Zorki 1
Zorki-1 is a 35mm rangefinder camera with M39 screw mount interchangeable lenses manufactured by KMZ plant in Krasnogorsk, Moscov, USSR. 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.
Zorki-1 offered with various lenses: Industar-22 (3.5/50mm), Industar-50 (3.5/50mm), ZK 50/2, ZK 50/1.5, Jupiter-8 (2/52mm). Industar-22 50mm f/3.5 lens, looks like the Leitz Elmar, but was actually a copy of the Zeiss Tessar.
As with other Soviet-era rangefinders, the 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 and cock the shutter.
Zorki-1 Type 1c by Warren Yee (Image rights) |
Zorki-1 Type 1c by clicks_1000 (Image rights) |
Zorki-1 Type 1e by Alf Sigaro (Image rights) |
The Zorki-1 bodies were manufactured from 1950 to 1956. There are 5 different body types [1] or 23 types and sub-types of Zorki-1 [2].
- 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.
Notes
- ↑ according to Sovietcams
- ↑ according to Fotoua by Alexandr Komarov
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
Zorki cameras |
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FED-Zorki | 1 | S | 2 | 2-C (S) | 3 | 3M | 3S | 4 | 4K | Mir | 5 | 6 | 10/11 | 12 | 35M |