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. The first two digits of the serial number will tell you what year it was made. Зоркий = Zorki, 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) 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.

Body types

There are 5 different body types or 12 types and 7 sub-types of Zorki-1

• Type 1a: a direct descendant of the Fed-Zorki.
• Type 1b: a different collar around the shutter release, allowing for a threaded cable.
• Type 1c: molded body parts and can be identified by black trims just below the top plate and above the bottom plate.
• Type 1d: the black trim extends to envelop the lens mount.
• Type 1e: 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.

Specifications

• Lenses: Zorki-1 offered with various lenses:
  • Industar-22 (50mm f/3.5) (ИНДУСТАР)
  • Industar-50 (50mm f/3.5)
  • Jupiter-3 (50 f/1.5)
  • Jupiter-8 (50mm f/2) (ЮРИТЕП)

• Shutter: Horizontal focal plane cloth shutter, speeds: 1/20 - 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

Images

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

Zorki-1 type 1c (or type 7a) by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)	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)

Bibliography

In English

• Princelle, Jean Loup - Made In USSR - The Authentic Guide To Russian And Soviet Cameras, Le Reve Edition, 2004 (ISBN 2952252106 (ISBN13: 9782952252102) Paperback

In Russian

• 1200 Cameras from USSR by Suglob, Shaternik, Kochergin, 2009 , more info about book

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