Greywolf Posted August 16, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted August 16, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I hope it's OK to post this here. If not I apologise. As a teenager, ack in the 1960s I aspired to own a Zorki 4. I never did though. Â Yesterday my wife walked in and passed me a Zorki 4K. My step-daughter had handed it to her and asked if i wanted it. ( I have to investigate this, but she is now on holiday in Italy). It seems to be in pretty good condition except that the viewfinder seems quite yellowish and although the split image is visible it is very faint. I have bought a film to run through it, but before I lodaed it I wondered if anyone had any comments on the view/rangefinder issue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 16, 2011 Posted August 16, 2011 Hi Greywolf, Take a look here Zorki 4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
doubice Posted August 17, 2011 Share #2 Â Posted August 17, 2011 "Quite yellowish" is a rather relative term but, the Zorki 4 finder is indeed more yellow than other rangefinders. What re you comparing the degree of 'yellowishness' to? Â Best, Â Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywolf Posted August 17, 2011 Author Share #3 Â Posted August 17, 2011 I didn't give enough information. Not only does the viewfinder have a yellowish cast, but it is also blurred or out of focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted August 17, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted August 17, 2011 ... but it is also blurred or out of focus. Â The lever underneath the rewind knob corrects the dioptre just like on the Barnack Leica's. It needs to be adjusted depending how close or far away you are from the thing you are focusing on. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiZZ Posted August 17, 2011 Share #5 Â Posted August 17, 2011 A note on the Zorkis, I went hunting for one last summer in Syria, and I didn't find a single one that wasn't yellow. That being said, the problem that I noticed (across 7 Zorkis) was that the patch was very faint/dark. This could be because the viewfinder of the Russian rangefinders weren't of a high quality like the Leicas, so they are susceptible to fading over time. You might be able to resilver the mirrors to get it a bit brighter. That would get the image clearer and make it easier to focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
someonenameddavid Posted August 17, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted August 17, 2011 A note on the Zorkis, I went hunting for one last summer in Syria, and I didn't find a single one that wasn't yellow. That being said, the problem that I noticed (across 7 Zorkis) was that the patch was very faint/dark. This could be because the viewfinder of the Russian rangefinders weren't of a high quality like the Leicas, so they are susceptible to fading over time. You might be able to resilver the mirrors to get it a bit brighter. That would get the image clearer and make it easier to focus. Â Ah yes, hunting the wild Zorki in Syria, a documentary by David Attenborough no doubt. "Perhaps, like the Golden Hamster, they are all descended from a single model found in 1913" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 18, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted August 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Yellowish viewfinders on older cameras are common, ageing of the coatings/balsam. As above your Zorki will have a lever on the rewind knob to adjust the rangefinder and make it sharp according to your eyesight. Â These are common and cheap cameras. As long as the shutter functions OK and you can use the rangefinder then just enjoy it for what it is. Stick a Leica lens on it and there's no difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiZZ Posted August 19, 2011 Share #8 Â Posted August 19, 2011 Ah yes, hunting the wild Zorki in Syria, a documentary by David Attenborough no doubt."Perhaps, like the Golden Hamster, they are all descended from a single model found in 1913" Â Hahaha! Yeah. Production values were really low sadly. It's a great show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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