A strange Zorki 4

Hello to all,

this strange Zorki 4 arrived today. When I saw it first I thought, nice, a grey Zorki 4, but when I looked closer at the pictures everything looks totally different. Now I have it in my hands and it is totally different:

1) Different molded top cover
2) Other type of lever for rangefinder sharpness
3) No screws on top cover and no screws on front
4) No serial number!
5) Lens dated from 1957 but has the double focus helix
6) Different screws that hold the shutter on bottom, looks as if it could be removed at one piece. I will see this when I try to diassemble it. The I'll make more pictures of the inside.

It is totally functional and nothing of the differencies are selfmade. So, what is it? A Zorki 4 prototype?

Hera are some pictures:












Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

AFAIK, it's a medical Zorki-4. Supplied as part of various medical(science) devices: microscope attaches(MFN-x), eye-/gastro-scope, etc. Not unical, but NOT often meeting.

http://xalmaz.narod.ru

Xalmaz, I don't think so. I own a Zorki 4 Medical set in a wooden box. The Zorki body of the set looks like a total normal Zorki 4 and has only a different mount.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

The rangefinder could be different inside, with such a button instead of a concentric lever. And the usual screw on the front, to reach the internal regulation of the rangefinder, is absent too.
That remembers the evolution of the Zorki 3: no screw on the first ones, screw for the running production.

A very interesting find!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

quote:

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Originally posted by uwittehh

Xalmaz, I don't think so. I own a Zorki 4 Medical set in a wooden box. The Zorki body of the set looks like a total normal Zorki 4 and has only a different mount.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

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You're right, very unusual sample. Probably disassembling tell something.


http://xalmaz.narod.ru

Ulrich! That is a fantastic camera congratulations!

I believe this is a prototype made mid-production as an attempt to simplify the production of the camera with a single-piece top cover that seems like was not approved by the management as it would require significant changes in assembly line at the time.. It may also have been a transitional camera or a prototype for Zorki-5 as the single top cover design started in 1958. So this is a very historically significant camera! If you could add it to the catalog it would be amazing! Congratulations once again!

I am waiting anxiously for disassembly picture!
Best regards,
Vlad.

Jacques and Vlad,

I will disassemble it the next days (after XMas) and show pictures. I am very excited of the inside and what is different to a normal Zorki 4 :-)
After that I will put it into our Wiki.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

I completely share Vlad's opinion. The molded cover looks like a Zorki 5's. The reinforcement for the lens does not exist on the belt, here. A sort of return to the past, or a look towards the Zorki 5... The lack of any front screws is another mystery: how is the shutter box correctly fixed to the belt?

Certainly you will have surprises when opening your find, Ulrich!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

I've had the time today to start the disassembling :-)

Some very interesting things:
- The top cover is not moulded, it's milled from one piece, see the pictures.
- Under the film pressure plate and inside the top cover is a handwritten "5".
- The screws of the mount ring were secured by laquer.

There are more interesting details, the screws on the bottom for the shutter, the screw on the back on top that seems to hold the shutter and so on, just see the pictures.

The next step will be to see how the shutter is attached to the body and if it could be removed.



































Ulrich



http://fotos.cconin.de

Wow, this is a very different camera! Thank you for disassembling it, the hidden screw for the top cover especially surprised me . Here's a 1957 Zorki-4 with first top off for comparison. Quite, quite interesting camera, congratulations Ulrich!


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/23122017_20171223_144501.jpg

Best regards,
Vlad

Vlad, thanks :-)

And thanks for the picture op the opened regulary Zorki 4, I thought about to open one for a comparison picture :-)

Yes, I also wondered how many changes there are just under the top cover. Now I think about to open a Zorki 5 to see the differences.

But the biggest questionmark in my eyes for me is why havn't we heard of such a Zorki 4 before? It's on no website I know, not in Princelle, not in the 1200 cameras from the USSR book. And how much were made of them, mine seems to be number 5, but of how much?

Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

Oh Ulrich, there are so many Soviet cameras we haven't heard of! .. You have to realize, the camera production in USSR was a front for 80-90% of seceret military production in those factories.. A lot of the archives that contain information about these prototypes sometimes still fall under top-secret/military non-disclosure.. In Arsenal lots of it was just simply destroyed because they were classified when the factory was closing.. but I'm sure if you dig deeper in KMZ archives you will find so much more!

Cheers,
Vlad

Vlad, ok that's a reason :-)

Maybe Zoom knows something about this Zorki 4?

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Uwitehh

You are the Boss!
Undoubtly a great neat construction! And of course the camera of our 2017 Christmas!

This camera shows a clear construction ressamblance with the contemporary Kristall and shares the same large spring in the bottom.
The top cover although not painted as on Kristall SLR, is of cast alloy. The bach cover is also taller and easier film loading.
According to my view, this prototype is a tentative in standartize shutter mechanics together Kristall and future Zenit 3M and also not the Zorki 5 but clearly the Zorki 6 that shares the same body construction lay-out, and pehaps speed up production.

Regards
LP

there are some intriguing pictures:
The advance knob has a diferente stripe from rewind meaning two diferente batch eras.
The accessory shoe is from Zorki 3 series era
and two screws: One on the upper right side of the film frame and the other head of a screw in the second Picture of the lens mount.
what do they there?
LP

Luiz,

thanks for your opinions. You are right, the back cover is about 0,5 to 1 cm taller than a normal Zorki 4 back cover. After Christmas I have more time to make some comparison pics.

To the screw: I think the one on the back holds the shutter on the shutter housing. The "screw" in the second picture of the lens mount isn't a screw, it is the lacquer that has sealed the screw of the mount. The lacquer comes off in one piece so that it looks like a screw :-)

Ulrich


http://fotos.cconin.de

Much interesting!
Thanks for the pictures, Ulrich. I understand you could not wait more!

The cover is original and the way to fix it by the hidden screw is very smart! It would be interesting too to weigh this camera and compare to the running production.

Really, congratulations, Ulrich!

Amitiйs. Jacques.

I think Vlad said it correctly here - "I believe this is a prototype made mid-production as an attempt to simplify the production of the camera with a single-piece top cover that seems like was not approved by the management as it would require significant changes in assembly line at the time"

The single piece top cover in this Zorki is milled, not cast. They do not commit to high cost of tooling (form) for casting until all prototyping is finished with milling (same practice in use today, though with 3D printing it is much simple).

Also, they did not know for sure how to deal with diopter adjustment lever and made it internal with a fixed screw. Which is a good idea - there is usually one user, the diopter is adjusted and set with a screw. A usual lever is easy to knock out of position, a nuisance.

This must be truly one of a kind camera, we are all lucky to see it here.

A unique camera!
Congratulations!

As I said before I want to try to remove the shutter to see how it is fixed on the body. My thougths were that the black screw on the back and the 4 screws on the bottom of the shutter fixes it.

I removed the black screw, it seems to be a senseless big set screws that fixes - nothing! When removed you can see the top strap of the shutter. I have no idea which sense this screw has ...

Then I removed the 4 screws on bottom to see if something got loose. But nothing happens, the shutter sits tight as before. So I have no ideas how it is fixed. On top I don't see any screws that may hold it.



Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

according to my experience this camera follows general construction lay-out used on Kristall Zorki 6 and all the following Zenits -3M, E, EM, etc.
althought not accepted to be put into production this cвmera is easier to load than normal Zorki 4 and are similar to FED 2, 3, 4,and 5 altthough crate constructions differs considerably

The intiguing screw has exactly the function I first preview _Nothing!
its point nclusive may damage the upper strap.
Regards!
and a Happy New Year to all our USSRphoto companions!
LP