Manufacturer: KMZ
Model: Zorki-4
Film: 35mm
Type: rangefinder, fully coupled to lens, no parallax compensation
Lens: 50mm Industar-50, f/3.5, helical focusing. Minimum focusing distance: 1 m/3.3 ft. Apertures: f/3.5 – f/16. Filter thread 34.5mm.
Shutter speed: 1 s – 1/1000 s, “Bulb” and flash-sync (1/30 s) settings.
Features:
curtain shutter
accessory “cold” shoe, pc sync connector.
diopter correction lever
self-timer
self-destruct mechanism (if you move the shutter speed dial without having the shutter cocked, you can destroy the shutter!)
requires a removable (and easily losable) take-up spool for the film.
First things first: I don’t have very many sample images from this camera, because it was a real wreck of a camera! I’ve complained about it on this blog before, so I’ll skip repeating myself. Mine came with an Industar-50 lens, which is not as nice (so I’ve read) as the Jupiter-8 that often accompanies the camera body. So putting aside the problems that were the result of a defective copy, my main complaints with the camera are twofold:
1. The shutter is loud! Not quite Bronica-loud, but loud enough that it’s a real liability for street photography. Might as well be flapping around an SLR mirror, it’s so noisy.
2. The shutter dial is really difficult to set. I found myself shying away from changing the speeds, and adjusting aperture instead. Didn’t help that the speed indications were shifted so they were approximately one off from the true setting. But that might just be the particular copy I had.
3. (I know I said two…) The diopter adjustment lever is extremely easy to knock out of position. Just about every time I put the camera to my eye, I thought “ack! I’m going blind!” Only to discover that it was out of adjustment again.
These flaws, plus no real perceived benefits other than historical value, mean that I can’t recommend this camera. There are rangefinder cameras out there with worse designs of course, but with so many better options, I’d suggest skipping this. Except that I have a Jupiter-12 wide angle lens with a Leica Thread Mount, and now I have nowhere to use it. Might have to go find a FED-3 just so I can use the lens (or sell it). This particular Zorki-4 has gone back to its homeland, and is no doubt complaining about its stay here in the US.
At least you can put it in a sock and use it as a weapon. The allure of knock off range finders wears thin quickly. Industar lenses have nice effects on images though.
Nice overview.
Thanks Joel! If by knockoff you mean “it isn’t a Leica,” well I am unlikely to join that club any time soon. But I do have a couple of rangefinders of newer vintage I’m really enjoying. The electro 35s of course, but my konica auto s2 has been a very pleasant surprise. Fixed lenses though. I have a Kiev-4 being CLA’ed in Russia, which might prove to be useful.
Despite your problems, the allure of a Zorki still holds for me. I’ve heard good things about the Zorki 4K.
The only thing that’s stopping me buying one is that I now own a Bessa R3M, so I have no need for a Zorki. I’ve surpassed the point where I’m trying every single variation of camera possible, so it’s extremely hard to justify buying one. Maybe someday when I’m on ebay and feeling a little weak.
I won’t be expecting a perfect example anyway
Ooh a bessa! If I had one of those I probably wouldn’t be prowling eBay for the wannabes.
Ug. Reading your blog makes me miss my rolls of 120 and the mystery of developing…
Never too late to get back into it!
Good Russian camera! I want to buy it)))
Like a classic car, putting up with the flaws is worth it when using something so beautiful. Great looking camera
The camera looks a lot better with a different lens on it. But mine was sufficiently beat up that it was hard to consider it beautiful. Perhaps I’ll try again.
Word “Zorkyj” is translated as “sharp-sighted” or “vigilant”.