Wow, this brings back so many memories. This was my first camera, since I was 7 or so. My dad also had a Zorki 3, I still have both. I remember having to know all these quirks and tricks back then as well. I always guessed the exposure as I didn't have a meter, but that's what made it so special! Each time the film was processed I was so anxious to see what came out. What a great feeling. And the camera itself. I may just take it out once. I now own a 5D mark IV, but nothing beats the feeling this gave me back then. Thank you for this great video!
Thank you for this video! My great-grandfather took his zorki to Tenerife with him in the 80s and took a whole bunch of photos that were shown to me through my childhood. This year I’ve dug it out and am going to be taking it with me on my own trip to the island!
Excellent! My first camera was a 4K. Bought it from a mail order catalog back in the early 70’s. I still have it, must give it a “day out” refresh my skills
Thanks, very glad you found it useful. I hope you're enjoying that Zorki! Rangefinder shooting is a somewhat different experience to using an SLR; not that either is better, necessarily, but I find they encourage a different way of seeing, and a different kind of shot.
Very comprehensive tutorial. Thanks for posting. The Zorki 4 was my first 'real' camera back in 1978 gifted to me by a work-mate. I've since owned about six more 4K's since then due to the low purchase price. The two main issues I've had over the years are the wind-on lever jamming and the yellow split image in the viewfinder seperating vertically (although the camera is still usable). It's cheaper to just buy a new camera body than pay the repair bill as these things are so much fun to use. The 'sunny 16' rule is fine with film negatives as most photo labs can take advantage of the excellent film latitude offered. It's worth mentioning that these things are quite heavy....
Indeed they are heavy, almost all metal construction is responsible I think! My first real camera (after a Polaroid) was a Russian Rangefinder too, in my case a Fed 4 in 1977. I wanted the Zorki - much preferred its looks then, and still do now - though I learned photography on the Fed and its built in meter saves a lot of faffing around. Glad you're still enjoying your Zorkis!
Thanks for the great video. My wife's mother had a camera case with a camera inside decorating the house in Prague for many years, and we decided to take it and start using it, and it turned out to be Zorki 4k. Beautiful camera and rich shots.
Thank you so much for your excellent videos. I took delivery of a Zorki 4K this week - delivered from Ukraine - a beautiful machine. Thank you for this channel, you gave me the confidence to buy one of this quirky machines. I love my Russian lenses, I use them on my X-T3...time for the next step in de-evolution. Thank you.
I absolutely love these soviet cameras. My Zorki 4 and my Zenit 12XP are probably my favourite cameras. They have bucketloads of charm. They weren't manufactured to be competitive in the consumer market place, but to just be really functional and take great pictures. There's minimum bullshit or hand-holding with them. and their quirks give them personality.
Just acquired a Zorki 4K in excellent condition and needed to know how to operate it. Just watched your excellent tutorial on the does and don’ts, thank you.
@@zenography7923 l remembered something about the shutter and winding on but couldn’t remember what it was. So typed in instructions for using a Zorki 4K and you came up. Excellent tutorial, been following you for a while now, once again thank you.
Newbie here, again. I think I'm going to grab a Zorki cos... I think learning this way will help me with everything I have in mind so....thank you again for a wonderful video ! You.... fracking rock.
I found one laying around in my house, apparently it was my dad's when he was a photographer and my grandpa gave it to him. Seeing this camera and some other ones made me want to buy film and take some pics lol
I know very well how to use Zorki 4 because I own it, but I enjoy looking your video. You remember me to days when I was little boy and my father teached me how to use Zorki 4.
Absolutely love the Zorki 4K, built like a tank and very fun and easy to shoot! Unfortunately, I lost mine over a cliff a few months ago! Thankfully they’re easy to find and not that expensive, great video as always and happy shooting Zeno!
Old video but I'm an amateur hobbyist photographer. My father was a photographer for years for the Miami Herald and shot film his whole life. After recently getting into photography my father gifted me a Zorki 4 knowing I'm in love with the Leica M2 and M3 (of course we dont have 1500 to blow on a camera hahaha). I am absolutely in love with this camera and I thoroughly appreciate your walking through of the this camera so that I can get to shooting!
@@zenography7923 Quick question for you though. Do you have to manually change the ISO setting on the camera or is that not a feature on the Zorki 4? I currently shoot with a Minolta Himatic and if I put 200 iso film I need to change the setting for 200 ISO.
Great Zorki tutorial! They're tricky little cameras if you've never used one before. I probably made every mistake possible before I found a manual. It seems like ever misstep could permanently damage the camera.
It seems like a much better camera than I've thought in the past. I started with a Contax rangefinder & then a Nikon rangefinder with a couple of lenses, Great gear. Then I bought a Pentax outfit with some very impressive SMC Takumar lenses. These days, it's Nikon & Canon - the latest. But I would love to have one of these just for the hell of it. My hand-held light meter is a Canon compact digital auto focus camera that is otherwise past its prime but is a great exposure meter. Thanks for the info.
I like these Russian rangefinders; they're basic and simple for sure, but the important features are there, they have some great optics, and they've stood the test of time as well as any other camera! Well worth a try if you want to go back to basics - a pleasingly simple experience!
Thank you so much for all the infos! I just received one from my grandparents as they say it has broken down, but I’m determined to repair it (have ordered the missing pieces) and can’t wait to start being creative with them! :-)
Great video! Picked up an old Zorki 4 but wasn't in the best of shape. Just bought a dummy CLAd Zorki 4k. Made the mistake of turning the shutter before the film advance maybe once or twice (without forcing anything) but hopefully that doesn't mean disaster.
Excellent stuff. Thanks. I have a Zorki and an Exakta. Both great bits of kit. The trickiest part of the process is always winding the film back... Only broken 2 so far..
Thanks for watching; hope you're enjoying those cameras without too many more broken films! Slow and steady is often the key to successful rewinding...
My first "real" camera, I loved it, results were consistently very good, thanks in part to the rangefinder and a surprisingly accurate shutter and Weston Master, I would consider another new one.
Nice video! I have a 1973 model with a Fed 50/f2.8 lens. Russian Zorki is very solid, built like a tank. The view finder and focusing screen is bright and clear. My Fed lens is so sharp producing very very good colour and I sometimes use it on my modern digital Sony mirrorless A7ii with an adaptor.
Great video! Thanks! I myself own Zorki 4 and I LUUUVE this camera. You also clarified a few things I was not sure about. Still it’s pretty scary to use such old gun. If you could, make a video about meters on the lense so we could understand that better. I mean dependence of distance on aperture if I say it right. I know, that you get a right number by focusing, but it would’ve been awesome to hear explanations from you
Hi there, thanks for watching and I hope you're enjoying your Zorki, they're great little machines and hard to beat for everyday shooting. By 'dependence of distance on aperture' do you mean depth of field, and how much of the shot is in focus?
I just got a Zorki 4 from Lithuania and took a test roll (with varying speed and aperture settings) with it. I lost a part of the film as I fumbled something with the loading and had to open the back after a few frames because the film got stuck and tore but after that it worked ok. Just developed the film and the negative looks good so speed and aperture seem to work. It's still drying so don't know if the focus is accurate yet. I didn't even know there's such a thing as adjustable flash sychronization time but the Zorki has it, can be adjusted from 0 to 25 ms to match the lighting delay of the flash. Obviously it must be set to 0 for modern electronic flash. An interesting piece of old soviet technology and a nice addition to my small (though growing) collection of vintage cameras.
The 4k camera you have there is from 1973 and the Jupiter 8 lens is from 1971. The first 2 numbers of the serial numbers are the year of manufacture as you probably know. I use a Hanimex Sekonic selenium cell meter which also has an incident light attachment for reading light falling on the subject.
I just found this camera in our attic and im so grateful for this video because im completely new to film photography, so thank you:) I noticed that when i try to focus, the double image isn't moving. Are there any quick fixes for this? Can i still shoot with the camera and guess the set distance?
You can use this camera without the rangefinder by estimating the distance, but first, remove the lens from your camera. At the top of the hole in the camera body is a small arm that works the rangefinder but sometimes gets stuck - make sure it's free by very gently moving it back and forth. Might solve it!
@@zenography7923 I even have the Zorki Mir with the unmarked 1/1000th shutter speed. I discovered that at the end of my first roll, now I'm excited to see my photos developed
Interesting camera. My first camera was the Canon AE-1 that I acquired since the late 80's. I still have it, and I now use its 50mm f/1.4 on my Sony A7ii. The Canon AE-1 is a really nice camera. I still have a roll of film somewhere. I'm going to use it.
I think you should. I don't shoot as much film as I used to, but still enjoy it when I do. It's somehow a magical process! Hope you're enjoying the Canon.
I have a Zorki 4 on the way right now. I'm going to be using an Industar 61 lens, which is a 55mm. I'm hoping the extra 5mm focal length doesn't create much discrepancy between the viewfinder and the actual shot.
It'll hardly make any difference at all, just mount it and shoot! Off the top of my head, I think the Industar 61 is nearer to 52mm than 55, so it's not that far from a 50 anyway!
I just received my CLA'd Zorki 4K in the mail from Ukraine, I am glad I watched this video before I attempted to use it, reminded me of the Kiev 88 on operational procedure. However, when I dry fire tested the camera upon advancing the leaver, the clutch slipped and does not cock the shutter. Instead, on the next pull, the shutter open was I was advancing. After a few trial an error, I managed to get it advancing properly by advancing VERY SLOWLY and putting some pressure at the bottom of the shutter detent inside the camera. Now the advance continue to work, but clutch still slip if I advance a bit too fast. The camera also struggle to goes into slow speed regime with really high tension going below 1/60. I wonder if I should get that check out or sent it back for refund?
On the Zorki 3C, there is the shutter speed dial, 1000 to 2, and two (1 and 25 are in red), + B for bulb. Below the knob, there is another set of numbers from 0 to 25 which I believe refers to low shutter speed. How does one properly operate the Bulb feature and also the low shutter speed? And when do we use the 1 and 25 (in red). Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
As far as I'm aware, the zorki 3 is the only zorki model to feature two speed control dials - is that the camera you're describing? The 3c has only one speed dial, as I recall.
I began in 1979 aged 22, with a Praktica and then soon moved to a Nikon FM ,one of which I still own. Also I did home processing B@W and Did a bit with a a Yashica 124. My point is that, with all that as well as a lot of reading, I just knew what the best cameras were because I had them. Had a channel like this been available in the 70s 80s and 90s I could have wised up to so many other alternatives a lot sooner. Are you ale to review the medium format cameras at some stage? Many Thanks.
Yes, and yes - although the earlier versions have a larger, non standard tripod mount. It's possible to get an adaptor, but you might be better off getting a later one, from around the mid 70s onwards.
Hi i am the new user of zorki 4k thanks for your great sharing to let us know how to use it may i know which app you are using for measuring the exposure ? thanks
Dang, just watched your other video on the Zorki 4K and now this... And now I got one for myself from ebay. The Industar 61 will show up a little later. But I'm looking forward getting to know this camera. My first rangefinder.
Loading film in the Zorki 4 is a bit of a pain. Getting the sprockets aligned with the film was a bit tricky for me. However, Image quality is great. Over all a good camera.
Wind on, measure the light, enter shutter and aperture settings into the camera (only after winding on), compose, focus, shoot! I hope you're making progress!
Hi, thank you for a great tutorial! However I made the mistake of setting shutter speed before winding the film... Is it possible to fix it or my camera is now forever broken? :(
Great video! I’m about to get a Zorki 6 which is pretty similar, so decided to watch your video, and I already learned almost everything I need. I was just wondering how do you frame your shots? Cheers!
The rangefinder helps with framing although it will not be completely similar, the rangefinder helps with basic composition and focusing, if you want a more accurate frame, you can put accessories on top of the camera on the cold shoe (accessory finders, turret finder)
The Zorki 6 is a very nice camera, no slow speeds if I recall, but as someone once said, what you don't fit, don't go wrong! I find framing pretty easy with the Zorki, and developed a habit long ago of lifting the camera a little when shooting at close range to avoid parallax error. Not a particularly scientific method, but it works well enough.
Great video, got a couple of Zorki 4's and a Fed 2. Find sunny 16 doesn't work for the majority of the year in the UK, sunny 8 seems nearer the mark, am I doing something wrong? Also does the dioptre correction crop the angle of view in the range finder window?
Hi there, glad you liked the video. Sunny 16 should work reasonably well, especially with print film as it has high exposure latitude and can cope easily with one or two errors - slide film is much more tricky as it really needs the exposure to be just right. As for the diopter lever, I think it does change the angle of view slightly, but the VF on these Russians is somewhat approximate anyway - framelines would be nice! Compose from the centre of the VF and you should be okay.
You don’t need sun for sunny 16. You just need to estimate how many stops dimmer you are from that. Cloudy at mid day is 3 stops or so from full sun, dark and stormy might be another stop, add a stop for morning or late afternoon.
Do you mean a dial showing the film type? If so, it's just there to remind you which film you've got loaded and doesn't actually perform a function other than that.
I wanna get out and use this. It it’s hard for me to see the split image like in my Graflex or Balda with Isa bright yellow circle or the focus scope magnifier. Does the have an option for screw In rangefinder eyepiece magnifying? what is flash sync?
Hey, I got a Zorki-4k camera from my grandfather. At home I found a film VX 100 36/135 made by konica minolta... Can I use that filter on the camera? How do I know what film is for what camera, is it the same? Thank you!
Hi, great video. Im thinking about getting one of these! Im pretty intrigued about what you said about leaving some film hanging out of the film can to help with developing. So do you just feed the bit you've left out into the film spiral rather than popping the top of the film can off, then in the dark bag do you ratchet onto the spiral directly from the film can?
@@zenography7923 Thats really cool. Have you ever done a video on this? When using an SLR with a manual rewind how do you know when it is almost finished but not fully rewound?
It's an app called Pocket Light Meter; if it's not available on Android, there are many others much the same - although as I don't have an android phone I can't say specifically which they are.
@@zenography7923 Cheers have tried a few bit hit and miss but hey that's life keep up the good work love your videos have only recently got back into Film photography having been a Chef for the last 40 yrs never took to Digital and always loved the old Soviet cameras
The Jupiter 8 was a bit disappointing at close focus and wide open. It seems it can’t focus properly and no Bokeh at all. Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks!
No difference whatsoever in principle; there will be variations in style and quality of image dependent on the lens used, and film type, but there's no inherent difference as such. The Jupiter 8 on your Zorki will make some really nice images, but is best used with a lens hood if there's a strong light source in the frame. Enjoy your camera, and thanks for watching!
Zenography sorry just to ask another question. I don’t have a winder that came with the rangefinder. So to wind the actual film I have to twist the knob and I was wondering if that’s ok or should I buy a winder
@@hashimjamal6237 Hi, if you have a Zorki 4, just wind the knob; only the 4K has a wind on lever. The Zorki 4 is a nice little camera, hope you're enjoying it!
Hi I liked video very informative. I have a question I just received a zorki 4k. when I FOCUS THE DOUBLE IMAGE DOES NOT MOVE what do this mean? what would I have to do? or what can I do?
If you unscrew the lens you'll see a small metal arm at the top of the lens mount. That arm operates the rangefinder mechanism and it sometimes gets stuck if the camera hasn't been used for a while. If you gently move it back and forward it should free off. Re-mount your lens and you should be okay.
@@zenography7923 Thanks! BTW, I ordered zorki 3 because of your videos and it is already on its way. I am really excited as this is my first time doing a film photography. Anyway, have you tested the jupiter 3 50 mm 1.5 and canon 50 mm 1.8 LTM?
Hey, very helpful video! But I'm afraid mine is missing a piece, the takeup spool won't stay in place... Is there any way I could see your takeup spool more clearly if you don't mind?
Just look through the viewfinder and you'll see the double image - point the camera at your subject, turn the focus ring until the double image comes together and you're focussed!
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I've bought a 4K and I should receive it by the beginning of June. I've never used a rangefinder, I own a Canon A1 and an Olympus OM-2 spot-program but I wanted a fully mechanical camera. Unfortunately, I don't have a lightmeter and I would like to buy a cheap but reliable one. I've read about Sekonic, Gossen or Minolta lightmeters but some are quite expensive since I'm a beginner. I don't plan to use the 4K in studio, mainly for street photography and I don't want to rely on a cell phone. What are my options?
Old selenium light meters are very cheap, and in my experience are reliable and accurate enough, even after all these years! I'd get one of these - they're what most photographers would have used with a Zorki back in the day. The Russian Leningrad is cheap, as is the English Weston Master, but there are plenty of others around.
Hello nice video but I like to ask you the. Number 30 on speed shutter is it for 1/30 of a seconde in thst case why choosing 1/15 Also it seems that you turn the speed knob counter clockwise is thst OK?!!
I have little problem which I would be really grateful with any help. I received a zorki 4k today, went through the first film reel. followed every instruction from this video perfectly (great video by the way). I put in a different kind of film which I had bought some months prior, but still 35mm. after I put the other film, the viewfinder seems to have gone completely out of focus. beforehand it was perfect. now everything is blurry and it actually focuses on things which are just extremely up close (like 30cm or less). any idea of what could this be? could it be the new film I inserted? thanks!
I've never encountered that fault before, however, it sounds like something has gone out of alignment in the viewfinder/rangefinder mechanism. It's a very strange fault though, and I can't think of anything under the top cover that would cause it! Anyway, I think if the fault continues I think I'd return this one to the seller.
@@zenography7923 apparently its just the little lever next to the twisty thing that is used to reel the film back. just pushed it and the viewfinder image is back into focus!
Sorry, I misunderstood! I should have mentioned that little lever - it adjusts the viewfinder focus to your eyesight. Ah well, problem solved! Enjoy the Zorki!
Dear Zenograph, is there an adapter for the Zorki M39 so that you can use M42 like Helios 44, Tessar Zeiss ? Likewise for Nikon F, is such a thing feasible?
If you want to adapt rangefinder lenses to SLR bodies, it won't work due to the points at which rangefinder and slr lenses focus. SLR lenses focus their image much further back than rangefinder lenses do, so the two types are fundamentally different. While it's possible to do anything with sufficient determination, the amount of work required means it just isn't worth it.
A jammed camera could result from any number of faults, some more significant than others. If you take the back off the camera, right at the bottom, directly beneath the shutter button, there's an assembly that sometimes gets stuck, and can sometimes be freed off with a bit of judicious fiddling about! It does sound like your camera needs a service though!
How can one determine if the shutter is cocked, un-cocked or stuck half-way? Mine's a UK spek Z4 with the dots to make sure the shutter lock/rewind issue isnt going to happen. Because you can see. The dots all line up, I can wind to a hard stop. However I do not see the speed selector revolve and the shutter blinds do not move. Basically... Is the thing now a brick? Or can I undo the dumb thing I probably did?
Sometimes the rewind mechanism, once activated, can stick in position and would produce the result you describe - try pushing the pin (directly underneath the shutter button) up, from the bottom of the camera.
My knob wind 4 arrived this afternoon. Took two shots and then it stopped working. Film just wound continuously and shutter didn’t cock. Had to bring it home to remove the film. I think I’d accidentally got the shutter release locked down and it’s now working again. Reloaded the film but by that time the light was going so will try again tomorrow.
Zenography Yes, I’ve taken abut half a roll now. There are a couple of other minor issues, possibly due to lack of use for years, but I will wait until I have finished the film and unloaded before I look at that. It looks just about mint, and the case has just a couple of minor scratches.
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Wow, this brings back so many memories. This was my first camera, since I was 7 or so. My dad also had a Zorki 3, I still have both. I remember having to know all these quirks and tricks back then as well. I always guessed the exposure as I didn't have a meter, but that's what made it so special! Each time the film was processed I was so anxious to see what came out. What a great feeling. And the camera itself. I may just take it out once. I now own a 5D mark IV, but nothing beats the feeling this gave me back then. Thank you for this great video!
I share your sentiments - Russian rangefinders seemed like mechanical perfection to me in the '70s! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this video! My great-grandfather took his zorki to Tenerife with him in the 80s and took a whole bunch of photos that were shown to me through my childhood. This year I’ve dug it out and am going to be taking it with me on my own trip to the island!
Glad to hear that Zorki is still being enthusiastically used! It’s a great little camera - enjoy!
Excellent! My first camera was a 4K. Bought it from a mail order catalog back in the early 70’s. I still have it, must give it a “day out” refresh my skills
Sounds like it's overdue for an airing!
Just picked up a Zorki 4, and this video was immensely helpful! Excited to learn rangefinder cameras! Thanks.
Thanks, very glad you found it useful. I hope you're enjoying that Zorki! Rangefinder shooting is a somewhat different experience to using an SLR; not that either is better, necessarily, but I find they encourage a different way of seeing, and a different kind of shot.
Thank you mister, I have one zorky camera getting some dust, you have made me pick it up again. It just brings the artistry within you.
Very comprehensive tutorial. Thanks for posting. The Zorki 4 was my first 'real' camera back in 1978 gifted to me by a work-mate. I've since owned about six more 4K's since then due to the low purchase price. The two main issues I've had over the years are the wind-on lever jamming and the yellow split image in the viewfinder seperating vertically (although the camera is still usable). It's cheaper to just buy a new camera body than pay the repair bill as these things are so much fun to use. The 'sunny 16' rule is fine with film negatives as most photo labs can take advantage of the excellent film latitude offered. It's worth mentioning that these things are quite heavy....
Indeed they are heavy, almost all metal construction is responsible I think! My first real camera (after a Polaroid) was a Russian Rangefinder too, in my case a Fed 4 in 1977. I wanted the Zorki - much preferred its looks then, and still do now - though I learned photography on the Fed and its built in meter saves a lot of faffing around. Glad you're still enjoying your Zorkis!
Thanks for the great video. My wife's mother had a camera case with a camera inside decorating the house in Prague for many years, and we decided to take it and start using it, and it turned out to be Zorki 4k. Beautiful camera and rich shots.
The 4K is a surprisingly nice camera!
Thank you so much for your excellent videos. I took delivery of a Zorki 4K this week - delivered from Ukraine - a beautiful machine. Thank you for this channel, you gave me the confidence to buy one of this quirky machines. I love my Russian lenses, I use them on my X-T3...time for the next step in de-evolution.
Thank you.
And thanks for watching! Hope you're enjoying the Zorki...
I absolutely love these soviet cameras. My Zorki 4 and my Zenit 12XP are probably my favourite cameras. They have bucketloads of charm. They weren't manufactured to be competitive in the consumer market place, but to just be really functional and take great pictures. There's minimum bullshit or hand-holding with them. and their quirks give them personality.
Thank you! Impeccable timing, mine's coming in the mail in a few weeks from Russia.
Welcome to the world of Zorki!
Just acquired a Zorki 4K in excellent condition and needed to know how to operate it. Just watched your excellent tutorial on the does and don’ts, thank you.
Glad it was useful!
@@zenography7923 l remembered something about the shutter and winding on but couldn’t remember what it was. So typed in instructions for using a Zorki 4K and you came up. Excellent tutorial, been following you for a while now, once again thank you.
Hello! I’m from Russia and yesterday i found this camera. Your video was really educative for me. Thank you a lot!
You're welcome, glad it was useful!
Newbie here, again. I think I'm going to grab a Zorki cos... I think learning this way will help me with everything I have in mind so....thank you again for a wonderful video ! You.... fracking rock.
What a great information. Crips and clear. Well done. Now I can use my Zorki 4, which I have get for my birthday. This is a great machine.
I have two Zorki 4 cameras. Nice, basic units. And this is a really interesting and useful video. Thanks.
I found one laying around in my house, apparently it was my dad's when he was a photographer and my grandpa gave it to him.
Seeing this camera and some other ones made me want to buy film and take some pics lol
Film is magical - do it!
I know very well how to use Zorki 4 because I own it, but I enjoy looking your video. You remember me to days when I was little boy and my father teached me how to use Zorki 4.
I learned photography on a Fed 4, but really wanted a Zorki!
I never had Fed in my hands. Some men think that Fed is better then Zorki. What are you thinking?
I’m looking forward to mine arriving in a few weeks! Thanks for the informative tutorial!
Enjoy it!
Oh how I wanted one of these as a kid! With a Jupiter 8 lens too!! Lovely video. Thanks.
Absolutely love the Zorki 4K, built like a tank and very fun and easy to shoot! Unfortunately, I lost mine over a cliff a few months ago! Thankfully they’re easy to find and not that expensive, great video as always and happy shooting Zeno!
Oh no, that's a real shame. Still, as you say, they're easily replaced - not like losing an M3! I hope you'll find another Zorki soon.
Old video but I'm an amateur hobbyist photographer. My father was a photographer for years for the Miami Herald and shot film his whole life. After recently getting into photography my father gifted me a Zorki 4 knowing I'm in love with the Leica M2 and M3 (of course we dont have 1500 to blow on a camera hahaha). I am absolutely in love with this camera and I thoroughly appreciate your walking through of the this camera so that I can get to shooting!
The zorki 4 is a very capable little camera, and for me brings a welcome change from digitisation and automation. Enjoy!
@@zenography7923 Quick question for you though. Do you have to manually change the ISO setting on the camera or is that not a feature on the Zorki 4? I currently shoot with a Minolta Himatic and if I put 200 iso film I need to change the setting for 200 ISO.
Thank you so much for such a fantastic and informative video. I just bought myself a Zorki 4 in great condition and cannot wait to use it!
Glad you liked the video, thanks for tuning in. Enjoy the Zorki, and let me know how you get on.
Very cool. I'm from Romania and I have a Zorki but I didn't know how to use it. Thank you for this tutorial.
Thanks, glad it was useful!
Very well done video. Really helpful and informative. Thank you for posting. I just ordered a Zorki 4, can't wait to take some pictures with it!
Enjoy that Zorki!
So helpful video! Thank you for your efforts
Thank you so much for this video. No doubt I will be watching this a fair few times more while I get the hang of my new camera.
Please tune in as much as you like!
Great Zorki tutorial! They're tricky little cameras if you've never used one before. I probably made every mistake possible before I found a manual. It seems like ever misstep could permanently damage the camera.
They can be a bit delicate it's true, but a good one used as per the manual will last many years! Glad you're enjoying yours.
@@zenography7923 Fortunately I didn't do any damage tinkering. They're a blast to shoot with!
Just found your channel. I have 3 zorki 4's as I love how they handle and look
Welcome aboard! They're great little cameras; glad you're enjoying the channel!
It seems like a much better camera than I've thought in the past. I started with a Contax rangefinder & then a Nikon rangefinder with a couple of lenses, Great gear. Then I bought a Pentax outfit with some very impressive SMC Takumar lenses. These days, it's Nikon & Canon - the latest. But I would love to have one of these just for the hell of it. My hand-held light meter is a Canon compact digital auto focus camera that is otherwise past its prime but is a great exposure meter. Thanks for the info.
I like these Russian rangefinders; they're basic and simple for sure, but the important features are there, they have some great optics, and they've stood the test of time as well as any other camera! Well worth a try if you want to go back to basics - a pleasingly simple experience!
Thank you so much for all the infos!
I just received one from my grandparents as they say it has broken down, but I’m determined to repair it (have ordered the missing pieces) and can’t wait to start being creative with them! :-)
Good luck with the restoration!
Excellent video. I can now use my fathers old Zorki without breaking it.
Your style is very enjoyable. Thank you
Thank you for this VERY informative video!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Great video! Picked up an old Zorki 4 but wasn't in the best of shape. Just bought a dummy CLAd Zorki 4k. Made the mistake of turning the shutter before the film advance maybe once or twice (without forcing anything) but hopefully that doesn't mean disaster.
Thank you so much for this instruction!!
This was a fantastic tutorial on using the Zorki. I will dust mine off and buy some BW film and give it a try. Thank you so much, very well explained.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent stuff. Thanks. I have a Zorki and an Exakta. Both great bits of kit. The trickiest part of the process is always winding the film back... Only broken 2 so far..
Thanks for watching; hope you're enjoying those cameras without too many more broken films! Slow and steady is often the key to successful rewinding...
Id be really interested in a similar video about the Kiev4 including understanding / usng the light meter and using the iso f*stop dial properly.
My first "real" camera, I loved it, results were consistently very good, thanks in part to the rangefinder and a surprisingly accurate shutter and Weston Master, I would consider another new one.
They're nice machines - simple, but with a charm all their own!
Hello from Russia, it's a beautiful camera📸👍👍👍💯💯💯
It is indeed!
Nice video!
I have a 1973 model with a Fed 50/f2.8 lens. Russian Zorki is very solid, built like a tank. The view finder and focusing screen is bright and clear. My Fed lens is so sharp producing very very good colour and I sometimes use it on my modern digital Sony mirrorless A7ii with an adaptor.
The little Industar is a very nice lens - enjoy!
just found mine.will shoot a roll soon.
Great video! Thanks! I myself own Zorki 4 and I LUUUVE this camera. You also clarified a few things I was not sure about. Still it’s pretty scary to use such old gun. If you could, make a video about meters on the lense so we could understand that better. I mean dependence of distance on aperture if I say it right. I know, that you get a right number by focusing, but it would’ve been awesome to hear explanations from you
Hi there, thanks for watching and I hope you're enjoying your Zorki, they're great little machines and hard to beat for everyday shooting. By 'dependence of distance on aperture' do you mean depth of field, and how much of the shot is in focus?
I just got a Zorki 4 from Lithuania and took a test roll (with varying speed and aperture settings) with it. I lost a part of the film as I fumbled something with the loading and had to open the back after a few frames because the film got stuck and tore but after that it worked ok. Just developed the film and the negative looks good so speed and aperture seem to work. It's still drying so don't know if the focus is accurate yet.
I didn't even know there's such a thing as adjustable flash sychronization time but the Zorki has it, can be adjusted from 0 to 25 ms to match the lighting delay of the flash. Obviously it must be set to 0 for modern electronic flash.
An interesting piece of old soviet technology and a nice addition to my small (though growing) collection of vintage cameras.
I hope it works out well!
Very nice review Nigel!
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for another great video.
Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
The 4k camera you have there is from 1973 and the Jupiter 8 lens is from 1971.
The first 2 numbers of the serial numbers are the year of manufacture as you probably know.
I use a Hanimex Sekonic selenium cell meter which also has an incident light attachment for reading light falling on the subject.
I just found this camera in our attic and im so grateful for this video because im completely new to film photography, so thank you:)
I noticed that when i try to focus, the double image isn't moving. Are there any quick fixes for this? Can i still shoot with the camera and guess the set distance?
You can use this camera without the rangefinder by estimating the distance, but first, remove the lens from your camera. At the top of the hole in the camera body is a small arm that works the rangefinder but sometimes gets stuck - make sure it's free by very gently moving it back and forth. Might solve it!
@@zenography7923 thank you for the reply, it was definately stuck but it sadly didn't resolve the issue
Really helpful - thank you.
I'm excited to learn rangefinder cameras. I got a Zorki MIR, some kind of a Zorki 4 version.
Ah yes, the Mir is a nice camera, and with no slow speeds there's less to go wrong! Hope you're enjoying it.
@@zenography7923 I even have the Zorki Mir with the unmarked 1/1000th shutter speed. I discovered that at the end of my first roll, now I'm excited to see my photos developed
Thank you for your education!!
We use them. Excellent.
Interesting camera. My first camera was the Canon AE-1 that I acquired since the late 80's. I still have it, and I now use its 50mm f/1.4 on my Sony A7ii. The Canon AE-1 is a really nice camera. I still have a roll of film somewhere. I'm going to use it.
I think you should. I don't shoot as much film as I used to, but still enjoy it when I do. It's somehow a magical process! Hope you're enjoying the Canon.
Excellent lecture!
Very informative ! Thanks ! 🤔😏👌👍👏
My 4k is awesome. Lovely images.
Rangfinder is perfectly calibrated.
The 4K is a lovely camera, nicely made and, in my opinion, quite good looking too. If only it had strap lugs...
@@zenography7923 I use mine in its' half case
I have a Zorki 4 on the way right now. I'm going to be using an Industar 61 lens, which is a 55mm. I'm hoping the extra 5mm focal length doesn't create much discrepancy between the viewfinder and the actual shot.
It'll hardly make any difference at all, just mount it and shoot! Off the top of my head, I think the Industar 61 is nearer to 52mm than 55, so it's not that far from a 50 anyway!
I just received my CLA'd Zorki 4K in the mail from Ukraine, I am glad I watched this video before I attempted to use it, reminded me of the Kiev 88 on operational procedure. However, when I dry fire tested the camera upon advancing the leaver, the clutch slipped and does not cock the shutter. Instead, on the next pull, the shutter open was I was advancing. After a few trial an error, I managed to get it advancing properly by advancing VERY SLOWLY and putting some pressure at the bottom of the shutter detent inside the camera. Now the advance continue to work, but clutch still slip if I advance a bit too fast. The camera also struggle to goes into slow speed regime with really high tension going below 1/60. I wonder if I should get that check out or sent it back for refund?
Thanks I love these cameras.
You're welcome!
On the Zorki 3C, there is the shutter speed dial, 1000 to 2, and two (1 and 25 are in red), + B for bulb. Below the knob, there is another set of numbers from 0 to 25 which I believe refers to low shutter speed. How does one properly operate the Bulb feature and also the low shutter speed? And when do we use the 1 and 25 (in red). Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
As far as I'm aware, the zorki 3 is the only zorki model to feature two speed control dials - is that the camera you're describing? The 3c has only one speed dial, as I recall.
I began in 1979 aged 22, with a Praktica and then soon moved to a Nikon FM ,one of which I still own. Also I did home processing B@W and Did a bit with a a Yashica 124.
My point is that, with all that as well as a lot of reading, I just knew what the best cameras were because I had them.
Had a channel like this been available in the 70s 80s and 90s I could have wised up to so many other alternatives a lot sooner. Are you ale to review the medium format cameras at some stage?
Many Thanks.
Thanks a bunch! I love theses cameras.
You're welcome!
Nice video, what app do you use for the lightmetering?
I use an app called (somewhat predictably) 'Light Meter', or sometimes just an old selenium meter! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the great video! Does the zorky 4 have a tripod mount? Does it have bulb mode? Thank you in advance.
Yes, and yes - although the earlier versions have a larger, non standard tripod mount. It's possible to get an adaptor, but you might be better off getting a later one, from around the mid 70s onwards.
Unfortunately on ebay I'm finding just the old pieces; I'll probably pick up an adaptor. Ty for your kindness
Hi
i am the new user of zorki 4k
thanks for your great sharing to let us know how to use it
may i know which app you are using for measuring the exposure ?
thanks
Dang, just watched your other video on the Zorki 4K and now this... And now I got one for myself from ebay. The Industar 61 will show up a little later. But I'm looking forward getting to know this camera. My first rangefinder.
Hope you're enjoying that Zorki!
Loading film in the Zorki 4 is a bit of a pain. Getting the sprockets aligned with the film was a bit tricky for me. However, Image quality is great. Over all a good camera.
A great video! 🎉
Thanks for the visit, glad you enjoyed it!
Found my grandpas old zorki!! Trying to figure it out :)
Wind on, measure the light, enter shutter and aperture settings into the camera (only after winding on), compose, focus, shoot! I hope you're making progress!
how many movies just tear me up...
When is the 8k comming out?
Do you have any tips for an absolute beginner in photography who bought the Zorki 4K?
Hi, thank you for a great tutorial! However I made the mistake of setting shutter speed before winding the film... Is it possible to fix it or my camera is now forever broken? :(
Great video! I’m about to get a Zorki 6 which is pretty similar, so decided to watch your video, and I already learned almost everything I need. I was just wondering how do you frame your shots? Cheers!
The rangefinder helps with framing although it will not be completely similar, the rangefinder helps with basic composition and focusing, if you want a more accurate frame, you can put accessories on top of the camera on the cold shoe (accessory finders, turret finder)
The Zorki 6 is a very nice camera, no slow speeds if I recall, but as someone once said, what you don't fit, don't go wrong! I find framing pretty easy with the Zorki, and developed a habit long ago of lifting the camera a little when shooting at close range to avoid parallax error. Not a particularly scientific method, but it works well enough.
Great video, got a couple of Zorki 4's and a Fed 2. Find sunny 16 doesn't work for the majority of the year in the UK, sunny 8 seems nearer the mark, am I doing something wrong? Also does the dioptre correction crop the angle of view in the range finder window?
Hi there, glad you liked the video. Sunny 16 should work reasonably well, especially with print film as it has high exposure latitude and can cope easily with one or two errors - slide film is much more tricky as it really needs the exposure to be just right. As for the diopter lever, I think it does change the angle of view slightly, but the VF on these Russians is somewhat approximate anyway - framelines would be nice! Compose from the centre of the VF and you should be okay.
You don’t need sun for sunny 16. You just need to estimate how many stops dimmer you are from that. Cloudy at mid day is 3 stops or so from full sun, dark and stormy might be another stop, add a stop for morning or late afternoon.
Thanks for your explanatio. In a Zorki 6 what is a "film sort dial" and how does it work? Thank you.
Do you mean a dial showing the film type? If so, it's just there to remind you which film you've got loaded and doesn't actually perform a function other than that.
@@zenography7923 Thanks a lot. I appreciate your explanation.
hi, can you do a similar video for the voigtlander vitomatic i? i got one in hand and really don't know how to use it
I wanna get out and use this. It it’s hard for me to see the split image like in my Graflex or Balda with Isa bright yellow circle or the focus scope magnifier.
Does the have an option for screw In rangefinder eyepiece magnifying? what is flash sync?
Hey, I got a Zorki-4k camera from my grandfather. At home I found a film VX 100 36/135 made by konica minolta... Can I use that filter on the camera? How do I know what film is for what camera, is it the same? Thank you!
Is there anyway to know is the film winding or not???
Hi, great video. Im thinking about getting one of these! Im pretty intrigued about what you said about leaving some film hanging out of the film can to help with developing. So do you just feed the bit you've left out into the film spiral rather than popping the top of the film can off, then in the dark bag do you ratchet onto the spiral directly from the film can?
Yes, exactly that. One of my biggest gripes with electronic SLRs is that they rewind the film completely, with no way to leave a little sticking out!
@@zenography7923 Thats really cool. Have you ever done a video on this? When using an SLR with a manual rewind how do you know when it is almost finished but not fully rewound?
Hi thanks for all the wonderful Tutorials/videos can you tell me please who programmed/wrote the app you use as I cannot find it on Android ta
It's an app called Pocket Light Meter; if it's not available on Android, there are many others much the same - although as I don't have an android phone I can't say specifically which they are.
@@zenography7923 Cheers have tried a few bit hit and miss but hey that's life keep up the good work love your videos have only recently got back into Film photography having been a Chef for the last 40 yrs never took to Digital and always loved the old Soviet cameras
The Jupiter 8 was a bit disappointing at close focus and wide open. It seems it can’t focus properly and no Bokeh at all. Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks!
brilliant video. Just ordered my zorki 4k! If i could ask, is there a difference in image quality with rangefinders vs slrs?
No difference whatsoever in principle; there will be variations in style and quality of image dependent on the lens used, and film type, but there's no inherent difference as such. The Jupiter 8 on your Zorki will make some really nice images, but is best used with a lens hood if there's a strong light source in the frame. Enjoy your camera, and thanks for watching!
Zenography sorry just to ask another question. I don’t have a winder that came with the rangefinder. So to wind the actual film I have to twist the knob and I was wondering if that’s ok or should I buy a winder
@@hashimjamal6237 Hi, if you have a Zorki 4, just wind the knob; only the 4K has a wind on lever. The Zorki 4 is a nice little camera, hope you're enjoying it!
Took some of my best photos on a Zorki 4k - the only problem was the shutter release that stuck occasionally
They can be a bit tricky, it's true, but a well serviced one should be fine...
Hi I liked video very informative. I have a question I just received a zorki 4k. when I FOCUS THE DOUBLE IMAGE DOES NOT MOVE what do this mean? what would I have to do? or what can I do?
If you unscrew the lens you'll see a small metal arm at the top of the lens mount. That arm operates the rangefinder mechanism and it sometimes gets stuck if the camera hasn't been used for a while. If you gently move it back and forward it should free off. Re-mount your lens and you should be okay.
Great content as always. BTW, would you prefer zorki 4 or zorki 3m?
Definitely the 3m, for its looks alone! However the 3m is rather more expensive, and the 4 does everything the 3m can do just as well.
@@zenography7923 Thanks! BTW, I ordered zorki 3 because of your videos and it is already on its way. I am really excited as this is my first time doing a film photography. Anyway, have you tested the jupiter 3 50 mm 1.5 and canon 50 mm 1.8 LTM?
Hey, very helpful video! But I'm afraid mine is missing a piece, the takeup spool won't stay in place... Is there any way I could see your takeup spool more clearly if you don't mind?
Send it to a camera repair. They will buy the pieces and repair it ASAP.
An all manual camera with a meter is the best beginner camera in my experience.
Agreed!
can you tel me what I need to use a 85mm objectiv?
I don't understand how do you focus the images?
Which is the control do you use ?
Just look through the viewfinder and you'll see the double image - point the camera at your subject, turn the focus ring until the double image comes together and you're focussed!
I've bought a 4K and I should receive it by the beginning of June. I've never used a rangefinder, I own a Canon A1 and an Olympus OM-2 spot-program but I wanted a fully mechanical camera. Unfortunately, I don't have a lightmeter and I would like to buy a cheap but reliable one. I've read about Sekonic, Gossen or Minolta lightmeters but some are quite expensive since I'm a beginner. I don't plan to use the 4K in studio, mainly for street photography and I don't want to rely on a cell phone. What are my options?
Old selenium light meters are very cheap, and in my experience are reliable and accurate enough, even after all these years! I'd get one of these - they're what most photographers would have used with a Zorki back in the day. The Russian Leningrad is cheap, as is the English Weston Master, but there are plenty of others around.
Hello nice video but I like to ask you the. Number 30 on speed shutter is it for 1/30 of a seconde in thst case why choosing 1/15
Also it seems that you turn the speed knob counter clockwise is thst OK?!!
The speed selector can be turned in either direction, but NEVER between 30 and 1. The 30 mark is indeed for 1/30 of a second.
You dont know somewhere in the UK that fixes these do you? I have one that I believe has had the shutter speed changed before cocking :(
This might be helpful: www.google.com/search?q=old+camera+repairs&oq=old+camera+repairs&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l5.3949j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Hi! Don’t know if you’ll see this but I have a spare industar 61 - would I need a turret viewfinder to use it on an industar 61?
You can use the Industar 61 on any rangefinder camera with an M39 mount, so almost all the FSU rangefinders (I think you have one of these)?
I have little problem which I would be really grateful with any help. I received a zorki 4k today, went through the first film reel. followed every instruction from this video perfectly (great video by the way). I put in a different kind of film which I had bought some months prior, but still 35mm. after I put the other film, the viewfinder seems to have gone completely out of focus. beforehand it was perfect. now everything is blurry and it actually focuses on things which are just extremely up close (like 30cm or less). any idea of what could this be? could it be the new film I inserted? thanks!
I've never encountered that fault before, however, it sounds like something has gone out of alignment in the viewfinder/rangefinder mechanism. It's a very strange fault though, and I can't think of anything under the top cover that would cause it! Anyway, I think if the fault continues I think I'd return this one to the seller.
@@zenography7923 apparently its just the little lever next to the twisty thing that is used to reel the film back. just pushed it and the viewfinder image is back into focus!
Sorry, I misunderstood! I should have mentioned that little lever - it adjusts the viewfinder focus to your eyesight. Ah well, problem solved! Enjoy the Zorki!
Dear Zenograph, is there an adapter for the Zorki M39 so that you can use M42 like Helios 44, Tessar Zeiss ?
Likewise for Nikon F, is such a thing feasible?
If you want to adapt rangefinder lenses to SLR bodies, it won't work due to the points at which rangefinder and slr lenses focus. SLR lenses focus their image much further back than rangefinder lenses do, so the two types are fundamentally different. While it's possible to do anything with sufficient determination, the amount of work required means it just isn't worth it.
My film rewind lever feels stuck and I can't lift it. Any idea why that may be the case?
A jammed camera could result from any number of faults, some more significant than others. If you take the back off the camera, right at the bottom, directly beneath the shutter button, there's an assembly that sometimes gets stuck, and can sometimes be freed off with a bit of judicious fiddling about! It does sound like your camera needs a service though!
How can one determine if the shutter is cocked, un-cocked or stuck half-way?
Mine's a UK spek Z4 with the dots to make sure the shutter lock/rewind issue isnt going to happen. Because you can see.
The dots all line up, I can wind to a hard stop. However I do not see the speed selector revolve and the shutter blinds do not move.
Basically... Is the thing now a brick? Or can I undo the dumb thing I probably did?
Sometimes the rewind mechanism, once activated, can stick in position and would produce the result you describe - try pushing the pin (directly underneath the shutter button) up, from the bottom of the camera.
My knob wind 4 arrived this afternoon. Took two shots and then it stopped working. Film just wound continuously and shutter didn’t cock. Had to bring it home to remove the film. I think I’d accidentally got the shutter release locked down and it’s now working again. Reloaded the film but by that time the light was going so will try again tomorrow.
I hope it's working for you now!
Zenography
Yes, I’ve taken abut half a roll now. There are a couple of other minor issues, possibly due to lack of use for years, but I will wait until I have finished the film and unloaded before I look at that. It looks just about mint, and the case has just a couple of minor scratches.
If the shutter release button is turned slightly while depressed it will lock down, causing the effect you describe; I’ve had it happen a few times.