Godot
Hello!
I’ve got hold of a Zorki 2c (aren’t those not-quite-so-pretty ones with the flash socket called 2cs?). It was easy to take apart, I got the shutter working again, and I even managed to put it back together (no important parts were left over). Maybe it actually still works (why not?), but:
How do you load the film into it?
Thanks..!
MirkoBoeddecker
Have you perhaps lost the take-up spool?
On some models, it’s removable – which unfortunately means it can also get misplaced :)
You might be able to make do with a plastic spool core from a KB cassette.
Best regards,
Mirko
HansDerHase
There’s loads of information online. You should be able to find manuals for practically all Zorkis and Feds using your favourite search engine.
For example,
here
As the older Zorkis are largely based on a pre-war Leica design, I assume you’ll need to trim the film a little. For Leicas that are loaded from the bottom, you’ll need what’s known as a
‘Leica leader’.
If you’re missing the reel, you can make a replacement from the reel of a (used) 135 film canister. Simply open it with a can opener, take out the reel and cut it at an angle so you can wedge the ‘leader’ in. However, this only works really well with reels that have a solid core. Incidentally, the Kiev in my avatar picture also has a “homemade” take-up reel. B)
PS: I’ve also seen scans of original Russian-language manuals on Russian websites. For the ultimate FSU-RF kick. :)
Gast
Hello,
I’m not sure exactly which models this applies to, but in some very early models, standard cassettes don’t fit because the two end rings are too thick.
Swema films are sold in plastic cassettes with a 10 cm film leader; these do fit, but that’s no use in Germany :) .
So buy a plastic cassette and get some scissors.
Oleksander
Godot
Yes, thanks – the reel was actually missing, and they had it at Foto-Braune (they’ve always had everything there so far). Judging by the price, it must be a Leica reel... We’re still practising loading it – but the second roll of film is already in even worse a state than the first.
Regards,
Stefan.
cfb_de
Hello Stefan,
- Trim the "Leica leader": cut along twenty perforation holes across half the film width, then slowly and smoothly round it up to full width within four holes.
- Test the film on the reel. Note: The reel rotates the "wrong way round"!
- Wind the shutter.
- Insert the film; you’ll know when it’s in the right position. Give it a bit of a wiggle back and forth (the rewind crank is known to turn freely). Press the shutter, close the lid, wind forward. Done.
Then pretty much everything works straight away. Or maybe I’m just always lucky. I didn’t mess up the very first film either. Also with a Zorki-2s (the “s” is actually the Cyrillic “c”).
For decades, people (including HCB and his later Tatterich) managed it. Just because there are all sorts of technical aids available these days, is it supposed to have become dramatically more difficult? I hear the words, but I lack the faith.
Take pictures with the point-and-shoot! And find yourself a well-preserved Jupiter-12 to go with it. But a well-preserved one. The rear lens protrudes quite a bit (in the 1930s, Zeiss hadn’t yet used a retrofocus design for the Biogon, so the Russians had nothing to copy) and is *extremely* susceptible to scratches. It goes for about 50 in Prague and on eBay via ua-project, even if it’s in good condition.
And perhaps a retractable Industar (which makes the camera pocket-friendly) or an I61L/D (which is – if in good condition – the best standard lens in my collection)
Alongside my other Russian lenses, I quite like taking the 2s with me. Compact, sturdy and robust – not even 500 parts – and quite nice. At f/4, the I61L/D easily keeps up with my Canon and Yashica lenses and, in a comparison my friend did against a post-war Elmar from Leitz, it won hands down. Until then, I hadn’t realised what low-contrast, out-of-focus lenses they were selling at Leitz.
Best regards,
Franz
Godot
Oh, thanks Franz. Following your tips, I’ve actually managed to get the film in; it was just that the reel was sitting too ‘deep’ at first, so it didn’t pick up the film properly and eventually jammed. It should work now, and once I’ve found my last working light meter, I’ll definitely be taking some photos with this thing. It should be perfect for the holidays.
As for the lenses, I suppose it’s largely a matter of luck finding the good ones. On the accompanying Industar, the internal threads are quite botched, so it’s under tension and the focus is stiff. What is the average quality of the Jupiter 9 like? It should be very good for detailed shots. Or the fast Jupiter 3? In low light, the handy but solid camera certainly has its advantages; it’s unlikely to shake easily. Oh, I’ve just realised (
here), they aren’t all that cheap either (i.e. not dirt cheap, give-away cheap; compared to German lenses, they’re already cheap, of course). And you’ll need a viewfinder as well. Well, at least you’ll find a good, cheap standard lens – are there no well-stocked dealers in Szczecin or Berlin?
Regards
Stefan..
cfb_de
Hi Stefan,
That’s true, the quality of these lenses varies much more widely than with Western manufacturers. I’ve heard good things about the Jupiter-9 (apparently it produces a ‘sun-like’ softness when wide open), though I don’t own one myself. As for the Z-2, I also find its dimensions a bit on the small side for an 85mm focal length.
I don’t have a Jupiter-3 (yet) either; the first affordable one I come across will be mine :-)
You don’t need a ‘set’ of viewfinders: the revolving viewfinder is perfectly adequate and covers 35, 50, 85 and 135mm. For a standard lens, you could look for a Jupiter-8 or an Industar 61L/D. The latter is usually cheaper if it comes with a FED-5 attached. Mine cost around €12.
Another reliable eBay seller is “ua-project”. I might have a spare Jupiter-8, but I’ll have to check first whether I’ve got it here or in Verden.
Best regards,
Franz
Godot
Hi Franz,
If you really want to sell a Jupiter 8 in good condition for a fair price, that might be a good option. Let’s see.
Best wishes.
dl8ram
Hello Franz, hello everyone reading this,
I’d like to chime in here. A while ago, I bought a FED2 with a Jupiter 9 and a matching viewfinder on eBay. I did this mainly because the Jupiter and the viewfinder, combined with the rear lens cap :rolleyes: (FED2), were significantly cheaper than buying them separately. As 85mm is actually my favourite focal length and rangefinder cameras are smaller, lighter and, above all, quieter, I wanted to give it a go. But now we come to my problem.
When I focus using the camera’s rangefinder, the set distance doesn’t match the actual focal plane at all. A standard lens screwed onto the camera, however, focuses without any problems. Just to pre-empt some expected counter-questions: yes, I have checked the sharpness on the film plane, and yes, I have done this with both lenses. When focused on a known distance, the values displayed on the distance scale were within the range of normal deviations (even a Nikkor is no substitute for a tape measure).
Swapping the camera body (as expected) makes no difference (tested on a 4 Fed? and a Zorki body). The problem is simply that when the lens is set to a specific distance, it results in a different travel distance for the ring that determines the rangefinder reading. Is there any solution to this? At the moment, I can only see two viable options.
Adjusting the rangefinder display (certainly a rather laborious solution) or using a separate rangefinder.
Could it be that the lens simply belongs to a completely different camera???
Kind regards,
Alois
cfb_de
Hello Alois, hello Stefan,
@Alois:
I think it’s far more likely that you’ve simply ended up with one of the countless botched versions. Taking the Scherbe apart is still fairly straightforward, but putting it back together properly is usually where people run into trouble.
Screw it apart and try out each of the threaded screw sockets. Only one of them is the right one. (That’s a job I’d take to a workshop. Not because it’s so difficult, but because it’s so incredibly fiddly.)
@Stefan:
Yes, I’ve got it here. It looks well-used, could do with a bit of grease, but visually it’s perfectly fine. For five to ten plus postage, it’s yours if you want it. Take my forum nickname, add an @ and web.de, and send me an email. We’d better sort this out between ourselves.
Best regards,
Franz
dl8ram
Hi Franz,
This forum really has something brilliant about it. I actually go on the assumption that you should only take a lens apart if you’ve first thought through all the things you could get wrong. Because of that, it never even occurred to me that someone might have put the lens back together incorrectly. I’ve just quickly fetched a 61mm Edelscherbe 2.8/55, the 85mm and a calliper from the cellar, and lo and behold!!! At the infinity setting (where the two lenses should agree), there’s a deviation of more than a millimetre. I’ll go and fetch the screwdrivers, petrol and Vaseline from the cellar and give the little beauty a overhaul (it has scratches anyway).
Thanks for the tip
Alois
cfb_de
Hi Alois,
Have fun with the DIY project! There are *an endless* number of ways to fit it, and only one of them is the right one. As I said, I’d take the lens to a workshop.
Don’t make any plans for the rest of the weekend; document every single step with your digital camera.
Best regards,
Franz
dl8ram
Hi Franz,
I’m not that sceptical. I’ve already taken all the standard lenses from the ‘Russian cameras’ apart and re-greased them. Each time, I had to unscrew the worm gear as well. Well, I admit that I always marked the correct thread on the worm gear
whilst doing so, but the possibilities are limited and, with a calliper and a reference gauge, you should be able to find the right one quickly.
I’ll let you know how long the search took :rolleyes:
Best regards,
Alois
dl8ram
Hi Franz,
There was no search!
That’s not to say I would have packed the lens barrel into the box (that would probably have taken longer) – no, that’s not necessary at all with this lens. The rear section of the lens barrel, which also houses the M39 mount, is screwed to the rest of the lens using a fine thread and secured with two cute little grub screws.
So, simply set the focus to infinity, leave the focus ring as it is, loosen the retaining screws at the end, mount the camera on a tripod and point it at the TV tower, then adjust to infinity by unscrewing the entire lens from the barrel to the rangefinder, check with the focusing screen at the film plane to see if it’s correct, and retighten the tiny set screws, screw the focusing ring back on tight and roll a cigarette. Takes about 30 minutes.
Packing it up and taking it to the post office would have taken longer ;)
Best regards,
Alois
