Another nice find - Zorki 1a

Hello,

another nice find arrives here (the collecting virus is still alive)... It could not be seen on the auction text but when I unpacked the camera my heart beats faster :-)
A nice Zorki 1a with matching Industar 22 Zorki lens comes out of the packet. It was only described as "russian camera" and so it was a real bargain (less than 30 Euros incl. shipping).
I have never seen one on ebay the last years from private sellers (and I don't know if any of the well known russian sellers has one of it). Now it lies here on the table and waits for a CLA :-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Well caught Ulrich , I hope it works .
dee

Dee,

yes it works. There was one guy in it before as I can see and he has used a wrong screwdriver, so some screws don't look very nice. But I have some better screws for replacement :-) Btw, it has a nice serial number, 06760.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Ulrich,

Do you think the serial numbers of Zorki 1A start at No. 05500, where the FED-Zorki stopped ?

In the small booklet by Albino Pegori (& Claudio Asquini) the numbers of Zorki 1A run from 05600 - 09000.
In Princelle the numbers of Zorki-1A are "from 5500 - 7500 estimated).

I sometimes wonder what is the highest FED-Zorki number known and what is the lowest Zorki 1A number known.

Congratulations for getting an such an early Zorki!


Regards, Bill

Bill,

I have no idea where the FED-Zorki numbers end and where the Zorki 1a starts. The highest known FED-Zorki number to me is 5477, that is on a passport that I got with my FED-Zorki (but that has a lower serial number).

Btw, I have compared my new Zorki 1a with my FED-Zorki (number 2913) and I can really see no difference at all. It seems that only the top plate is different, body covering, screws, shutter house and so on are the same.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Bill,

here are some pics of it after a clean. I was really dirty before, but the most was only dirt and no rust :-)





Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Princelle says "The collar around the shutter release knob can no longer be removed". I think this is wrong. I can remove the collar and it doesn't make sense if it can not be removed bacause then you are not able to screw on the Leica type cable release...

Maybe he has an exemplar where the collar sits very tight or there are differences in the production of the Zorki 1a. I believe that my Zorki 1a is a real one because it it identical to my FED-Zorki in all aspects, only the top plate differs.

Who here has a Zorki 1a and can probe if the collar can be removed?

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

on my 07917 the collar is removable.

Ulrich!

Congratulations, fantastic showpiece!!! I'm happy to know about close sister of my camera #6768

Bill,

The latest so far known FED-Zorki camera has #5722 (Alain Berry's coll. ), an earliest so far known Zorki-1a has #5784 (sold on eBay 2005). The latest so far known Fed-Zorki with "1948" markings has #4797 (Soviet Camera Store), an earliest so far known camera with "1949" markings has #4813 (SovietCams )

Best Regards,
Aidas

Hi Ulrich!

What a beautiful and rare Zorki!
Congratulations to have seen it!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Aidas,
Thank you for the numbers you have kept track of. It was me who bought the Zorki-1a #5784 on ebay and it is still in my collection.

It is interesting to know that Alain's last FED-Zorki is #5722 (I assume from 1949), and so somewhere in the 62 cameras between his and mine are the last FED-Zorki and the first actual Zorki!

Regards, Bill

Jacques,

as I took a look in the auction text now... the serial number was in it, but the photograph looks like a prewar FED so I thought the seller has just forgot a 1 before the number :-) So it was luck that nobody else has seen it.

Aidas: yes, nice, that yours is only 8 numbers away from mine. Taht are really close sisters.

Alain: Ok, so it seems to be an error in Princelle that the collar could not be removed.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de