Zorki 3 User manual

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This document contains basic instructions for
           using the Zorki-3 camera and is not a manual
           on photograp@. It is recommended to learn the
           operating instntctions giuen in this manual
            before using the camera.

            ATTENTION!

                Don't point the lens toward the Sun, You can
           burn a hole in the curtains of the shutter in just
            a few seconds. Couer the lens with the lens cap
           immediatelg after shooting outdoors.
              Set the shutter speed only afier cocking the
             shutter.
www.butkus.usCock the shutter ahtags against the stop.

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F
                                                                                                                       h
                                                                                                                                                 E
  INTRODUCTION                                  The 39 mm Leica thread mount was preserved;
                                              so the Zorki-3, as any Zorki rangefinder, is fully
  The Russian word "Zorki means "Sharp-sighted".         compatible with the LTM lenses.
  The Zorki-3 was introduced in 1951. At that       The slow speed mechanism was obviously
time the most common rangefinder cameras in the        "borrowed" from Leitz (Leica IIIc). The actual delay
Soviet Union were Zorki 1 & 2 and FED, close      mechanism was located in the bottom of the                                                                                       Fcopies of the Leica II (D). The Zorki-3's design was       camera and coupled with the shutter controls by a
a real breakthrough, it was an analog of the Leica        long rod. The shutter has two dials   one on the       Ff-                                                                                                 -IIIa, and the camera was of a higher class than        top of the camera for the fast speeds, and a second                                                                                                                                     rprevious Zorki cameras. It was slightly larger than      one on the front for the slow speeds. The Soviet
earlier Zorki's, but it had many new features that        version of this design did not work well and needed        F
previous Zorki's lacked   a bright, large, combined         service more often than other Zorki's. So the Zorki-
                                                                                                                                                 F                        -                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         t,'                   with a magnification of      3 acquired a reputation as a somewhat unreliablerangefinder/viewfinder
1.15x, a removable back, a dioptric adjustment of       camera. This seems normal, as the first model of a          R
the viewfinder, a set of slow speeds and a high      new design can surely have some design flaws.                B'
quality fast lens    the Jupiter-8 2.Ol50. However,      Some cameras also have a nice flip-up foot, like         ]=r&.E                 -                  were fitted with other lenses.           early Contax cameras and a special lock on the low                  ld-E:some of the cameras
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         $r

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metal cassettes which automatically open when the top cover of the camera, and is threaded for a cable
back cover is locked. Other types of cassettes of release attachment.
standard s2es, for example any type 135 modern The camera has a double exposure prevention
film cassette, can also be used. mechanism coupled with the shutter cocking and
Tlne Zorki-3 has combined in one eyepiece both film advance knob.
the viewfinder and the rangefinder, mechanically The camera has a film rewinding mechanism
connected with thq lens. This arrangement that enables reloading the camera in light.
guarantees accurate focusing before the moment of The camera has lens mount M39x1 mm, similar allows-hooting. the to Leica Thread Mount (LTM), which To increase the accuracy of
rangelinder's metering, the optical system should mounting different replaceable lenses. Focusing of
be adjusted to the shooter's eyesight by the use of those lenses is achieved directly by rotation of the focusing barrel of the lens, thus the rangefinderthe diopter adjustment lever. focal-plane works automatically without any dependence on The Zorki-3 is equipped with a
curtain shutter, allowing the use of shutter speeds the focal length of the lens. anfrom 1/1OOO sec. up to I sec. and longer shutter On the top plate of the Zorki-3 there is
speeds using the <B> and <,{> settings. accessory shoe for the universal view-finder and
The shutter release button is mounted on the other devices intended for the camera.

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e Fig. 1.
1. Viewfinder/ rangefi nder window.
2. Rangefinder window.
3. Rewind selector.
4. Accessory shoe.
5. Distance scale.
6. Depth of sharpness scale.
8. t,ow shutter speed dial and scale.
 .10. Index mark.
 11. Lock of the low shutter speed dial (not present on all Zorki-3 cameras).
12. Aperture (f-stoP) scale.
13. Straplet attachment Points.
18. Viewfinder Diopter adjustment.
21. Back cover locking keY.

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<- Fig. 2.                                              N. COMPLETE CAMERA SET
    7. Top dial of shutter speeds with the scale.
                                            A complete Zorki-3 camera set includes:    9. Index mark.
   74. Shutter cocking and film winding knob.                  L. Zorki-3 camera with coated lens Jupiter-8 L:2
    15. Shutter release button.                    F-5cm.
    16. Frame counter ring.                                       2. Take-up spool.
                                                                    3. Empty film cassette.   17. Film rewind knob.
                                                                    4. Front lens cap.   L9. Removable back cover.                                                                    5. Leather case with straP.   20. Eyepiece of the viewfin det /rangefinder.                                                                    6. Cable release.
  The camera has a removable back which makes            7. Manual.
                                                 lens            8. Passport.film loading easy and allows for precise
adjustment (a fig. 3).
  On the bottom plate of the camera is a 318 inch
threaded socket for mounting the camera on a
support and securing it in the camera case.

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ilI. CAMERA IIANDLING INSTRUCTIONS            and fix it under the spring on the take-up spool (fig.
                                                                                  4).
                   1. Camera loading                              d) Insert the cassette into the camera so that it's
                                                       locking mechanism is toward the bottom of the
   NOTE: Modern 135 film cassettes ca.n be used without       camera and the slot of the outside tube is facing theany restrictions.                                                                  film channel of the camera.
     It is possible to load the camera with film in light
as follows (it is necess ary to choose shaded or
poorly  lit places, not in the direct sunlight):
   a) Raise the two back cover locking keys 21 on
the bottom plate of the camera and turn them a
half-revolution, until they stop.
   b) The back cover of the camera 19 slides
downward in  grooves and then  is  removed
perpendicular to the plane of the film.
   c) Extend the free end of the film from the
                                                               3)                                    Fig. 3cassette to a length not more than 10 cm (fig.www.butkus.us

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guide grooves in the camera body and slide the
cover up to the top edge of the body, pushing firmly
until it stops. It may be necess ary to hold the film
on the pins of the transport sprocket 24 with the
thumb of the left hand.
e) Turn both locking keys 21 a half-revolution to 'rqi.
lock the cover and fold them back down.
NOTE: With the locking of the back cover the cassette
automatically opens, thus allowing the film to freely pass
through the slots without any scratching of the film.
Fig. 4
0 Cock and fire the shutter twice, pressing the
button 15 after each cocking and observing Simultaneously install the take-up spool on the whether the film is winding correctly by notingwinding shaft and place the film so that the pins of
the transport sprocket engage the film perforations whether the rewind knob 17 rotates. If the rewind knob does not rotate, it is necess ary to check for(fig. s).
d) Insert the back cover of the camera into the correct film loading. However it is also necessary to

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remember that the rewind knob may not turn with                              24  23the first revolutions of the winding knob if the
cartridge is loaded with a film which is much
shorter than normal length. In this case the rewind
knob begins to rotate only after excess slack in the
film has been taken up in the cassette.
   g) Set the frame counter ring 16 to 'r0r' against
the index mark.
  Thus the camera loading is finished. Camera
loading by using cassettes of other designs does not
significantly differ from the loading procedures
described above.
                                                 Fig. 5 +
   2   Film cassette. 23   Take-up spool.      -                      -   24   Transport sprocket.       -
                            www.butkus.us

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2. Unloading the camera e) Take out the cassette and store it until
developing the film.
Unload the camera with the lens covered, aS f) Return the rewind selector switch 3 back to its
follows: "advance mode", os indicated by the arrow, and
a) Press the shutter release button 7 5. turn winding knob 14 to engage the mechanism.
nBu The camera is again ready to be loaded anew. b) Move the rewind selector 3 to the letter
(fig. 1). g) Close the back cover of the camera or load it
c) Extend the rewind knob 17 and rotate it in with another cassette.
the direction of the arrow. Rewinding is ended when
a slight resistance (from the film being yanked out 3. Focusing
of the take-up spool) is felt and when the collar
Perform focusing as follows:around the shutter release button 15 stops therotating. While looking through the eyepiece of
18, d) Take off the back cover of the eamera (see viewfin der lrangefinder 20, turn the handle
unit III 2, Camera loading, items cl and b). located under the rewind knob, and adjust for the - best sharpness of the image on far or close distance
NOTE: During the opening of the locking keys of the back objects. In the center of the field of view will be a Icover, the cassette (old type) is automatically closed. visible rectangle, different in colour from the

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background, in which the subject is seen as a There can be moments when the usage of the
double image. By rotation of the focusing barrel of rangefinder is impossible or inconvenient. In these
the lens, combine both images of the subject. The cases, sharp focusing of the lens can be made with
lens is now precisely focused for the distance to the the scale of distances 5, which is marked on the
subject chosen for shooting. lens. The divisions of distance are in meters. when
It is necess ary to pay attention that the focusing photographing subjects which are at various
is done in the central part of the light field, not near distances from the point of shooting, we
the right or left edges. For focusing, choose subjects recommend using the scale of depth of sharpness
having sharp outlines. (depth of field). The scale consists of pairs of The view-finder built into the rangefinder is numbers symmetrically located on either side of the
designed for a normal lens with a focal length of S distance index mark and corresponding to the lenscm. For all others lenses, d special viewfinder must apertures (f-stops).
be used with the appropriate field of view, or the Aligned with these pairs of lens aperture
universal viewfinder designed for five lenses with numbers can be read two distances, within the
various focal lengths. The viewfinder should be limits of which all subjects will appear represented
mounted into the accessory shoe 4, situated on the in a snapshot rather sharply.
top plate of the camera. It is necess ary to remember that with a larger www.butkus.us aperture, the depth of sharpness is less, and with a

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smaller aperture, the depth of sharpness is greater. fietd scale of this camera is determined by circles of
For example, if a lens is focused at 4 meters and confusion with a diameter of 0.05 mm.
set at f /16, the range of sharpness will extend from
2.2 meters to infinity, when read off the depth of 4. Selectlng shutter speed ilfield scale. At the same focus setting but with an
6 Shutter speed selection is done using the knobsaperture of f f 5.6, the range will be from 3 to
meters, and with an aperture of f 12 the depth of 7 and 8 (fig. 1 and 2ll. The scale of the top dial 7 I /25 sec. tosharpness will be limited from 3.5 meters to 4.4 provides fast shutter speeds from
meters. L 11000 sec. and oB, (bulb). The scale of the front
As evident from the given examples, depth of dial 8 provides slow shutter speeds from 1 sec. to
Thefield is considerably reduced with an increase in I /25 sec. and timed shutter speed ((A).
100aperture size. numbers on the dial scales 1, 2,5, 10, 25,50,
The depth of field scale does not indicate etc. designate accordingly 1, I/2, I/5, L/IO, L/25,
1 / 50, 1 / 100 etc. seconds. The *8, setting enablesabsolute values and may differ from actual results.
The range of sharpness is just a guide for the shutter to remain open as long as the shutter
determining what would be acceptably sharp. release button is depressed. The *Au setting allows
Acceptable sharpness defined by the depth of the shutter to remain open even after the shutter
release button is no longer being depressed.

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trIhen setting the shutter to the required bottom) to the index marks
speed it is necessary to strictly adhere to the e) By setting the front dial to the (A) position,
following rules: the shutter will remain open after it is released,
a) The setting of the shutter speed is performed either by pressing the button / 5 or with the aid of a
only after cocking the shutter, which is carried out shutter release cable. Closing of the shutter is
by turning the shutter and film winding knob 14 in carried out not by again pressing the button 15,
the direction of the arrow until it stops. but by a small turn (up to one division) of the front
b) To use the "Br'' (bulb) setting, align the B on dial. The shutter will then close.
the top dial with the index mark and the red f) The top dial should be lifted slightly and then
number 25 on the front dial with the index 10 for turned to set the desired speed against the index 9.
that dial. The dial can be turned only from aBr, 50, 100, 25O,
c) To use the (A) (timed) setting, align the <A> on 500, 1OOO and back. The dial cannot be shifted
the front dial with the index mark and the red between nB, and 1000.
numbers 25-L on the top dial with the index mark g) The front dial can be turned only from (A), 1,
70. 10, 2,5, 25 and back. The user should not attempt
d) Setting the shutter speed to L 125 sec. is done to force the dial to shift between (A)) and 25, or
by setting both the top dial and the front dial to the damage to the camera will result. The positions on
red numbers on each (25- 1 on top and 25www.butkus.uson

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l5
the dial scales are held in place by spring tension. prevented
the The setting of the forward dial can be made The shutter is released by pressing on
before or after setting of the top dial. button 7 5.
Remember the rules written above and
NOTE: In the center of the shutter release button there isadhere to them during the operation of the
shutter to prevent damage to the shutter's a threaded hole for attaching a cable release . 6rl$tcuf .eg.
mechanism.
6. Lens
5. Cocking the shutter and fllm winding Normal (standard) lenses for the Zorki-3 are
Cocking of the shutter is done by rotation of the lenses with a focal length of 5 cm. Some of them
winding knob 14 in a clockwise direction until it (for example, the collapsible "Industar" lens with a
non-workingstops. The shutter mechanism is linked to the film relative aperture 1:3.5), in the
transport and frame counter mechanisms. By position, extend inside the camera. Before shootiflg,
turning the winding knob 74, the shutter is such lenses should be fully extended and locked in
simultaneously cocked, the film advanced by one position. Aperture setting is made by rotation of a
beframe, and the frame counter moved up by one ring 12 on the lens. These operations should
division. With this design, double exposures are made before focusing.

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7. fnterchangeable lenses The camera's passport indicates the actual
optical register (working length) of the lens supplied
All lenses intended for the Zorki-3 (see the table) with the camera.
are mounted on the camera with a threaded mount. Select only interchangeable lenses whose optical
These threads are the same as the Leica Thread registers (working distances) match the values given
Mount. in the passport.
It is not recommended to unscrew the lens from
a lot of different lenses with the samethe camera if you really don't need to. If the lens NOTE: You can find
needs to be replaced with another (for example, a thread mount as LTM and with the same trademarks as LTM Soviet lenses, but those lenses were made for SLRtelephoto or wide-angle objective), it is necessary to cameras and have other optical registrations and noset the lens first to minimum focus, eg. 1 metre, rangefinder driver ring. You can mount these lenses to a
before removing and mounting the lens. Rotate the Zorls,-3 camera, but you will not receive sharp images.lens counterclockwise and unscrew it from the
camera. It is necess ary to change the lenses rather However, it is necessary to remember that any
cautiously, protecting the threads from damage. replacement of a standard lens with another will
While the lens is removed, it is also recommended require the subsequent adjustment of the lens
to protect the camera from dust or other to the camera.
contamination getting into it. www.butkus.us

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IV. BASIC SHOOTING
   Shooting with the Zorki-3 camera can be done
hand-held or by placing it on a support. For
                                                ashooting from a support (tripod, etc.), there is
threaded hole on the bottom cover of the camera for
attaching the camera to the support.
   The leather camera case allows the camera to be
used without removing the camera from the case.
  When shootioE, it is recommended to adhere to
the following sequence:



                                                                                                   Fig.6.
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When shooting with the camera in the case, it is The extremely thin coating can be easily
necess ary to make sure that the cover of the case scratched with improper cleaning methods. To
(and the cover of the lens) has not blocked the lens. preserve the coating, protect the lens from dirt,
dust, and oil, to reduce the necessity of cleaning or
V. CAMERA AIID LENS CARE TIPS wiping.
The following cleaning method is recommended:
a) Store the camera in the case intended for it, 1) Remove dust with a soft, clean brush, or wipe
in a dry room. very tightly with a clean flannel napkin or cotton
b) Protect the camera from dirt, moisture and wool without pressing the surface.
dust. 2l Oily smudges, finger prints, and perspiration
c) Don't point the lens toward the Sun, You can marks can be removed by lightly wiping the
burn a hole in the curtains of the shutter in just a contaminated surfaces with a clean flannel napkin
few seconds. Cover the lens with the lens cap or cotton wool slightly moistened with pure spirit
immediately after shooting outdoors. alcohol or ether (petroleum or sulfuric).
d) The optical surfaces of the lens have a very Any residue left by the cleaning solvent can be
thin layer (about 0.1mm) of anti-reflective coating. removed with a dry napkin.
This coating gives the lenses a lilac or pale-blue
tinge in reflected light. www.butkus.us

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