Classification of Zorki-4 camera

Hi,

I have found new hobby in classifying popular cameras [:D]

My new target was Zorki-4. Results below:

http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-198567533


best regards.
Aidas

Absolutely great! Thank you Aidas for time you invested to do this!
Do you think Zorki 3C should belong to this classification?

Aidas,
This is a GREAT reference, particularly since I am new to the FSU cameras. I just received a Zorki 4 today and, after referencing your information, I "think" I have a version 2D made in 1962. The lettering is Cyrillic, silk screened on front but the shutter speeds are engraved. Serial number is 63467873 and the lens is Jupiter 8, serial number 6352136. Hope I have identified this correctly and, if not, please correct me. Thanks again.

Frank...

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by AidasCams</i>
<br />
My new target was Zorki-4. Results below:
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-198567533
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Dear Aidas,
from your page: ("Type - 2c (1961)") -- "Very uncommon export version, under name "Çorki-4" in Roman characters (first letter is Cyrillic for sure)."
Sorry, this is mistake. First letter is the real hand-written calligraphic latin "Z"...

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by okynek</i>
<br />Absolutely great! Thank you Aidas for time you invested to do this!
Do you think Zorki 3C should belong to this classification?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Okynek,

You are right - Zorki-3C is evolutional forerunner of entire Zorki-4 group. But indeed, I'm not sure, that particular camera should belong to this classification.

Best Regards,
Aidas

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Frankl</i>
<br />Aidas,
This is a GREAT reference, particularly since I am new to the FSU cameras. I just received a Zorki 4 today and, after referencing your information, I "think" I have a version 2D made in 1962. The lettering is Cyrillic, silk screened on front but the shutter speeds are engraved. Serial number is 63467873 and the lens is Jupiter 8, serial number 6352136. Hope I have identified this correctly and, if not, please correct me. Thanks again.

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

Frank,

Pleasure to see you in our Forums! Your camera should be the transitional version from 2d to 3a, while 2d version still have all markings engraved. Your information is very valuable for me - many thanks!

Best Regards,
Aidas

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Zoom</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by AidasCams</i>
<br />
My new target was Zorki-4. Results below:
http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?-198567533
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Dear Aidas,
from your page: ("Type - 2c (1961)") -- "Very uncommon export version, under name "Çorki-4" in Roman characters (first letter is Cyrillic for sure)."
Sorry, this is mistake. First letter is the real hand-written calligraphic latin "Z"...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Zoom,

Your notices are always very appreciated - many thanks! Do you really think (or know for sure), that first letter is hand-written? I'm holdind type-2c camera in my very own hands recently and can't see any abnormalities in text writing ...

And may be you know the reason such odd-marked cameras were released for?


Best Regards,
Aidas

Aidas,
thank you for your insight, regarding my Zorki 4. It is facinating, how so many "transitional" phases the FSU cameras, in general, seemed to go through. Unlike the Japanese, German and US manufactures, the Russians didn't just "stop" building a certain model, they just let it "elvove" until it looked different enough and only then would they re-designate the model. In some model changes, from the FED 2 to the FED 3 for instance, this seemed even more unusual. I think of it a a "cosmetic overlap". I have a sample of a FED 2, that looks like a FED 3 (FED 2E as I understand it) and I have a FED 3 that looks more like a FED 2 (FED 3A again, a I understand it)..... Facinating.... Makes one wonder how many "variations" are out there that have not been discovered yet.....

Anyway, thanks again and thank you also for the welcome. I am learning a lot here and just want to be sure that what "I think I know" is accurate.
Best Regards,
Frank

Frank,

Indeed, I absolutely agree with you. The soviet cameras have so many variations, so this is good news for us - camera collectors ... [:)] I pay my respect to Arsenal cameras, which had some standards and are stabilized in their design ...


Best Regards,
Aidas

I believe such collector's fortune laying deep in the structure of the Soviet economics.
Of cause I can only relate to personal experience, and cannot say for every plant and factory, but we had quarterly and monthly quotes on quantity of "Suggestions for Improvement" what we had to filed. They called "òÁÃ. ðÒÅÄÌÏÖÅÎÉÅ". If such suggestions were accepted, changes to design follow soon and such changes can be made virtually every month.
Another reasons for design change, as you can expect, was new equipment, and new machinery, and new materials, (or luck of them). On paper new equipment should arrive according to schedule, but in reality it was NEVER happens. So new equipment was accepted for use in production, as soon as it was ready for it. New equipment means slightly different design. More often then not New machinery was "on probation" and work together with Old ones, what can explain slight variations of the camera produced at the same time on the same place. I believe we call them transitional models. Also luck of necessary materials in some months force to improvise, substitute, and simplify. All this assures constant changes in design.
Many software companies,(specially Microsoft) take same approach today. Constant changes and improvement, and eventually roll over to new product.

Dear Aidas,

Thanks for all the work and the great page on your site for the Zorki-4. Zoom is correct. This is the way we are taught to write a cursive capital "Z" here in the US. Looks like a "Z" to me, not a "C". I think he means in the style of a handwritten, cursive "Z", not that it is really handwritten on the camera. Anyway, I know that if I saw this camera with that writing and did not know it, I would say it was a "Zorki"!

Regards, Bill

Hey people!!!!!
Zorki 4 models made from 1967 and 4K since begining have speed dial and counter silkscreened instead of being engraved. I repaired many of them doing a new decal glued with metachrilate. Some cameras also loose their names
I am now preparing those decals in thin anodized aluminium foil with a new design in order to personalize and modernize your camera and give a new life to them. I include now the speed dial and counter

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial1.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial1.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial1n.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial1n.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial2.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial2.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial2n.JPG

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/zorkidial2n.JPG

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by AidasCams</i>
<br />Do you really think (or know for sure), that first letter is hand-written?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I mean that on a stencil for engraving the hand-written font was used.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nightphoto</i>
<br />I think he means in the style of a handwritten, cursive "Z", not that it is really handwritten on the camera.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes, right!
It's because my English is very bad... :(

Luiz,
great idea - I like it a lot!

Bill, Zoom,

Thanks for explanation! I will change my information immediately ... [:)] Any more comments?


Best Regards,
Aidas

... do you think I should place this fake to my classificator? [:D]

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/Zork4fortyA.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/Zork4fortyA.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/Zork4Jtpo.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/Zork4Jtpo.jpg

Aidas

<font size="1">Luiz,
great idea - I like it a lot!</font id="size1">

--------------------------------

Many many thanks.
Luiz

I recently came across a Zorki-4, a common type by appearance, with a serial number 09186079. The lens (not sure if original) was a common Jupiter-8 #60xxx.
Is this something very unusual or they exist? What year is this?
Should I now worry that I did not keep it?

Yuri

Hello Yuri,

interesting. I also had a Zorki 4 with a number like yours. The number was 09185739, so quite near to yours. I also have sold the camera... and never have seen another one with such a number. Maybe it was not a good idea to sell it ;-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hi,

I have heard about version of Zorki-4 with another coding of serial numbers. but never was lucky to find one for my collection. I don't think it was a good idea to sell these 2 cameras, but it's up to you, guys ... [:)][:)][:)].

Let me show you quite interesting "blind" version of Zorki-4 camera. [:)]

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2392010_zorki-4_technical.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2392010_zorki-4_technical.jpg

Best Regards,
Aidas

Hi Adidas,

I have a 1956 Zorki-4. The nob pattern is like ZOrki-3C, S/N is 5659968.
here is a image FYI.

Cheers,

Zhang

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b190/tigerzxk/f.jpg

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by fedka</i>
<br />I recently came across a Zorki-4, a common type by appearance, with a serial number 09186079. The lens (not sure if original) was a common Jupiter-8 #60xxx.
Is this something very unusual or they exist? What year is this?
Should I now worry that I did not keep it?

Yuri
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yuri!
You can see "Zorki-4" with such number here:
http://www.bar90.ru/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=38&Itemid=53&TreeId=115
And the passport to him.
dmzi