Earliest known Zorki 2C

Hello,

the last days a nice Zorki 2C arrives here. It has the earliest known serial number that I have seen: 5500063. According to Aidas site a similiar known camera has earliest number 5502032, so this is a real nice find. It seems to be one of the first production cameras after the prototypes with the serial number engraved on the top cover.

Some things to say to it:

It has the same selftimer as the Zorki 2 has, even the body shell and shutter are the same. Later on they got the self timer as we know it from Zorki 4.

Unfortunately the self timer was broken (it does not stay in the wound position) but I have a bad damaged Zorki 2 (which selftimer works!) so I put the working selftimer in the 2C. It sits perpectly in place.

The engraving on the top has the same style as on the Zorki 2.

It has a shorter release button, like the first examples of the Zorki C.

Some dude had opened it before (may be to fix the broken self timer) and has damaged ALL of the chromed screws... But I've had enough screws to replace them.

It's in very good condition. Maybe it was not used very often because of the broken selftimer.

After cleaning an relubing it it works very smooth and quite, much better than later Zorki C and 2C.

Look at the engraving of the serial number. The first 5 digits (55000) are exactly engraved in one line, the 63 sits a bit more down. Maybe the first hundred were reserved for prototype serial numbers and then they went on to production release?

Here are some pictures:

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4586.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4586.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4587.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4587.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4588.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4588.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4589.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4589.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4590.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2812023_IMGL4590.jpg

Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

Thanks for this very interesting thread, Ulrich. And congrats for this find!
I own several cameras with serial numbers whose ciphers are not correctly aligned, as if the first block had been pre-engraved.
About the lens, is it original, by you?

Amitiés. Jacques.

Jacques, the lens comes with the camera. I have deleted my statement about the year of the lens, because according to Aidas site these lenses have a different numbering from 1955 on (only the first digit stands for the year, so 5 means 1955).

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by uwittehh</i>
<br />

After cleaning an relubing it it works very smooth and quite, much better than later Zorki C and 2C.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Dear Ulrich, I tried to remove the body cover from my Zorki 2 (I've cleaned and relubed a Zorki 1 before) but was stumped by the self-timer. How do you remove the cover or, more to the point, how does one get the self-timer trigger out of the way?

Best Regards
Henry

Henry,

the selftimer trigger can be removed by unscrewing it counterclockwise. Sometimes it sits very tight, then I use rubber gloves or a rubber eraser to unscew it.

Good luck!

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de