Wind-up assist for K3?

Patrick Cooper · March 29, 2007

I, like many K3 owners, grow a little tired of winding the handle of the spring motor on the infamous russian camera. It can certainly be a pain when filming subject matter like wildlife where you have to quickly wind on after a shot to catch the animal's next move. I have read some posts on a few online forums about an accessory that can be fitted to the K3's handle to make winding easier. Descriptions of this item are usually very brief with regards to details. Is anyone here familiar with this device and is there a proper name for it?

Herb Montes · March 29, 2007

I, like many K3 owners, grow a little tired of winding the handle of the spring motor on the infamous russian camera. It can certainly be a pain when filming subject matter like wildlife where you have to quickly wind on after a shot to catch the animal's next move. I have read some posts on a few online forums about an accessory that can be fitted to the K3's handle to make winding easier. Descriptions of this item are usually very brief with regards to details. Is anyone here familiar with this device and is there a proper name for it?

I have such a device I bought off eBay. It's a large handcrank you install in place of the winding key. It can also allow you to handcrank the K3 like a silent-era camera. I don't know if the seller has offered anymore but I can try to find his email address.

Edit: The seller was a Luke Pendergast in Australia. Here is his email address: hluke@ncable.net.au

Edited March 29, 2007 by Herb Montes

Luke Prendergast · March 29, 2007

No! No full email addresses on open forums please! Spambots will be after me in no time! I do still make them - http://cgi.ebay.com/Krasnogorsk-3-add-on-H...8QQcmdZViewItem

Herb Montes · March 30, 2007

No! No full email addresses on open forums please! Spambots will be after me in no time! I do still make them - http://cgi.ebay.com/Krasnogorsk-3-add-on-H...8QQcmdZViewItem

Sorry about that. I don't know if I can edit to remove the email address.

Chris Keth · March 30, 2007

I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea to shoot wildlife with a camera that sounds like a vehicle. :P

Patrick Cooper · March 31, 2007

"I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea to shoot wildlife with a camera that sounds like a vehicle."

I must admit, I got some very strange looks from two kangaroos that I was filming with the K3....

Christian Blas · April 2, 2007

Do you wind as you go or is still spring-loaded?

Patrick Cooper · April 2, 2007

I wind, then shoot, then wind, then shoot.

Luke, what actually is involved when removing the original wind key from the camera?

Luke Prendergast · April 2, 2007

K3 handcrank installation instructions:

1 . Remove the screw with the two holes in the centre of the wind mechanism. It undoes counter clockwise. A very small screwdriver can fit into one of these holes.

2. Remove all of the winding mechanism. It pulls straight off. Be careful, there are small springs in there waiting to Jack-In-The-Box. It's probably a good idea to keep these things in case you need to convert your camera back to normal. Keep aside the fancy chrome disc with the radial grooves; we'll be using this.

3. Ready to install the handcrank. The order is: crank handle first, nylon washer, the chrome disc you kept aside, washer, shakeproof washer, screw. It is easier to align the nylon washer together with the chrome disc before installing it onto the shaft. Rotate the disc until it mates with the square shaft. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE SCREW or you will strip the thread in the shaft.

That's it.

Dennis Kisilyov · April 3, 2007

You can do wind as you go, I've tried it, the speed governor will not stop the camera from running as you "add load to the spring", but it's ill advised as it can result in adverse exposure/flicker. It will also shake the camera obviously.

Sir Alvin Ekarma · April 3, 2007

I have the crank and it works great. The only thing I think should be added is that you'll probably need to unwind a paper clip to take off the original handle in Step 1 instead of searching for a teeny-tiny screwdrive. I went around to a bunch of jewelers and they said there wasn't a screwdriver small enough (at least not from what they had.)

Mark Dunn · April 3, 2007

It doesn't sound like a vehicle, it sounds like a TANK.

Charles MacDonald · April 4, 2007

It doesn't sound like a vehicle, it sounds like a TANK.

a tank is considered an aurmoured Military Vehicle, if they are anything like the zenits I was selling in the 1970's it would also smell like a vehicle. In that case a Tractor.