A Zorki-C with a surprise!

This is a very unexpected turn of events We see fake Leicas made out of Zorkis all the time but not the other way around!

Facebook Vintage Camera Collectors member Vitalijs Kezens buys a Zorki-C and it turns out to be a fake! It's actually a Leica Standard! He restores it to its original state! Temporarily he made his own viewfinder and in process of looking for the original, I also believe the shoe is from a Zorki and not a Leica, but very nice effort to bring it to it's original form.


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Where was this camera found, was it behind the ex iron curtain? Pre-war camera? Disguised because a German Leica would have caused problems?

Best regards,
Juhani

Astonishing!
This Standard (I model E) was made in 1938, by the serial number. Juhani is certainly right, but that does not explain why the camera was converted so lately. The "Industar 22" crown directly sticked on the Elmar is surprising too...

I own a genuine Leica disguised into fake Leica: perhaps it's the ultimate sort of fake?

Thanks for sharing, Vlad.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Yes, Jacques is right, it's quite astonishing.

I can imagine why the body was converted to Zorki S.
In one of communistic countries somebody had Leica Standard but the person wanted to have rangefinder built into the body. Original Leica parts were inaccessible. So a service added rangefinder from Zorki S. Of course the rangefinder had to be covered with something so it was covered with Zorki S top cover.
This seems to be logical.

But why writing on Elmar was covered by a ring with writing "Industar 22" ?
Because somebody was afraid of consequences of having German camera ?
This is possible.

Rangefinder on this camera doesn't work - there is no coupling with the lens. And I think I don't see the mirror. So this doesn't seem as improved camera to me.

I also asked the owner about the coupling of the film rewind lever (that enables film to be rewind once it's fully exposed) and he said that the lever was simply covered with the top. Here I'm not sure if it's possible to have a light tight cassette inserted on both sides of the film chamber or how was it possible to use the camera - to unload the exposed film.

Juhani, the camera is in Latvia

quote:

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Originally posted by Vlad

Juhani, the camera is in Latvia

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Not far from Germany, but a very depressed country. Highly understandable to disguise a Leica.
Why this late? I would guess that it was not possible to get hands on a Zorki earlier. War treated the Baltic countries extremely bad

Best regards,
Juhani

So, there was no rangefinder on this modified camera... In that case it was a cosmetic modification only.
Certainly Juhani is right: very probably the Leica was hidden for years, the time to find a camera to fake it...

Amitiйs. Jacques.