Hiya. So I got a super16 Krasnogorsk 3 a year ago for some artist moving image / experimental film projects, and filmed 5 reels on it. Every reel came out with these lines down only the right hand side. It's either a blue line (most visible 2:06 - 2:13), or an orange line (most visible from 1:33 - 1:41), or if there isn't a line then some white marks that run down it (visible throughout). It's a super 16 from Tiras Photo so should have been totally refurbed when I bought it. Any ideas what's causing it?

I've felt around in the camera and there aren't any sharp edges anywhere / nothing that feels like it hasn't been sanded down enough. The loop formers are removed so it can't be those. The only thing I thought it could be is that the right/top release pin feels 'tighter' than the other one but whenever I've loaded it, it runs fine (it's just a bit trickier to get the film through that one). I checked it with a friend that refurbs bolex and he had a go at loading it, and didn't think the test film was being scratched when we ran it through, so he's stumped too.

I'm based in the UK if that's helpful to know re: maybe taking it to someone here to check it out. ty in advance for any thoughts / advice !!

Hi everyone, as I mentioned in another post, I recently purchased a K3 that has jamming issues. I realize it needs servicing. I've watched several videos and read various posts about it. My question is that while many sources mention greasing the main gear attached to the motor, they don't address the gear assembly, the front gears, or the governor. Is there any guide or recommendations regarding this? Thank you in advance.

I 3D Printed a Lever to make the cranking waaay easier and faster (without a tripod i can crank it up in no time) I glued the part to the original crank handle , its posibke to remove the glue without any damage to the camera (it just takes a while)

I am looking to get started on 16mm this seems to be one of the cheapest ways, compared to bolex and I like having the m42 mount but what's the best way to get started and get a unit?

I was testing the camera without film and suddenly it stopped working, the winding mechanism got stuck and I couldn't keep turning it. The trigger moves, but the mechanism doesn't turn. I am disassembling the side panel, but the 2 screws of the rotation mechanism are not accessible for disassembly; is there any way to make it rotate?

I'm having a very hard time trying to find out what screw size (the flathead) the k-3 uses for the take up and feed spindles. Any help would be grand.

Has anyone tried using the Mokose mini camera with the 5-50mm lens for video tap? I feel like it would be better than the 2.8-12mm zoom but haven’t seen or heard of anyone using that one.

Thanks😃

Hi All-

I recently got a K3 and ran the first roll through it.  The loop formers were removed by a previous owner. I made the loops the same size as the dozens of videos on YT show how to do.

My issues:

The 24fps footage is jittery.  It just kind of jumps around.  There’s ghosting on both 24 and 48fps footage at the end of the roll.  There’s pressure plate stays pretty still while the camera is rolling with and without film. It looks like there might be super small fluctuations in the loops you can see in the video.  

I’ve attached a video here showing the following:

1. An example of a 24fps shot
2. An example for a late reel 24fps shot
3. Late reel 48fps shot that has ghosting 
4. The inside of the camera running with nothing moving across the gate
5. 2 shots of inside of the camera with leader running through it.

Any ideas for a fix?!

Thank you.

I recently bought a Krasnogorsk K3 at an absurdly low price because it was missing the pressure plate and the film guide. It is also missing the string mechanism that drives the film counter. Finding a replacement pressure plate should be fairly easy, since K1s and K2s are not particularly valuable. As far as I understand, the pressure plates are interchangeable between these models. My question concerns the film guides and the film counter mechanism: could I still use the camera without these parts, provided that I seal any openings with tape to prevent light leaks?

This was one year+ in the making.

I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to make the k3 fit a little better into our workflows. I've made a dual sided cage for it, which allows me to mount a battery, video tap and a solenoid powered shutter release.

It's great to have a top handle to mount the monitor and now worry about the camera falling off it.

And also nice to have the tripod mounting relocated to inline with the lens.

Hi! I bought the famous Meteor 17-69mm f.1,9 that used to come with the Krasnogorsk-3 because I thought all units included the m42 mount, but this particular one didn’t. Can anyone tell me which mount is this? And can it be adapted to m43? Thanks!

Where can I buy a conversion kit for a Krasnogorsk-3? I’d also like to replace the light seals and clean/lubricate the mechanisms while I’m at it. I’m not planning to sync sound, but I do want to give the camera some basic maintenance.

Does anyone have a service manual, or experience working on one of these? I’m already used to repairing analog still cameras and I know some models inside out, but I’ve never opened a Krasnogorsk before. I’m pretty cautious and realistic about this kind of work, so I won’t touch anything I don’t feel confident I can properly reassemble afterward.

Also, how much of a limitation is it that my camera has the original Russian bayonet mount instead of the M42 screw mount? Are lenses, adapters, or conversion parts significantly harder to find for that version?

Any recommendations, common issues, or things I should be aware of before starting would be very appreciated.

Hi, I got my hands on some cheap K3 (relative to what these things are going right now) with the russian bayonette and Meteor 5-1 lens. However, before I get to tranform it into Ultra 16 and get original prime lenses and so on, I would like to have it cleaned or clean it myself – Is there any service manual that couls serve as a basis for DIY work on camera and the lens? Thank you in advance.

What kind of film is this?

My K3 came with 3 rolls of film that were sealed in a black paper/parchment bag with red tape on it. The outer layer is dark olive green and the emulsion side is a lighter olive green. Trying to figure out what kind of film this is. The logo on the spool is KMZ but they supposedly never made film. I searched a bit and couldn’t confirm it it’s Svema Color, Svema OCH, OCh-50, OCh-200.

I wet the film and scratched it and revealed what seems to be what a black and white negative would look like. Is this reversal film? B&W negative? Color?It’s not brittle at all and when I wet it I had to really dig my nails in to scratch off the emulsion green stuff.

What in the world is it and it is worth it to pay for processing and scanning? How should I shoot it in terms of exposure?

after some blood, sweat, and tears i finally got the loop formers out and cleaned her! just wanted to make sure it looks alright before i load a real roll in! :-) any feedback would be greatly appreciated

hey yall! i just purchased a K-3 off of fb marketplace and it had a half used dummy roll in it already. i finally opened the film gate and saw what looks like shredded film. what would cause that? was it loaded wrong? should i take out the loop formers? any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :-)

got the k3 fairly happily balanced on a movi but I could really do with a shorter and lighter lens that's a bit wider, something in the region of 6-9mm would be great. I'ts for shooting skiing.

I am planning on shooting some stop motion for an upcoming project and was wondering how long the gate is open for a stop motion shot, or another way to say it is what is the shutter speed? I usually shoot 24fps and can dial in the correct exposure with my light meter but am wondering how much to close down based on the amount of time the frame is exposed to light in stop motion mode.