Past & Present, Together
Post-Script: Of course, it helps if the old film camera is working properly. And it helps if you know how to use the camera as it was intended. In the case of this Zorki IV, I noticed today while shooting a roll of Ilford HP5 that at infinity focus the rangefinder images don't exactly line up as they should; perhaps an issue with the lens cam. But depth of focus should compensate for any focus errors, given that I was using a small aperture as necessitated by fast film and bright light.
Unfortunately, that roll of Kodak Ektar 100 that I (supposedly) shot downtown this last Sunday ended up being blank, unexposed. I suspect the leader slipped off the take-up spindle after loading, and I must not have noticed the rewind knob wasn't turning when I'd advance the film. I knew something wasn't quite right while rewinding the film, as it didn't feel right, like there wasn't enough resistance while rewinding, nor did I sense the leader slipping off the take-up spool, where it should suddenly get easier to turn. I think the take-up spool in this camera doesn't clamp onto the film sprockets as it once did; but I also need to be more careful to ensure it winds on properly. Oh well; one roll of film wasted.
I do have another rangefinder camera to use should this one prove too problematic, that being the Kodak Retina IIIC. And, of course, several film SLRs, too.
Photo via Lumix G5 and the 20mm-f/1.7 lens, wide open. Typecast via Smith-Corona Silent.
posted by Joe V at 9:24 PM
6 Comments:
Excellent idea! Two-guns Joe :D
I've had the same thing happen to me not too long ago. Rewinding just did not have that normal feel. Then I've had blank SD cards from my digital camera also.
One thing I do not like about film is where I presently live there are no pro labs so I need to mail my film off for processing. That leaves me without the option of process only and I'll select the prints later. Now I need to at least proof print everything.
That is a neat looking camera.
I hope you can get the rangefinder alignment corrected. Too bad it is not on a 4 x 5 with an external one. They are much easier to correct.
I Googled Zorki 4 to learn more about it, and Wikipedia has a warning to always cock the shutter before changing the speed. If you don't, you may break a pin. The shutter speed should not be changed until after the shutter has been cocked. If the shutter speed is changed without cocking the shutter first, "the setting pin can be broken when the film is advanced."
Amazingly, though I've had this camera for perhaps 25 years, I've always managed to do the speed setting correctly; perhaps more by accident than my own cleverness.
Maybe the issue with the rangefinder can be fixed easily,
have a look at the link below, cheers Klaus
http://swcornell.com/camera/repair.htm
Hi again, maybe I shouldn't write anything after 3am in the morning. The camera in that link wasn't a Zorki4, sorry for that. But I found an illustrated Tipster at lomography( picture says more than 1000 words) related to FED5 and ZORKI4.maybe You should also check with a groundglass, that infinity on the lensbarrel is really infinity. So here is the link and again sorry , Klaus
http://www.lomography.de/magazine/206932-quick-tipster-how-to-calibrate-the-rangefinder-of-a-fed-5-or-a-zorki-4-camera
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