Fed-Zorki #00205

It's on ebay 121659097129. Is it a fake?
First the paint under the base plate doesn't shine.
Then the serial number is too much right
and too much space between the "N" and the first "0".
But how can they fake the top plate?

Hi Lenny,

At first sight, the only thing is the crisp paint (rather than shining) on the shutter case.
The number looks like the Fed-KMZ's: more upright. Normal for a very early Fed-Zorki. The leatherette is in two parts. The screwed plate is on rear, with a correct logo, as it seems. And the lens looks fine.

Perhaps the rewind lever too: the knurling looks like my Fed NKAP's. Very interesting if it can be confirmed. I don't know if this type of lever was used on Fed-Zorkis too.

Jacques.

Too: the leather seems perhaps a bit too thick.
As I remember, the leather of the Fed-KMZ was very thin.
But perhaps it's not exactly the same on these early Fed-Zorkis...

Jacques.

Hello Jacques,

interesting that you think the lens is original, I'm not so deep into these lenses.
The rewind-knob doesn't look special to me, just like a normal Zorki knob.
There is this crisp paint and the earliest I know about is your #02373, that's strange.
I still think the serial number is too far on the right side.

Amazing is the condition of the leatherette. On the base-plate some scratches can be seen that this Zorki was kind of used much and the leatherette is still in such a good shape. Amazing how good this Zeiss leatherette was.

The curtain quality is bad as most Feds, it can be seen that some coating is lost. Later Zorki curtains are of much better quality.

Thanks Lenny

Hi Lenny,

I was referring to the lever which disengages the mechanism when you rewind the film.
It looks very like my NKAP's. It would be very interesting to know if these two levers were made by the same maker... But it's a detail.

I am not in the lens, but the two screws and the coating let me think that it should be true. And right, the s/n is too much on the right and the "N" a bit too high. Variations for the beginning of the series or not?

When there is a Fed-Zorki, Alexey is not far, generally! So....

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Hello Jacques,

ah, the lever, not the knob, I misunderstood you.
I will upload some pictures so we have them in this thread forever since ebay will delete them by time. And now I see that there is a big gap beside the lever between the top-plate and the plate with the lever. Seems it was disassambled before.



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352015_Zorki-1 00205 top1.JPG



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352015_Zorki-1 00205 back1.JPG



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352015_Zorki-1 00205 front1.JPG



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352015_Zorki-1 00205 front3.JPG



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352015_Zorki-1 00205 base.JPG

Already sold at 8.50pm for 1750 euro.

quote:

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Originally posted by Lenny

Hello Jacques,
And now I see that there is a big gap beside the lever between the top-plate and the plate with the lever. Seems it was disassambled before.

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I had seeen that too.
The sale is over now. So, I hope that the seller won't have a bad surprise.

Jacques.

Camera can be returned within 30 days. Not a big risk to take it from the market first, but it wouldn't surprise me if we see this camera again. Still interesting to talk about and if the top-plate is a fake I wonder how they did it.

The chrome on the top=plate is more crisp than on the plate under the top.
The engravings are filled with paint which I think wasn't usual for Zorkis.