Krasnogorsk-3
Owner’s Manual
© 2003 NCS Products
rev 3.00
Page 4 of 6
WINDING THE CAMERA
The spring motor uses a governor to maintain a constant film speed from the beginning of a
shot until the spring has wound out. To wind the spring use the winding lever located on the side
of the camera. Lift the handle into a vertical position and turn it counter-clockwise. Wind the
camera as much as needed or until the lever encounters resistance. The camera will run for
approximately 25 seconds at 24fps when wound completely. At higher speeds the camera will
run for less time.
SPEED CONTROL
The K-3 has a variable speed control for frame rates between 8 and 48 frames per second.
Camera speeds in excess of 48 and less than 8 frames per second are also possible, but difficult
to determine accurately. To change the speed turn the speed control to the appropriate setting.
Normal speed is 24 fps, lower speeds create speeded up motion and faster speeds create slow
motion. DO NOT RUN AT HIGH SPEED WITHOUT FILM.
SHUTTER SPEED
The shutter speed is dependent on the filming speed. Refer to the chart below.
Filming Speed
(fps)
Shutter
Speed
8
1/20
12
1/30
16
1/40
24
1/60
32
1/80
48
1/120
(single frame)
1/30
THE VIEWFINDER
The camera can be adjusted so that a person with other than 20/20 vision can use the
camera without glasses. To do this you must adjust the camera's viewfinder (also called a
diopter) to your eye. First loosen the small screw above the viewfinder. Then focus the camera
on infinity, open the lens to F-1.9, and point the camera at a bright object. Next while looking
through the viewfinder focus the grain visible in the viewfinder until it is sharp and clear, by
turning the viewfinder to the left and right. If you have difficulty focusing on the grain in the
viewfinder you can remove the lens from the camera by unscrewing it from the body, and then
attempt to focus on the grain. Tighten the screw on top of the viewfinder to lock it in place.
Sometimes particles of dirt can be on the ground-glass and show up in the viewfinder. These
will not affect the image on the film. If they bother you there are two ways to clean the ground-
glass.
To get to the ground-glass, you must first remove the lens. Just unscrew if your K-3 has a
screw-mount. To remove a bayonette-mount lens, push the two little knobs clockwise about 10
degrees, then pull the lens straight out.
If you look into the mirror, you will see the reflection of the ground-glass (it is above the
mirror). You can brush away little dust particles with a small paintbrush. If that doesn’t work, you
can use a swab damp with alcohol to clean the ground-glass. Be gentle and patient. You will
find that it might take a few tries to get it clear. In the beginning, you’ll just move the dirt around.
ANIMATION / TIME-LAPSE
The Krasnogorsk-3 can shoot one frame at a time for animation or time-lapse. There is a
small hole at the rear of the camera where a cable release screws in. Any standard cable
release used for 35mm film cameras can be used. Press and release firmly and smoothly, and
one frame of film will be exposed.
