Introduction and camera query.

Hello everyone and greetings from England.

My name is Tim and I have recently caught the Russian camera bug. Cameras owned include Lomo 135m and LC -A, FED 5c (new old stock with lens for 10 GBP on eBay), Zenit 19 (5.5 GBP with Helios 44m-4), Lubitel 166b and Zorkis 4K and 10. The seller of the latter told me about this forum, which I am spending a lot of time on just now. I buy my cameras to use although have no results to post yet, and have an issue of strange behaviour from the Zenit. As might be expected given its purchase price it arrived in filthy condition and I cleaned battery terminals and the PC board beneath the bottom plate. Batteries are fresh and strong but shutter is temperamental, only fires if body held pointing downwards or if jolted whilst firing - not much good for landscapes! When the shutter does fire timings appear correct so I assume the issue is mechanical and not electrical. Anyone have any suggestions to help as I would enjoy using the camera? My mechanical skills don't go beyond what I have already done and my normally reliable repair man won't touch Russian equipment.

Best regards Tim

Tbd

Hi Again Tim and welcome

Glad you made it over here and hope the Zorki 10 is all ok.

Sorry, can't help on the Zenit, but I suspect someone will be along soon to help.

My first simple approach when I have mechanical problems is to fire the shutter repeatedly.

I've freed up a couple of old mechanical cameras with sticky shutters by just doing that.
It may take a while, I kept one old GDR camera next to my desk and just kept firing it until the shutter ungooed itself.

All the best for now.

Will.