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Zorki-4 is a 35 mm rangefinder camera, manufactured by Krasnogorsky Mekhanichesky Zavod (KMZ) , (Красногорский механический завод = Mechanical Factory of Krasnogorsk), near Moscow, former USSR and produced between 1956-73, quantity 1715677. ЗОРКИЙ = Zorkiy, means Sharp Sight. Zorki-4 was possibly the most popular of all Zorki cameras. The Zorki-4 was also the first of the Zorki cameras to be exported in large numbers to the west.

When the Zorki-4 rangefinder was introduced in 1956, its contemporaries included the Zorki S, Zorki 2S, FED 2b, Leica M3 (introduced two years before), Leica IIIg, Nikon S2, Canon VT, Canon L1. The Zorki 4's production run outlasted all of them. When it morphed into the Zorki-4K by 1973, its contemporaries included the FED 4b, Leica M4 and M5, Nikon F2, and Canon F-1 and Canon Canonet QL 17 GIII.

The Zorki-4 is basically a Zorki-3S with a self-timer. It retained all of the features and strong points of the 3S. The early bodies have vulcanite body covering, engraved shutter speeds - 1s, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 +B - and strap lugs. Later bodies (post ~1965) have fabric covering and the more modern base 2 logarithmic shutter speed progression: 1s, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 and the figures are silk-screened. By the mid-sixties, the strap lugs had disappeared.

There are at least 32 types/versions of the Zorki-4 [1] [2] [3] [4] or as to Aidas Pikiotas there are 4 versions and 13 types[5]

Specifications[]

  • Lens: Zorki-4 was supplied with either a Jupiter-8 (ЮПИТЕР) 50mm f/2, or Industar-50 (ИНДУСТАР) 50mm f/3.5 lens; several other lenses were available. The lens is interchangeable, M39 screw mount
  • Focusing: Matching yellow rangefinder images in the finder, ring and scale on the lens, w/DOF scale
  • Shutter: Horizontal travelling focal plane, rubberized silk double cloth curtain, speeds: 1-1/1000 +B, setting dial on the top plate, lift and turn
  • Viewfinder: Coupled viewfinder/rangefinder, large and bright; Diopter adjustment lever: beneath the re-wind knob
  • Take-up spool: special, not captive, there is a small pin for attaching the film perforates on it
  • Engravings on the back of the top plate: KMZ logo and the serial number
  • Body: Metallic, cast aluminum; Weight: 687g
  • Serial no. first two digits correspond to the production year
  • As with other Soviet-era rangefinders, the shutter speed selector rotates when the shutter is released, and should not be changed until after the shutter has been cocked. If you change the shutter speed without cocking the shutter first, the setting pin can be broken when you advance the film and cock the shutter.


Notes[]

  1. Types in this page are according to Alaxander Komarov in Fotoua. You can also find serial numbers for dating of the cameras in this site. There is another former USSR cameras classification and info by Aidas Pikiotas in SovietCams
  2. There are usefull books about cameras of former USSR and have classifications also.
  3. Pages from the the book of former USSR cameras by Suglob, Shaternik, Kochergin
  4. Discussion about clasifications in the books of Princelle and Suglob, Shaternik, Kochergin in USSR Photo Forum
  5. Sovietcams
  6. info for the lens in Cameraquest kpraslowicz

Bibliography[]

In English

  • Princelle, Jean Loup - Made In USSR - The Authentic Guide To Russian And Soviet Cameras, Le Reve Edition, 2004 (ISBN 2952252106 (ISBN13: 9782952252102) Paperback

In Russian

Links[]

General links[]

Repair notes[]

Documentation and manuals[]

There is a manual for the Zorki 4K in the Russian Camera Collection website.

Another source for a manual is Mike Butkus' website.

Zorki cameras
FED-Zorki | 1 | S | 2 | 2-S | 3 | 3M | 3S | 4 | 4K | Mir | 5 | 6 | 10 | 11 |35M
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