Zorki 1

Zorki-1 is a 35mm rangefinder camera with M39 screw mount interchangeable lens manufactured by KMZ plant in Krasnogorsk, Moscov, USSR, between 1948-56. Зоркий = Zorkiy, means Sharp Sight. Zorki cameras have their roots in the FED line of Leica copies. During WW2, the Soviet camera factory FED was evacuated to escape advancing German troops. After the war FED had troubles getting FED rangefinder camera brand, (a copy of the pre-war German Leica 35mm camera), back into production. Because KMZ plant had escaped destruction, that company started making the FED camera under a joint FED-Zorki logo in 1948. When FED got back in operation, KMZ continued to produce the rangefinder cameras under the Zorki trademark (intended for export either) and made some design changes.

The Zorki-1 was the first Zorki-branded body produced at the KMZ factory. Some later models have "Zorki" engraved in Cyrillic and in Latin; these are for export and are often referred to as "Zorki-Zorki" bodies on assorted Soviet-camera mailing lists.

Some features of the Zorki-1

• Lens: Zorki-1 offered with various lenses as Industar-22 (3.5/50mm) (= ИНДУСТАР), Industar-50 (3.5/50mm), ZK 50/2, ZK 50/1.5, Jupiter-8 (2/52mm) (= ЮРИТЕП). Industar-22 50mm f/3.5 lens, looks like the Leitz Elmar, but was actually a copy of the Zeiss Tessar
• Focusing: Match the rangefinder images, via the focusing lever on the rear of the lens, w/ distance scale and DOF scale; Focusing lever locks on infinity
• Shutter: Horizontal focal plane cloth shutter, speeds: 1/2 - 1/500, +Z
  • the Z in German, means ZU = open, marking is on models before 1955 instead of B
• Rangefinder has a separate window, on the back left side of the top plate, yellow rangefinder images, very small
• Viewfinder: Simple reverse telescope finder, window on the right of the rangefinder window
• Frame counter: Decreasing type, manual reset, beneath the cocking knob,
• Bottom film loading like old Leicas, bottom plate opens by a pop-up lever on it. Take up spool is a special removable type
  • Engravings around the opening ring: ЗAКР - ОTKP (Zakr - Otkr = Close - Open). ОTKP is an abbreviation for ОТКРЫТЫЙ
• Others: Cold-shoe; Tripod socket: 3/8 inch
• Body: Metal; Weight: around 520g
• No flash sync socket, no self timer
• As with other Soviet-era rangefinders, Zorki's shutter speed selector rotates when the shutter is released, and should not be changed until after the shutter has been cocked. If you change the shutter speed without cocking the shutter first, the setting pin can be broken when you advance the film.

Zorki-1 Type 1c (or Type 7a) by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)	Zorki-1 Type 1c by clicks_1000 (Image rights)	Zorki-1 Type 1e by Alf Sigaro (Image rights)

All cameras in the photos have Industar-22 50mm f/3.5 lenses.

There are 5 different body types or 23 types and sub-types of Zorki-1 .

• Type 1a is a direct descendant of the Fed-Zorki.
• Type 1b has a different collar around the shutter release, allowing for a threaded cable.
• Type 1c has moulded body parts and can be identified by black trims just below the top plate and above the bottom plate.
• In Type 1d, the black trim extends to envelop the lens mount.
• Type 1e has newer shutter speeds of 1/50s and 1/25s, instead of the 1/60s, 1/40s, 1/30s, and 1/20s found in previous types.

Links

• Variations in the top housing and other variations from SovietLeica.com
• FED-Zorki Survival Site Using, Maintaining, Calibrating and Repairing Zorki-1 and FED-1 cameras by Jay Javier.
• Zorki-1 User Reviews at Russian Rangefinder Forum
• Zorki 1, all models and Zorki 2 in Wayne Cornell's photography site
• Zorki 1C, Zorki 1C, Zorki 1D, Russian user manual on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand