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Hello, everyone! I recently bought a K3 on ebay and just finished getting my second roll scanned. Unfortunately, a lot of what would have otherwise been some nice footage came out unusable because of a very strange issue. Here are a couple clips that demonstrate the problem: Basically, at the start of a shot, the film will weave in and out of focus (there are always a few frames at the start of a shot that are in perfect focus) but then the film settles in a position where the center of the frame is blurred, while the sides seem to be in focus. I had only noticed this issue in a couple of shots in the past so I wrote it off as a one-off thing, but it was happening a lot with this last roll I shot. From reading this post from 2008 which describes the exact same issue, (only with an Arri 16S) it seems like the pressure plate just isn't holding the film flat enough, and I need to either replace the current pressure plate spring or tighten it. In some other threads, I've also come across people mentioning that they have tightened the pressure plate spring on their K3's, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to do that. Does anyone here happen to know how I could make that adjustment with my K3? Do I maybe need a new pressure plate in general?

Hey everyone, I'm currently taking part in a 100 ft of film project and have an issue. I'm very close to the end of my roll and have to get a few pick up shots tomorrow. The problem is my Krasnogorsk is still somewhat wound up and if I allow it to wind down it will use up the last of my film. Will it damage the spring to leave it wound for 24 hours? The manual says to not store it unless it's completely wound down, but is this just for long term storage? Has anyone left their Krasnogorsk wound up for this long without issue before? I'm worried I have to choose between finishing the challenge or breaking my camera.

Greetings So the issue is removing the reverse-thread two-hole screw in the middle of the Krasnogorsk-3 winder. I am reasonably skilled in the camera dissembling department, but cannot fathom how to unscrew this piece without ruining the entire component. There have been words on these forums about a "special tool" that can slot into these two holes and work off the screw, but I have been unable to source a specific product or method to remove said screw. The screw is on there very tight, and I have tried the "two small screwdrivers" in each hole to no joy. And it seems a crying shame to ruin an otherwise decent piece of chrome. I can't imagine changing the spring of a broken K-3 to be too rare an occurrence, so if anyone could tell me how to unscrew this little bastard, I would be very grateful. Many thanks 🙏

I currently own a K-3 16mm camera that came with 5 ND filters. I'm trying to label them for shooting purposes, but there are no instructions on how to identify which filter is for what purpose. Does anyone know how to label them properly? Nathan

Hello everyone, I've been lurking on these forums for a couple of years now, but this is my first time posting. Usually whenever I've had questions I can find answers here, and I'd like to thank you all because I have learned so much from this community. I have some concerns about my Krasnogorsk-3 that I'd like to discuss. I've been interested in learning to shoot on film, and I managed to purchase one back in January for about $60 after shipping. For a simple camera to learn on, I thought the price was great. As far as I can tell it runs smoothly and is in pretty good condition, but of course I'm not quite experienced enough to make that call. There are two things that I've noticed might be issues for my camera though, and before I start a short personal project I plan on doing soon, I'd like to get everyone's insight on it. One problem is that the top loop former doesn't move when I push down the plunger. I can physically pull it up myself, but it doesn't open up the way the bottom loop former does. At first I wasn't that worried about this because I was thinking I'd remove these anyway, but after watching the disassembly and reassembly videos several times, I chickened out and will likely send it to a professional for that if need be. The second problem is something I noticed that seems different about mine compared to those I see in Youtube videos about loading the camera. In a couple of these videos, the rollers that you feed the film into are able to open up slightly, as can be seen in this video here at 1:22. When I tried that, they won't budge at all. Are these serious problems for my K-3? Will it still work despite these issues? I appreciate any insight you all may have.

Hey everyone, Lately I've been looking for wide angle m42 lenses to use on my K-3. I'm quite fond of wide angle lenses, so the limited options available for this camera have been a bit frustrating. Even more so though, I've been really frustrated with the minimum focus of 2 meters on the Meteor 5-1, so my objective lately has been to find a decently wide M42 lens with a much closer minimum focus that I can use as my "normal" lens. Naturally, I've come across the two most common options; the Peleng 8mm and the Zenitar 16mm. I've seen good images with both, but I feel like the Peleng's more apparent distortion might be annoying for some shots (even though I'd love to have that field of view). Perhaps I will try to acquire both eventually, but lately I've been leaning towards choosing the Zenitar and just dealing with the fact that it's not much wider. Then I discovered another wide angle M42 lens that doesn't seem to get mentioned much: the Peleng 17mm. Sure, the Meteor goes to 17mm, but the Peleng has a much closer minimum focus. Do any of you have experience with both the Peleng 17mm and the Zenitar? I've seen it suggested that the Peleng looks a bit sharper altogether, but I'm curious to see if any direct comparisons have been done. Thanks! P.S. If anyone knows where I can find an SMC Takumar 15mm for a good price, be sure to let me know... ;)

Hi all! I recently got a new Krasnogorsk-3 and want to test it before I invest in actual film to shoot with it, but I'm facing a strange issue: In order to practice loading it, I bought some white leader film based on Acetate (and was assured by the vendor it won't harm the camera in any way). Loading works perfectly fine at the start (I have a camera without loop formers, so do it manually), I form the upper loop, go past the gate and reinstall the pressure plate, then the problem starts. I can finish the bottom loop and all, but whenever the pressure plate is installed, no film will move, it gets completely stuck. As soon as I lift the pressure plate a bit, or remove it, the film advances fine onto the take up reel, but of course this is not useful to me. Could it be that this leader is somewhat thicker or less flexible than normal negative film would be? Should I just try to find some very cheap expired film on Ebay and continue with that one? I just need a few feet of fogged film to test. Or is this all a sign of the K-3 not working correctly? Bernhard

Hi group, Just did some more research on the K-3 (mine is still stuck at customs, should arrive next week...). I found out that one main problem with the K-3 is that the loop formers retract when the spring loaded plunger is pressed (to check if the film runs smoothly), but they will return into position (squeezing the film) when the plunger is released and only retract (=open) again when the door presses against the plunger. So the loops might be gone bad. I refrain from disassembling the camera (seen it on YouTube: no way I'll attempt that). I also refrain from simply hacking off the loop formers and plunger. I am toying with the idea to come up with a way to keep the plunger down once I know the film runs smoothly. This also prevents pressure on the door (which I will seal with camera tape anyway). Any ideas (other than using sticky duct tape each time) how to keep the plunger down with some DIY method - without causing any kind of damage or risk of metal parts (filing, sawing etc.) getting into the camera? It is out of the question getting a "pro" upgrade (removed loop formers and servicing, polishing of parts) since it would again involve customs, hassle, waiting time and more money than the camera itself is worth. While I'm at it: I never understood why blowing air into the camera or mag would be of any use. Wouldn't it be much better to use a soft paint brush and a small, battery powered vacuum cleaner to make sure the dust really gets out of the way (instead of inside the camera/mag mechanism)? Just asking :-) Any reply appreciated, Christian

Hi group, Did my research and I found out that it seems to be very hard to find a good wide angle lens for the K-3 (M 42 1 screw mount). Added obstacle: mine is Super 16mm (re-centered lens). I'd love to have a nice prime lens with a focal length of anything between (say) 8 to 16mm without fish eye distortion - and one that won't break the bank, so I can get some nice handheld shots without being too shaky, having focus issues (almost all uploaded K-3 footage has focus issues when the subject is close) and being too "removed" from the viewer. Any advice, tips where to look, highly appreciated. Christian

So I wrapped production on a guerrilla short, but a couple of mishaps occurred during the process. The first one was when the Krasnogorsk-3 took a fall. It didn't descend super fast, but enough to damage the cosmetics a tad. Checked everything. Thought the film advancing sounded off. Then it got really off. Opened it up briefly (in somewhat subdued light) and inside it was a mess (film all over the place). I covered myself with a coat and examined the innards, and indeed something went wrong. The take up spool wasn't taking anything up. Thankfully there wasn't much film left, but I wound the rest into the take up by hand. Then I loaded the next roll. The next 100' went smoothly until the same problem (take up spool not taking) recurred to a lesser degree. Again near the end. As far as exposing it, I was in a controllable lighting situation, but I'm guessing the film may be scratched up a bit there, which might actually look cool. I was shooting handheld at this point, and I did move the camera a bit. I'm wondering if that has to do with it? Or perhaps I have permanently damaged the camera? Appreciate any expert hypotheses, thoughts, and comments. I can post a video(s) if needed.

Hello, I will be converting my K-3 in the near future, I already have the re-centered ring but I still want to get hold of a spare gate to widen, just in case I mess it up, a spare would be ideal. Anyone have one? Cheers, Gareth

Could it work without harming the camera? Let's say I'm shooting at 24 fps and then have someone carefully dial the speed to 48 fps?

hello all, I'm planning on purchasing a k3 tomorrow and was curious about mounting Leica M lenses on it via a Leica M - M42 adaptor, since I already own an M mount lens for another camera. I know M lenses generally don't work on systems with a mirror because they're built for rangefinders, but I've found an adaptor online that claims focus-to-infinity as a feature (without a lens element in the adapter). http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-M-mount-Lens-To-M42-Camera-Adapter-Ring-/320834255081?_trksid=p2054897.l4275 I'm skeptical but frankly don't know enough about lens adapting to go through with the purchase without further research. Has anyone tried to mount an M lens of a K-3? Thanks for the help!

I just bought krasnogorsk-3 and while i'm waiting for it to arrive i started to search for some data about it. To be quick here are the two main questions that i can't find any reliable answer to: 1. When did the production of k3 start and when did it end (- i guess with the collaps of ussr)? 2. Are there any movies that were shot with k3 (- i'll have to wait for a week or two until it arrives from Russia to Croatia, so i would like to watch some movie filmed with k3)? Sorry if there's already a post that answers this questions, i went through a lot of posts about k3 but i couldn't find anything.

I have a Krasnogorsk-3 camera that I purchased for cheap at an estate sale. I have no idea how to shoot on film and have absolutely no experience with film cameras. I had a stupid question. Can you shoot on used film? The Krasnogorsk-3 calls for 100 ft. Daylight film spools. Thanks!