KMZ DRUG

Hello friends,

I have acquired one of these lovely cameras and I am really impressed, fit and finish is far above any other Russian camera I own. I don't quite see what is so "rapid fire" about the tigger mechanism but that's another matter.

I am wondering what the lever on the right side of the camera is (opposite the shutter). Translating the russian manual i found online it reads "the lever to switch off the back of the shutter interval" (????)


also the manual states some warnings about setting the shutter. The ussual one about cocking before setting speed and then someing about moving between 1/2 sec and 1/30 and also high speeds (1/250, 1/500, 1/1000). Can someone familiar with Russkisie help me out with it. I really don't want to do something stupid and ruin the shutter on the camera.

Thanks in advance guys.

He who invented beer is a wise man indeed - Plato

wait answered my own question...that lever frees the film advance, right?

If I keep it up and cock again can I do a double exposure then?

sorry for the newbie questions, but I hope you can help.

He who invented beer is a wise man indeed - Plato

Hi Juan,

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on acquiring a Drug! As many of the members know and are sick hearing about it from me, it's actually my favorite shooter in my whole collection along with Zenit E .

No you can't double expose the film the mechanism will not let you. You do need to cock it first before you can set the speed otherwise I think it messes up the spring - don't know what it does if you don't I was always afraid to try ..

Honestly I've never read a manual so I'm not sure about the moving the speed from one to another... I know that the dial does not sink if you go to slow speeds.. maybe is that what you mean?

What's so rapid about the lever on the bottom? You can keep cocking the camera with your left hand continuously while never taking off the finger from the shutter release with your right. I've seen my friend do it very very fast, I don't know how good it is for the chain in the camera that this lever is connected to, since I heard it develops problems with age, but it's possible to do and I've seen it..

Vlad

On yes, and the lever does release the mechanism for rewind, sorry.. be careful though it's quite sharp and you have to keep holding it while you rewind (at least on my Drug) and it's so tough to turn, it almost always cuts my finger.

Vlad

In my humble opinion better to name it "Droug".

Thanks Vlad, that answers everything!

I actually bought one based on your deep praise for the model. I took it out for a spin today and I was a lot of fun. The left hand cocking trick will take some getting used to, but I am sure I will get the hang of it soon enough. I cant wait to get my roll back from the lab!

PS I prefer the transliteration drug because that is what Soviet cameras are for all of us here.

He who invented beer is a wise man indeed - Plato

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/drug handle.JPG




http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/drug handle2.JPG

Above two pitures of how to handle correctly Drug cameras.

In finnish Drug is the absolutely most correct word. But if I am correct it depends on your language & pronounciation, there is not only one answer?

As a camera I have never gotten to like Drug as much as Leningrad or Zorki-3, it just doesn't fit into my hands.

Smena rules

Now we know that Juhani has Smena rules into small hands....
Salute Juahani!

Now we know that Juhani has Smena rules into small hands....
Salute Juahani!

Drug camera introduced several news used in other KMZ cameras.
The frame counter was further used in Zenit 4, 5 and 6 , also in Zorki 10 and 11. The rewind button in the first series of Zorki 10 and 11, The rangefinder in the Zorki 35M prototype.
Its leather case molds were used on Zenit 4 and 5 cases, and its shape influenced the FED 7 design.

Thanks for the pics Luiz, that is most helpful. I have got my first roll back and I quite liked it, but I have found cocking the shutter and keeping the camera relatively in frame to be somewhat ackward as I have a tendancy to want to cock with my right hand. This way seems to work much better!

Thanks again



He who invented beer is a wise man indeed - Plato

Hello everyone,
my first post in the forum, I hope the topic is still alive. Today I have received my two Drug cameras from a repairshop. Now I can wind and cock the shutter, but the winding is somewhat coarse and crude. Is it supposed to be that hard or should it be smooth?
The repairman said he tested it with a dummy film and it is even harder to wind. May I add, before the repair they were impossible to wind....

Regards, Marko

Hi Marko,

I've had one, now lost :(
Anyway, winding was hard like your cameras.
Best,
Jed

Thanks Jed,
it looks like my Drugs are not special in this regard. I posted the same question in rangefinderforum and another member said that lithium grease worked well on his FED 2. And that WD40 may not be too bad as a cleaning agent only...

Cheers,
Marko

Hi!

I have a Drug too, and the trigger is very difficult to move. Like on your camera.
Probably all the trigger systems have more or less this problem. It's the same on my Fed Sport. I had a LTM Canon which had the same illness...

WD40 to clean, and light lithium grease after: it's also what I use.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Thank you Jacques,
it feels good to have affirmative feedback!

Good luck,
Marko

Hi Marko,

I have a few Drug cameras in very nice condition, they are all also very tough to wind, I only have one Drug that was specifically serviced by Yuri at Fedka.com that was made to be the most smooth out of all Drugs I've tried but still not as smooth as let's say Leicavit.

Cheers,
Vlad

Thanks Vlad,
I was hoping you would jump in with your experience since you wrote that Drug is your favourite user. My repairman actually never saw a Drug before since they have never been sold in Slovenia (ex Yugoslavia), but he used the same comparison as you have. He said that Leica has buttery smooth operation and these Drugs are now functional but one needs some "feeling" to operate them. I found it interesting he didn't say one needs force, but feeling to wind and operate them.
I have also asked him if they look anything like Zorkis inside, since the project was named Zorki 7 at the beginning. He said that the shutter mechanism actually is quite different from the Zorkis and is simillar to Praktica's mechanism.
When I grow up, I want to be able to service my cameras!

Regards to all and thank you for your input.

P.S.: I noticed in another thread that Ulrich has serviced his Drugs as well. I wonder how it worked out....

I have had a Droug for repair, they are not very common. Parts are hard to find. I even had to visit a mechanical workshop for making and soldering parts, but it was worth it. It took me very long to repair, but the owner was very patient and happy when everything worked again. He uses it to make protraits with the Jupiter 9.

The shutter is based on the one found in the Exakta (and early Praktica) The fact that the film runs in oposite direction is something you need to get used to.

As a user it is a nice camera. I had the privilege to test it after repair, screen printed frames. For the transport you indeed need some feeling.