Zorki-3 queries

Hi all

Do we have any information concerning the annual numbers of early Zorki-3 made before the year code was added to the serial number? The earliest year code seems to be 54 when the s/n was in the 5000's - can we be more precise about the actual date of introduction of the year code, perhaps from known passports?

SovietCams website lists under PM1260 a camera with two serial numbers, an old one without year prefix on the R/F housing and a new s/n on the body top plate with prefix - however the two camera numbers are different. This seems strange to me as I would expect the two numbers to correspond. Are any more examples like this known, or could this camera simply have had an earlier R/F housing fitted as a replacement, perhaps for a damaged one?

There also seem to be some transitional cameras corresponding to PM1245 (slow speed detent and large V/F window), but with later year-marked serial numbers. I have one in my collection with s/n 547248, and I have recorded several others with numbers in the 7, 8 and 9xxx serial range of 1954. There seems to be a considerable transitional overlap of features at this time, but when?

I also have an early camera in the late 03xxx serial range corresponding to PM1235 fitted with a 1953 Jupiter-8 lens. Both camera body and lens are in a similar well-used condition and everything functions very smoothly - perhaps that's why it has been well used! One of the locking catches on the baseplate, the one below the wind-on, is of a type I have not seen before, but seems to be original - it has a separate small central section (perhaps intended to be detachable or spring-loaded?) but seems to operate normally - is this just an early version?

Any answers to these queries gratefully received.

ATB Chris.

Hi Christopher,

There is no data on how many were made but the transition happened in the second half of 1954. Highest camera I've seen with 5 digit serial # is around 05600.
Source: 1200 Cameras from USSR book.

Cheers,
Vlad.

Hello Christopher

As a collector with special interests in the Zorki 3 I have build a page with some information on this camera (see [1], sorry, german only). The last Zorki 3 with the short number I ever saw was the 06179 (seen on eBay, IIRC), the first with the year prefix is the 546413 (in my own collection).

I hope this will help.

Best wishes - Guido


[1] http://www.g-st.ch/privat/kameras/zorki3.html

Heiio Christopher ! Look page Zorki-3. There are transitional model with two numbers on the top cover and the body .
Best regards, Alex!
http://ussrcameras.ru/?rp=1&action=tovar&tovar_category=174&id=244

Hello,

About Zorki3/3M, there were 106 of them made in 1951, 1335 in 1952, 671 in 1953 and 34145 in 1954. Just to finish: 48862 in 1955 and 2450 in 1956.

There were many variations during the first years: the position of some screws, the screws of the accessory shoe (hidden or not), the rim (or not) round the viewfinder, the presence (or not) of a triangular shoe to steady the camera, the locking pin (or not) on the slow speed dial on the 3M. Certainly, I miss several changes. Even the size of the viewfinder was changed!

Probably, the 3/3M must be considered as a laboratory for the future 4...

Chris, it would be interesting to have a photo of the baseplate of your 03xxx. As for me, I have the 00707 with a huge viewfinder.

Thanks, Alex, for your astonishing crossover models! Really, an exciting camera! And one of the most beautiful...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Hello Vlad, Guido, Alex and Jacques

Many thanks for your very helpful replies. I am preparing some observations on this model of camera as I think a number of features are worthy of comment, both from data gleaned from your replies and also from a few things I have noticed which I have not seen recorded elsewhere - nothing dramatic but perhaps worth noting. I will include relevant photos when I post my observations, hopefully fairly soon.

My thanks to you all again, ATB Chris.