Special purpose Zorki?

Hey all, found this really strange Zorki (or at least based on Zorki) that I've never seen before. No rangefinder housing, the top and back is all custom but looks factory, mechanism is different from any Zorki I have, couldn't find the same one.. any ideas would be welcome! Has a weird synthetic-velvet-like covering that's losing it's synthetic layer so it's all fuzzy in places, definitely old. Doesn't look handmade, everything detail is very small and definitely looks factory. Whether it's KMZ or another plant's remake that's unclear. Thought I'd share.


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195517966.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195522385.MP.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195527431.jpg




http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195531879.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195558923-EDIT.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195622286.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2952025_PXL_20250529_195629501.jpg

best regards,
Vlad

Vlad, the picture inside the mount - does it look like a half of the frame is masked? Horizontally?

Vlad, a really weird camera! Never seen something before and I have bo idea what it could be used for.
Yuri, for me the mask looks like the normal frame border mask that is inside.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hi Vlad,

On your last photo, the release spring seems curious.
- Its head, with the hole, looks like a Zorki 2's for the coupling of the selftimer. No need here.
- The curved cut out spring, with its relative disc, is used to engage/disengage the slow speed spring, on the Leica III, for example. No need here, once more.

A detail more, the release button visibly belongs to a late prewar Fed, or an early Fed-Zorki/Zorki 1a. Whereas the mechanism (and the serial number) are much younger.

A question: does it work, as it is?

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Sorry for late reply,

Yuri: no, it's a regular full frame, as Ulrich said it's a normal frame border mask
Jacques: it does work but as with most of these cameras stored for a while, the slow speeds are slugging, it's a very strange mix of things and mechanism doesn't look normal to me at all..

Best,
Vlad

Jacques, the button is from FED or early Zorkis but the collar around it never seen before.

No doubt that the collar, the upper plate and the rear one were specially and professionaly made. All that is very neat...
That remembers a Fed I had shown years ago here:


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/3152025_Photos PYC 0 019.jpg

Serial number is from a late Zorki-1, but the shutter speed mechanism looks like from a Zorki-2 (or -S, 2S). And the strap lugs too.
I wonder if the cast body is from a Zorki-2)
It is indeed hard to guess what practical purposes were addressed by this mod. Looks like the point was to remove the RF mechanism and re-cover the body with a fancy material. And modernize the shutter speed setting mechanism.

Was it done to entertain camera collectors several decades later?

The rail in the back looks like it was supposed to be mounted somewhere: reprodution, asrtronomical, or what?

Best regards,
Juhani

Very cool FED Jacques, I have not seen this camera before!

Yura, the covering is velvet-like with some kind of synthetic layer and it is heavily deteriorating so I think it's been covered before 1980s as it seems pretty old and worn.

Always like to have mystery cameras in my collection . Thanks for your feedback!

Best regards,
Vlad

quote:

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Originally posted by cedricfan

The rail in the back looks like it was supposed to be mounted somewhere: reprodution, asrtronomical, or what?

Best regards,
Juhani

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Juhani, or it's a film speed memo pocket

Vlad, if you look at the pressure plate, with the shutter opened at B, is there an opening for some adjustments? The film memo holder - what is that round plug in the center? Can it be taken out (without much force)? I am thinking maybe this was more than just a memo holder.

The covering seems to hold a clue - if the camera was actually modified to have a special purpose, or it was modified because someone wanted to have a cool, one-of-a-kind camera.

As for the age of this mod - I would think this is long before 1980's, probably in the 1960's.

quote:

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Originally posted by Vlad

quote:

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Originally posted by cedricfan

The rail in the back looks like it was supposed to be mounted somewhere: reprodution, asrtronomical, or what?

Best regards,
Juhani

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Juhani, or it's a film speed memo pocket

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Looks like it has open top & bottom for that, and it is so thick it could be a sturdy mount?

Best regards,
Juhani

No, the bottom is closed, you can see a bent tab on the last picture.
They probably made it so sturdy because this was the only sheet metal (and tools) available to them.

quote:

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Originally posted by Vlad

quote:

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Originally posted by cedricfan

The rail in the back looks like it was supposed to be mounted somewhere: reprodution, asrtronomical, or what?

Best regards,
Juhani

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Juhani, or it's a film speed memo pocket

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I was thinking that frame thing looks like a film reminder pocket, but that the space between the back of the frame and the back of the camera looks far deeper than any piece of paper or cardboard would be, unless it was folded over a couple of times, which would be a waste of paper or cardboard. Hmmm, Unless the film speed/type insert itself was made of metal so that any rain or bumps wouldn't damage it?