1st try with film

J

jimmyriddle

Messages
362
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all,
~
I picked up my 1st film camera from ebay, a Zorki 4, and I've got my first film back. The first ~25 shots have strong white banding on the edges, then the last shots are all fine (There is over lap within a usage, i.e. one day between 2 photos it stops). Is this some kind on light leak, and given it's not present for the last 3rd of the shots was it maybe something sticking thats now freed up? I've got another roll in now, so that might answer it.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help, and below are some example shots.

000021 by J A Richardson Photography, on Flickr
000022 by J A Richardson Photography, on Flickr
 
Shutter trouble - uneven curtain speeds.

What shutter speeds were you using when this was happening, and when it wasn't?
 
Im not 100% sure. Maybe on this roll I should do a few test shots working my way through the speeds?
 
The flaws are vertical - that's highly indicative of a shutter curtain travel issue. Light leaks are nearly always random shapes.

In the first shot, the abrupt transition from over-exposure is a bit odd. This is at the right-hand side of the frame in the camera when viewed from behind. It looks like the first curtain was already partially open before the exposure cycle was started, and then moved across, followed by the second curtain (the shutter curtains move from right to left when viewed from behind the camera). That would imply that the first curtain didn't get pulled all the way across during the previous film advance. In the second, there's a more gradual transition to over-exposure, and it's happening at the left-hand side of the frame in-camera (towards the end of the shutter travel). Either the first curtain is speeding up, or the second curtain is slowing down, or maybe a bit of both.

The notion that things get freed up with use isn't one I especially subscribe to unless the lubricants have somehow become thixotropic. With the age of these cameras, the most likely explanation is that the lubricants have become gummed up. Might work okay at some speeds, and sluggish at others. Ambient temperature might be a factor. Maybe there are other causes. It might appear to have started working, but there's no guarantee that it will continue to do so. The only real solution is a CLA. With that, it should be good for a few more decades.

When getting an old film camera, the first thing to do is give it the once-over with no film in it. Open the back, and give it several shots at each speed to see if the shutter is operating convincingly - snappy and consistent opening and closing, speeds look more or less correct. Also check things like aperture blades are all in place and the aperture size changes as expected. It's a 5 minute check and costs nothing.
 
Thanks for the reply and great description. I'll put some test shots at each speed, and try to make a note of each speed used for each shot in this film, and have a more detailed look with the back off.
 
If you haven't shot anything on the second film, you'd be better off rewinding it and checking the shutter first. Main thing is to rewind slowly and feel for the film leader disengaging from the take-up spool to ensure that it doesn't get wound all the way into the cassette. There should be a fairly obvious change in tension on the rewind knob when it disengages unless the rewind knob itself is gummed up and feels rather stiff whether or not there's film loaded.
 
Too late unfortunately. The negatives arrived in the post today, and having them in hand helps visualise what's happening in your description. Before I put film in, I did watch the shutter fire, and it didn't stick, but as you mentioned it might be certain speeds. I was thinking of having a shot at developing, so maybe this film might be a good test one as it could already be compromised. Thanks for all the help!
 
Given the price at which Zorki 4 cameras tend to sell for, I doubt a CLA would be economically worthwhile as it would probably cost two or three times what the camera is worth. Perhaps it's worth seeing how your current roll of film turns out and if things haven't freed off then look for one that's in full working order, preferably from a reputable shop or dealer with a 3 or 6 month warranty on it, and keep the one you have for spares... or depending if it was listed as fully working, perhaps you could contact the seller and ask to return it as it's not working properly? You have proof in the photos you've taken.

Film photography can be great fun, so don't let this put you off, there are plenty of fully working film cameras around so I'm sure you'll soon find one... but that's another issue, soon one becomes two, then three, and before you know it you can end up with a collection of them. :whistle:
 
With this problem, before you take your next roll of film,just sit on you sofa and watch TV, whilst doing this fire your camera at each shutter speed from 1/4 through to 1000 say about ten to twenty times each,please ensure when you change speed you follow the correct procedure.

I think it may very well be that lack of use over the years is causing the problem and this may result in a cheap fix. Good luck.
 
Mr Badger said:
Given the price at which Zorki 4 cameras tend to sell for, I doubt a CLA would be economically worthwhile as it would probably cost two or three times what the camera is worth. Perhaps it's worth seeing how your current roll of film turns out and if things haven't freed off then look for one that's in full working order, preferably from a reputable shop or dealer with a 3 or 6 month warranty on it, and keep the one you have for spares... or depending if it was listed as fully working, perhaps you could contact the seller and ask to return it as it's not working properly? You have proof in the photos you've taken.

Film photography can be great fun, so don't let this put you off, there are plenty of fully working film cameras around so I'm sure you'll soon find one... but that's another issue, soon one becomes two, then three, and before you know it you can end up with a collection of them. :whistle:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I knew going into this there's a good chance it might not work, and it wan't expensive. It was described as working, but messing around with postage would make it un-economical. Working in technology on million dollar bits of kit, it's the mechanical nature of older cameras that appeals. Worst case, it's a dud and I strip it to see if I can fix it, and that would give me plenty of entertainment for my £.

medwaygreen said:
With this problem, before you take your next roll of film,just sit on you sofa and watch TV, whilst doing this fire your camera at each shutter speed from 1/4 through to 1000 say about ten to twenty times each,please ensure when you change speed you follow the correct procedure.

I think it may very well be that lack of use over the years is causing the problem and this may result in a cheap fix. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give that a try
 
If you did decide to put it in for a CLA, Roger Lean is highly regarded:

Roger Lean Russian Camera Repairs
32 Ravenstone Road
Hornsey
London
N8 0JT

Tel 0208 881 5208
 
Mr Badger said:
Given the price at which Zorki 4 cameras tend to sell for, I doubt a CLA would be economically worthwhile as it would probably cost two or three times what the camera is worth.
Click to expand...
They're cheap because they're half a century old and it's a lottery as to whether any given example is in need of a CLA. At a certain point, the hassle factor of bouncing cameras back and forth outweighs just having one that works.
 
Thanks all for the advice and info. I'll update once I have the next roll done.
 
Nomad Z said:
They're cheap because they're half a century old and it's a lottery as to whether any given example is in need of a CLA. At a certain point, the hassle factor of bouncing cameras back and forth outweighs just having one that works.
Click to expand...
At half a century old they're all probably in need of a CLA (unless they've already had one in recent years), so I'd imagine it's more a lottery as to whether or not any that haven't had a CLA still will work properly? Based on practical experience of owning a number of old film cameras, the lower the shutter speed selected the more those odds seem to reduce.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top