens in the developing process, Hamish. You can shoot the 160 at 800, but that's not the push. Your mist shots--which are lovely--weren't pushed,...you just shot them at the wrong ISO. Right?

 

[Pete Askew]

I'm with Brian. Why not either push the whole roll to 400 ISO (it's a f1:1.5 lens after all and a RF so you can go down to 1/15s if you're careful) and then stop down more / shoot at a higher shutter speed outside?

 

[Hamish Gill]

What I mean is ... Not very well explained I admit ... Shoot the roll at 160, then if I happen to underexpose a few indoor shots its not going to hurt (based on the outcome of te other roll that was underexposed throughout.)

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Also, I can't find anyone who will push colour film for me

 

[Pete Askew]

Not even Joan? That makes sense now you've explained it in English!

 

[Brian Moore]

I think you're relying on the latitude of the emulsion to cover you, Hamish. Not sure about Portra 160, but I've read that the Portra 400 has very good latitude. Having said that, your mist shots suggest the same for the 160. I'd say shoot the 160 at whatever iso you prefer and get it developed at box speed. My guess is, given what you got out of the mists, the 160 will make you happy at least up to iso 800 without a push. Worth a try.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Nope ... From what I am told (not by Joan) the developing machines they use don't do it...
aparently you just chuck the roll in the machine and it does it all for you. I've been told that even loading two different speed rolls at the same time makes no odds - same dev time. It is even nothing to do with dx coding ... On top of this, I'm told that if I shoot 2ev under or over the box ISO I will still get decent results ...
I have no idea why or how or what about any of that, it's all second (and some third) hand info ...

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... Which is I suppose how and why I got good quality images from my 2.3 stop underexposed portra 160 I sent to Joan ...

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I think you're relying on the latitude of the emulsion to cover you, Hamish. Not sure about Portra 160, but I've read that the Portra 400 has very good latitude. Having said that, your mist shots suggest the same for the 160. I'd say shoot the 160 at whatever iso you prefer and get it developed at box speed. My guess is, given what you got out of the mists, the 160 will make you happy at least up to iso 800 without a push. Worth a try.

thats my best guess too...
And indeed what I was angling at before ... All be it in backward English

 

[Joan West]

Nope ... From what I am told (not by Joan) the developing machines they use don't do it...
aparently you just chuck the roll in the machine and it does it all for you. I've been told that even loading two different speed rolls at the same time makes no odds - same dev time. It is even nothing to do with dx coding ... On top of this, I'm told that if I shoot 2ev under or over the box ISO I will still get decent results ...
I have no idea why or how or what about any of that, it's all second (and some third) hand info ...

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... Which is I suppose how and why I got good quality images from my 2.3 stop underexposed portra 160 I sent to Joan ...

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All films go through the colour negative film processing machine at the same speed and time, the results depend on whether you have correctly exposed the film and if the correct iso speed was set on the camera
.......and yes, a few spits under or over really don't make a lot of difference

 

[Hamish Gill]

Thanks Joan

 

[David Mitchell]

The K also has a captive film holder, with all previous models you opened to load the film and the spool falls out, and your thumb gets cut to bits with the advance wheel lol its why I went with a 4k glad you like it, it does look rather awesome