Zorki 1 serial number

I recently bought a Zorki 1 nr 425519. with industar lens. Would some expert on photonet

know what kind of Zorki 1 that is and when was it produced ?

Thanks....

I suspect that it might be a Zorki 1(D) - but look at these link and check the features on the camera itself.

 

http://home.att.net/~wayne.cornell/camera/zorki1.html

 

http://www.fedka.com (select Information on Soviet Cameras and then Zorki Variations)

 

Nick

Tanks It is a 1D produced in 1953.

Regards

Robert

There is no absolute way to determine the year of a zorki 1 except for the 1955 and 1956 years. Their SNs have eight digits beginning with either 55 or 56. Others can be place pretty close by a combination of determining the model B, C, D or E, combined with the SN.

The problem is that camera assemblers were assigned blocks of numbers to put on their units. Some people worked faster than others, some might be sick and be off work, some might die and their remaining numbers never used. So You can have a low serial numbered camera that is actually a newer model that another camera with a higher number. Plus, during model changeovers you could have cameras with some charachteristics of two models.

It does sound like your camera might be a "D". The SN would probably be on the back rather than the top, the lettering would be stamped rather than engraved, there probably is a narrow black "accent stripe" around the lens mount. And there will be seven shutter speeds from 1/20 to 1/500 plus "Z" (bulb) Probably made in 1953 or possibly 1954

Maybe it is just a Leica made to look like a Zorki ! ? :)

While I love my FSU and Eastern European cameras - the bizarre thought has just struck me that perhaps a Leica would fail quailty control at the FED or Zorki works as the tolerences were too close ................

 

Then I woke up and realised one never hears quality control and FSU in the same sentence!! :-)

 

Nick

Actually the FED and Zorki Leica II copies can be very good shooters if tuned up--but they will never be a Leica. I know some people who work on both and they say the Leicas (and most Japanese copies, too) are much more difficult to work on because their tolerances are so close. The closest Russian copy to a Leica II I have is a Zorki C that I disassembled, polished all the roller ends and then installed lightweight curtains made for a material made by Jay Javier http://jay.fedka.com/. The camera is really smooth and super quiet.

I have a Zorki 1 SN 329### which is a D model and a Zorki 1 SN 552### which is an E model. Perhaps you can get some info from others which will help narrow it down a little closer.

 

My D has an engraved top while the E has a stamoped logo on top. Do you have the enameled trim ring around the lens mount? or does the vulcaniter go all the way up to the lens flange? The enamel trim may be one of the singular differences betrween the D and E.

 

-Paul

>I have a Zorki 1 SN 329### which is a D model and a Zorki 1 SN >552### which is an E model. Perhaps you can get some info from >others which will help narrow it down a little closer.

>My D has an engraved top while the E has a stamoped logo on top. Do >you have the enameled trim ring around the lens mount? or does the >vulcaniter go all the way up to the lens flange? The enamel trim >may be one of the singular differences betrween the D and E.

 

Paul:

 

I have a "D" with no enamel ring around the lens mount. I've seen two others. The shutter speeds are the main difference on the "E" I don't believe there were any cameras made that would qualify as "E"s that didn't have the modern shutter speeds.

 

Your D with engraving might be a "C". If it's a C it will have the long spring on the bottom of the shutter crate (visible with the baseplate removed). If it's a D it will have the short spring. Only Ds and Es had the short spring assembly.

Wayne:

 

What I think is (d) has a short spring. My Zorki-Zorki has the long spring and a lower SN.

 

-Paul

You know , this camera I just bought on e bay and I am waiting for it to comme from russia...

Reading your comments it gets even more appetizing ...

 

When I oooked at the picture on e bay it seemed that the leather skin was flat (pas de grain),

why is it so ?

Sorry fo my bad belgian english !!

PS it is zorky 1 from soviet souvenirs (very cheap) nr 425519

If a camera has badly chipped vulcanite covering (it is a type or rubber--not leather) the sellers sometimes strip it off and just paint the metal shell black or some other color. Any camera with original covering will have a leather look. The early Zorki 1s --through the "B" series--had a smoother "pebble" finish than the later models. You serial number suggests it is newer than a "B" however.