1) ZORKI 1A

Zorki 1 type Zorki 50/F2 No. collapsable lens

   

During World War II, The Soviet camera maker FED had to evacuate its plant to escape advancing German troops. After the war FED had trouble getting its copy of the pre-war German Leica 35mm camera back into production. Because KMZ's plant near Moscow had escaped destruction, that company started making the FED camera under a joint FED-Zorki logo. When FED got back in operation, KMZ continued to produce the cameras under the Zorki trademark and made some design changes. The Zorki 1 was not synchronized for flash, however, some cameras have that feature--apparently added later by their owners. The Zorki 1 series was made from 1948 to 1956. 835,502 Zorki 1s were produced, according to KMZ records.



The Zork 1i and FED 1 cameras have a particular charm because they are small, compact and closely resemble the early Leica II. In fact some of the cameras have been reworked into counterfeit Leicas and more than one buyer who believed he was getting a bargain on a Leitz classic was actually getting the Russian version of the Brooklyn Bridge. KMZ began producing copies of the pre war Leica rangefinder in 1948 in cooperation with FED. Between 1948 and 1956, 835,502 Zorki 1s were produced. Changes were made throughout production but many are difficult for a casual viewer to identify.

2) Zorki 1 Type B

Zorki 1 type B Industar -22 50mm F3.5






No reference point on the collar of the shutter release


Rare Origianl Indurstar-22 50mmF3.5 Black Lens

The 1B has the flared collar around the shutter button and the release is threaded for a release cable. Another identification mark is three screws in the back of the top plate. Later models ony have two screws. Most Zorki 1Bs have a finer grained vulcanite than the FEDs. All have a film guide screwed to the baseplate. Some 1Bs have Zorki inscribed in both Latin and Cyrillic on top of the viewfinder. The serial number is on top of the viewfinder, in front of the accessory shoe. The majority of 1Bs appear to have the soft shell body that is very easy to bend.

3) Zorki 1 Type C

       
Reference point on the collar Loss of imprint on the shoe Decorative rim around Body cover

The Zorki 1C has two screws in the back instead of three. The change to two screws appears to coincide with the introduction of a stronger alloy body shell that made the middle screw unnecessary. The 1C has black painted accent stripes around the top and bottom of the body-the earlier models don't. The 1C also lacks the film guide in the baseplate. The serial number is on top of the viewfinder housing in front of the accessory shoe. 1Cs were built in 1952 and 1953. There are at least two variations of the Zorki 1C.



ZORKI ZORKI - An export model with the name in both Latin and Cyrillic and "Made in the USSR" engraved on the top. There also are 1B Zorki Zorkis. The Zorki Zorkis appear to have a better finish than later Zorki 1s. The shutters on the earlier cameras also seem quieter than later models. There is also is alleged to be a Zorki 1C with a slow speed dial.



ZORKI 1C Cyrillic - Zorki engraved in Cyrillic on top along with the serial number. Other that the single name, this camera has the same mechanical characteristics as the Zorki Zorki. The finish doesn't seem to be as nice as the export model.

4) Zorki 1 Type D

Zorki 1 D ( green body/2ndary finshed)

       
Type B--Type C--Type D

Introduced sometime in 1953. The serial number was moved to the back of the top plate. "Zorki" is stamped in Cyrillic on the viewfinder top, although there also are examples of engraved models. The 1D also has an accent stripe around the lens mount. The shutter on the 1D and the 1E that followed has a different sound than earlier models. If you remove the bottom plate and examine the bottom of the shutter assembly you'll see the long, flat Leica-type spring with a rounded end visible on early models is gone.



There is a Zorki 1 that has the serial number on the back but no accent stripe around the lens mount. Some classify this as a model 1D, call the first camera with an accent stripe around the lens mount a model 1E, and the final change model 1F. However, the camera without the lens mount accent stripe is a 1D variation and not a separate model.



Some collectors consider the 1D the best Zorki 1 user camera. It has the stronger body shell and the newer shutter design (see photos above) that is easier to repair than the earlier version with the long, flat spring.

5) Zorki 1 Type E

ZORKI 1E is the last Zorki 1 model and was manufactured from 1954 to 1956. Most of these cameras have eight digit serial numbers where the first two digits of the reflect the year of manufacture. The 1E is easy to identify because it has different shutter speed progression and a "B" setting instead of "Z" like earlier models. There are some early 1Es with six or seven-digit numbers where the numbers don't reflect year of manufacture. I have a 1E with a seven-digit number beginning with "55" but it was made in 1954. I have one example of a 1956 camera that is engraved but others tell me their 1E examples (including a 1956 model) have stamped lettering. This suggests that the engraved model is the exception--possibly done for a VIP or maybe it's an export model.