Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
10-17-2015, 02:33 PM   #1
Veteran Member
Eyewanders's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Land of the Salish Sea
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,343
1/3 darkened frame - very intermittant

Hi folks - having an odd problem with what I *beleive* to be the shutter curtain on a Zorki 4 I picked up a couple months ago. The right side of the frame, any where from 1/3 to just a smidge, will be darkened on a handful of shots. This happened on 3-4 shots, varying in degree, on the initial roll, and here again on the 2nd. It is entirely intermittent and varies in degree from slight to very pronounced.
The shutter (I discovered recently) has been shoddily "repaired" with tape which I assume to be the culprit. Any confirmation or additional ideas and adice are very welcome. Cheers.
-Kevin







10-17-2015, 02:56 PM   #2
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Texas
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,446
It's called shutter capping, where the leading curtain either drags or doesn't travel as fast as the second curtain, so that the second curtain catches up to it before the first gets across the frame. Could be a stiff curtain, dry lube in the bearings, etc.
Youxin Ye does a good CLA on these Leica copies. Drop him an email.
10-17-2015, 03:09 PM   #3
Veteran Member
Eyewanders's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Land of the Salish Sea
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,343
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by TomB_tx Quote
It's called shutter capping, where the leading curtain either drags or doesn't travel as fast as the second curtain, so that the second curtain catches up to it before the first gets across the frame. Could be a stiff curtain, dry lube in the bearings, etc.
Youxin Ye does a good CLA on these Leica copies. Drop him an email.
That's exactly what I thought. Thanks Tom. Here's the very probably culprit, below.
Can you point me toward Youxin Ye contact info? Is he in North America?
I'm not certain I'll bother, as I've a nicely working 4K version as well but it would be nice I suppose. These older ones I find much more attractive looking.

10-17-2015, 06:29 PM   #4
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Texas
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,446
YYeCAMERA
His prices are on the website. Youxin has done several copies of Leicas for me, as well as real Leicas from the 1930s. I still have. A non-functioning Fed and a Leotax to send him. He tends to be faster than the other US Leica techs. He has replaced shutter curtains on a few of my cameras too.

10-17-2015, 06:42 PM   #5
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
stevebrot's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Vancouver (USA)
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 42,007
QuoteOriginally posted by chickentender Quote
Here's the very probably culprit, below.
That is what happens when one parks a fabric-curtained rangefinder. lens cap off, in the sun with focus at infinity and then repairs the resulting hole with gaffer's tape.

It may or may not be the cause of your shutter capping. Fixing the capping is usually a matter of making appropriate adjustments, but requires a partial tear-down. Replacing the curtains is a little harder, but still doable if your have tools. Curtain materials are available through Aki-Asahi (LINK) and also Micro-Tools (LINK)


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-17-2015 at 06:47 PM.
10-17-2015, 09:29 PM   #6
Veteran Member
Eyewanders's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Land of the Salish Sea
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,343
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
That is what happens when one parks a fabric-curtained rangefinder. lens cap off, in the sun with focus at infinity and then repairs the resulting hole with gaffer's tape.
Yop. That's just what what I was figuring. Not worth hassling over as the returning shipping is worth more than the camera, though adding insult to injury, the Moldovian fella has become long-winded and distraught about my "neutral" feedback on a certain auction site.

QuoteQuote:
It may or may not be the cause of your shutter capping. Fixing the capping is usually a matter of making appropriate adjustments, but requires a partial tear-down. Replacing the curtains is a little harder, but still doable if your have tools. Curtain materials are available through Aki-Asahi (LINK) and also Micro-Tools (LINK)
Thanks Steve - I may try that at some point down the line indeed.

---------- Post added 10-17-15 at 09:30 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by TomB_tx Quote
YYeCAMERA
His prices are on the website. Youxin has done several copies of Leicas for me, as well as real Leicas from the 1930s. I still have. A non-functioning Fed and a Leotax to send him. He tends to be faster than the other US Leica techs. He has replaced shutter curtains on a few of my cameras too.
Yowsuh. Rates are far more than a Zorki is worth to me I'm afraid. I'll have a go myself when I have a mind to mess it up more.
Much thanks for the link though.
10-17-2015, 10:05 PM   #7
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 1,312
FYI, it is less likely to show up at slower shutter speeds ( 1/250 or less).

10-17-2015, 10:54 PM   #8
Veteran Member
Eyewanders's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Land of the Salish Sea
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,343
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by pentaxus Quote
FYI, it is less likely to show up at slower shutter speeds ( 1/250 or less).
Ah - thanks for that info - you're right on the money. I went back through the two roll I've shot with it and anything at 1/250 or higher it crops up. I think a few were at 1/125.

---------- Post added 10-17-15 at 11:29 PM ----------

Another quick question if anyone is familiar with Fed 2E.... having a leak issue but I'm not sure of what sort. Leaky curtain? Body is in VERY good shape as is the curtain.





10-18-2015, 08:36 AM   #9
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Canada_Rockies's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 12,385
To my non-Zorki mind, that looks very much like a light leak positioned where the edge of the "repair" tape is lifted a bit.
10-18-2015, 10:06 AM   #10
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
stevebrot's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Vancouver (USA)
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 42,007
QuoteOriginally posted by chickentender Quote
Another quick question if anyone is familiar with Fed 2E.... having a leak issue but I'm not sure of what sort.
I have a similar light leak on my FED-2. I believe ours are almost the same model Yours is somewhat different, but may have similar innards. I think you will find that the leak does not extend outside the image frame of the negative meaning that it is on the lens side of the shutter and not in the film chamber. I have never fully pinned mine down except that I believe it is somewhere near the rangefinder window or flash sync PC port. At least I was able to see light from that quarter looking through the open shutter from the back in a darkened room with a pen light as a probe.


Steve

(Love it that we are troubleshooting vintage Soviet rangefinder cameras on the Pentax Forums. Are we good or what?!)

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-18-2015 at 11:30 AM.
10-18-2015, 12:47 PM   #11
Veteran Member




Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: weston-super-mare
Posts: 395
I had a 4k years ago, it was important to only turn the shutter speed dial when the shutter was cocked. Perhaps the patch could be removed, warming with a soldering iron carefully, and a smaller round one put on.
10-18-2015, 01:42 PM   #12
Veteran Member
Eyewanders's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Land of the Salish Sea
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,343
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Canada_Rockies Quote
To my non-Zorki mind, that looks very much like a light leak positioned where the edge of the "repair" tape is lifted a bit.
This is a different camera - sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. The Zorki4 is exhibiting the capping in the first set of photos. This is different.
The 2nd set of photos is a light leak on my Fed 2E.

---------- Post added 10-18-15 at 01:53 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
I have a similar light leak on my FED-2. I believe ours are almost the same model Yours is somewhat different, but may have similar innards. I think you will find that the leak does not extend outside the image frame of the negative meaning that it is on the lens side of the shutter and not in the film chamber. I have never fully pinned mine down except that I believe it is somewhere near the rangefinder window or flash sync PC port. At least I was able to see light from that quarter looking through the open shutter from the back in a darkened room with a pen light as a probe.
Those are the spots I was staring at last night. there's an area at the bottom/outer/front edge of the rangefinder window/glass that looks odd. Maybe I'll cap the flash port next roll and see - eliminate that possibility. Looking back at the roll, there might be evidence as to the particular angle of light in the affected shots but nothing terribly obvious; several are completely or nearly leak-free, adjacent to shots with heavy leaks.

QuoteQuote:
(Love it that we are troubleshooting vintage Soviet rangefinder cameras on the Pentax Forums. Are we good or what?!)

I just don't go in the RF forum site very often. (Been a member for a few years but never owned a RF)

Last edited by Eyewanders; 10-18-2015 at 01:59 PM.
10-18-2015, 02:15 PM   #13
Veteran Member




Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: weston-super-mare
Posts: 395
The problems with the shutter blinds may still have been caused by someone turning the dial before the shutter was cocked. My 4K was returned for a refund because the rangefinder lever kept sticking.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, curtain, curtains, degree, edge, flash, frame, leak, leicas, light, link, pentax help, photography, port, rangefinder, roll, shots, shutter, thanks, troubleshooting
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Very, very nice time-lapse videos (K-3) rrstuff Pentax DSLR Discussion 5 01-04-2015 07:27 AM
Very very strange Takumar 1.4/50 on eBay UK RKKS08 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 8 09-28-2014 09:45 AM
For Sale - Sold: 3 pentax K20D (Like new, Excellent, very good) and 1 K7 in Good condition. jjdgti Sold Items 17 04-17-2014 07:50 PM
Macro Darkened Rose AussieTrev Post Your Photos! 4 09-03-2012 06:07 AM
For Sale - Sold: Tamron 28-300mm 1:3.5-6.3 LD IF Model 185D Very Good Cond jjdgti Sold Items 8 07-02-2012 08:18 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:30 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top