Fed 1 vs Zorki 1?

[chris_david]

I'd like to get a couple of Soviet Leica copies to practice my

camera repair and painting skills. I'm thinking of a Fed or Zorki 1

for no other reason than the fact that I like the looks of them. Is

one better than the other in terms of quality and repairability?

 

Thanks.

[jon_goodman1]

Hi, Chris.

I think they're about the same. The Zorki may be a little better from a build standpoint, but if you have to re-shutter them, you won't think one is materially easier to work on. I like the FED NKVD. It at least has a little history with it. Pay special attention to the shims underneath the lens mount flange if you start tearing one of these to bits. You can not adjust the lens focus by any means other than measuring the distance from film plane to lens mount surface, and these cameras were interestingly matched to the lens that came with them. Another lens could not focus as sharply. Good luck. If you need shutter curtain cloth/ribbons, please let me know.

 

Jon

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

I have read in a book about the FED/Zorki history that the Zorki model has some improvements in the shutter mechanism, but I don't know any details.

 

However, I have a FED1g (last series) and its build quality is close to my pre-war LeicaIIIa body. There is nothing special about the NKVD engraving, it does NOT mean that these cameras were made for the secret service. The FED plant simply was under supervision of the NKVD (department of inner affairs), that's why this engraving appears on some series (the later ones are simply engraved FED).

[william_vickers1]

I have a FED 1g and a Zorki 1e, and both represent the final models of the Soviet Leica II copies made in 1955-56. Some people feel the later Zorki 1 has slightly better finishing than the later FED 1. In my opinion, the difference isn't great and one shouldn't lose sleep over it in deciding which model to purchase.

[peter_naylor1]

Hi, Chris Well, I've got both ends of the spectrum, an early 1938-ish NKVD FED-1 and a latish 1955 Zorki-1. There's no doubt that the Zorki is better made, and so should make a better "user" - also, it's that much younger. However, from a collecting viewpoint, there's no doubt that the FED-1 wins hands down. Wilfrid is quite correct in that the NKVD markings on the prewar FEDs do not denote they were for secret police use, only that Youth Communes in prewar USSR came under NKVD control. The fascinating aspect about these NKVD FEDs is that they were made by teenagers, both boys and girls, working in the Kharkov Youth Commune named after the initials of the founder of the NKVD, Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinksy. This was all part of Stalin's master plan to convert the Soviet Union from an agrarian economy to an industrialised one, along with 5-year plans etc, plus many one-way trips to Siberia for those who disagreed. (I'm not moralising either way here, and in any case, it's all water under the bridge now, with the collapse of the former Soviet Union.) However, it's a truly amazing story purely from a historical aspect, so if you've got an hour or so to spare, have a google for "the dzerzhinsky commune". You should come up at the very first entry with a truly FASCINATING 20-odd page article by Oscar Fricke, all about the FED Commune and the birth of the Soviet 35mm camera industry. This FED Youth Commune was destroyed during the German invasion of the USSR, and after WW2 when a new factory was built to resume production, things were then done on a more conventional basis with both adult and apprentice workers. So, these prewar NKVD FEDs are indeed unique, and definately worth collecting. One especially nice comparison between my early FED and late Zorki, is to view the different cyrillic script characters on their top plates, with a strong 15X loupe. The Zorki's has clearly been done with just a conventional stamping, before plating. The FED's characters - and there are quite a lot of them, including the camera's serial number - have actually been hand-engraved, believe it or not - the characteristic loops and whorls of the engraving process can clearly be seen. Why would they have used such a slow, labour-intensive method rather than conventional stamping? You'd have to reckon it was part of the engineering learning process for the "communard" teenage kids employed there, and to hell with cost-effectiveness! ---<Pete N>---

[ken_jeanette]

The terms "made better" and Fed, Zorki, Kiev, et al are oxymorons. Like Military Inteligence or Political Savvy---They should never be spoken in the same sentence. Either will do the same job.

As practice tools, they are great. I also cut my teeth looking into the innards of cameras using Kiev SLR's both 35mm and medium format. I actually cut fingers on burrs on the "polished" sides of gears.

 

Have fun, but quality should not be a concern.

[william_vickers1]

Ken Jeanette wrote:

 

"The terms "made better" and Fed, Zorki, Kiev, et al are oxymorons ... Have fun, but quality should not be a concern."

 

I have heard many people express similar views about Soviet cameras, basically saying that they are "junk" or "rubbish." After purchasing several FEDs, Zorkis, and Kievs over the past three years I am not so dismissive of their quality. It's true that when you buy one of these 30 to 50 year old cameras you may have to do a little tinkering or make some repairs to get things as they should be. And the finish of the exterior and internal parts are not up to Leica standards. But the cameras do work, have a certain proletarian and historical charm, and are capable of excellent results. In my opinion they offer a lot of fun and enjoyment for very little money.

[ian blacklaw richardson]

I have used LTM cameras for 40 years. From an old Leica 11 to a 111c but I recently got a late Fed 1 with the smaller collapsible 50/3.5 and the results I have had are better than my Leicas. The lens quality is comparable to my Rollei 35's Tessar by which I judge other lenses. Also I have had great results with the 28mm Russian lens. The finish of this camera is very high and I feel the camera must have been made specially for some apparatchik. Are there any more of these out there? I have a Zorki 1 and there is no comparison.<div></div>

[barry_hamilton]

Looking at Mr Richardson's picture of Llandudno, and in response to his "any more out there" query, I have several Feds and Zorkis of various types. Don't seem to have the time to actually use them, though. Are you resident in N. Wales?

BH

[ian blacklaw richardson]

No I'm domiciled in the Isle of Man, though originally from Scotland. I found Llandudno a beautiful place and nearby Conwy Castle, built by Edward 1 is worthy of a good photographic study. i'd recommend it.