26 Aug
2011
26 Aug
'11
12:59 p.m.
loves my zorki-4 though i only use it once in a blue moon its still fun to
take out
Do you have the book 'All you need to know about the design and repair of
Russian cameras'? It's well worth trying to get it if you have such a
device... It has the clearest explanation of the Kiev/ Contax II shutter
that I've ever read. I disagree wit the title though, it doesn';t cover
the Narciss or any meduium-format SLRs.
The Zorkis are often claimed ot be Leica copies, but the later ones most
ceratainly are not. For moen thing they have all the shutter speeds (the
fast ones set by the curtain gap and the slow ones set by a timer
escapement) on one dial, something that now screw-mount Leica rver had.
That slow-speed mechansim is quite cunning, btw with a geat fitted around
the shutter master shaft (The one the shtter speed dial is on the top
of), but turning freely and with a pin that's caught by the shutter speed
setting cam.
Pity it was never fitted to Zenith SLRs (not of which had slow speeds
IIRC). It was fitted to the curious Narciss 16mm SLR thohgh.
-tony