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Machineboy
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Username: Machineboy

Post Number: 23
Registered: 01-2008

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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 04:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I just got a Zorki 4 that has a few problems. One is an extremely tight aperture control (I'll look into that later), the other is that the speed selector didn't work at first. (Yep, I know about only changing speed after cocking shutter). I disassembled the top and had a look, and after a bit of prying/lifting it came to life. The problem now is that I don't know how to tighten the speed selector knob so that the black line lines up with the correct speed. How is this done? Is it normal that after every shutter release, the speed selector lines up with a new speed? On my Fed5 I think it returns to a default value or to the last used value?

I also noticed that the second curtain returned a bit slowly on the slower speeds. Is it lubrication time?
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Rick_oleson
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Username: Rick_oleson

Post Number: 544
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 04:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

It sounds like the set screws in the sides of the speed dial are loose.
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Glenn
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Username: Glenn

Post Number: 299
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 07:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Cock the shutter and then rotate dial to set fastest speed. Do this by feel, ignore the actual figures on dial - if the max speed on dial does not align with datum, loosen set screws and realign dial.

Not sure what you actually mean by "the speed selector lines up with a new speed".

A/ In a correctly adjusted camera,when you release the shutter at a particular speed, the dial in the uncocked state will show another speed value alongside the datum. If you now recock and release at the same set speed, the speed indicated in the uncocked state will be the same value as in the first instance. You will only get a different value indicated in the uncocked state, if you fire the shutter at a different set speed

B/ If the set screws are loose, you will not see the original set speed against the datum line when you keep recocking the shutter and releasing it. In fact it may be impossible to set the correct, wanted speed in the first place. It is possible to change speed when the set screws are loose, the process of moving the dial causes the screws to jam in the groove and allows the inner shaft to be turned. However you will have no visible indication of what speed is actually set.

If you have A/, then all is normal. As for the second curtain behavior, I would think the camera would benefit from a little TLC.
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Machineboy
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Username: Machineboy

Post Number: 24
Registered: 01-2008

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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 01:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks guys. The set screws are indeed a little loose, so I was wondering how to align the dial with the datum. When I wind the shutter, I can twist the speed selector clockwise with no resistance until it stops, is that the fastest speed? If I turn it anti-clockwise I can hear the clockwork gears wind. Is this the slowest speed at the end of the speed dial travel?
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Sillyconguru
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Username: Sillyconguru

Post Number: 8
Registered: 12-2007

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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 03:48 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

With the dial rotated all the way clockwise the shutter speed is 1/30, all the way anti-clockwise is 1 second. About 45 degrees anti-clockwise from the 1/30 setting is B (this is possibly the easiest speed to correctly determine as it's as long as the release button is pressed).

As for your slow 2nd curtain. It is possible to alter the tension on the shutter curtains, Rick Oleson briefly describes this at the bottom of the linked page (make sure that nothing is preventing the curtain from closing efficiently beforehand, and don't overdo the tension).
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-101.html
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Glenn
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Username: Glenn

Post Number: 301
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 10:22 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Tighten one of the set screws. Cock the shutter and rotate the dial fully clockwise. You should now have set the speed to 1/1000. Is this speed aligned with the datum? If not, loosen the tightened set screw and align dial. Release shutter and recock, rotate dial anticlockwise and then clockwise, back to 1/1000. Does the 1/1000 still align with the datum when it reaches the stop? If the 1/1000 mark has passed the datum in a clockwise direction, realign the !/1000 with the datum. When all is aligned, tighten the set screws. Finally rotate the dial anticlockwise and check that the lower speeds coincide with the datum. On some of these cameras, the dial engraving is not very accurately spaced. You may find that a little 'fine tuning' of the dial position will even out the spacing and reduce the appearance of the non-aligned slow speeds.

Do not start messing about with blind tensions, until you have cleaned all the crap out of the shutter mechanism and fired the shutter for the equivalent of five or six 36 exp films. These cameras like use, so loosen up the mechanism and you may find the second blind will work more normally.
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Machineboy
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Username: Machineboy

Post Number: 25
Registered: 01-2008

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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 02:07 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks a lot guys, I got the speed dial aligned. It works as designed, returning to the latest used speed when winding the shutter. The second curtain is progressing and becoming more accurate. If I keep exercising it tonight I think it's going to work well. The last project now is the almost stuck aperture ring. I see that this lens (jupiter 8 2/50) doesn't use a lens spanner, maybe the screws on the side of the aperture rings are the way in?
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Msiegel
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Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2008

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Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 04:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

This might help with the J-8
http://www.pentax-manuals.com/repairs/j8service.pdf

but I have no idea how accurate the instructions are.
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Machineboy
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Username: Machineboy

Post Number: 26
Registered: 01-2008

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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 02:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks for the link. My repair of the lens was very unsuccessful yesterday night. The screws on the Jupiter 8 are extremely brittle and soft, and half of them plain broke into little pieces as I unassembled the lens. So now I'm left with parts and have started hunting for a new lens for my Kiev 4 ;O
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Msiegel
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Username: Msiegel

Post Number: 4
Registered: 03-2008

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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 04:31 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

The Menopta 1.8/53 in Kiev/Contax mount has a good reputation amongst users and are still sold new at moderate prices.
As an example: *bay no. 180057036043
I don't have the lens so I can only repeat what I have heard/read about it.
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Glenn
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Username: Glenn

Post Number: 303
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 10:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Yes, the screws on older Russian lenses can be a problem. You must use a correctly fitting, flat ground driver. Even then you can break off part of the 'head'. Fortunately scrap lenses are dirt cheap, and you can normally get all the spares you want from a couple of scrappers - A number of East European eBay sellers are very happy to supply items for spare parts - if you contact them and state your requirements.

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