Nice video. Let me add an important "not to do" thing. Don't let the camera facing the sun with the lens uncovered. If you do, there's a good chance to have the curtain burnt and develop the much dreaded pinholes. Collapsible Industar 50/f3.5 could produce the same result as it could focus right on the curtain surface. Furthermore, when buying one, it's not easy to check whether the curtains have pinholes or not. There is no removable back in Zorki1 so as to shine a light-torch behind the curtains. Leaf-shutters or metal curtains don't suffer from pinholes.
I just ordered one of these dubbed the zorki-zorki (becuase of the cyrillic and roman logos at the top, apparently an export model of the 1C). I am excited but nervous that it might be defective in some way. Really looking forward to try out my first 35mm rangefinder camera! The only one I've tried before was a 6x9 Mamiya Press. Thank you for the educational video David!
I enjoyed your video. I like the style and the amount of information your give! Just subscribed and I’m looking forward To your library and future videos. Great job sir!!
Leica II rather than III, but derived from the FED 1. No FSU Leica clone has a slow speed dial, but many of these are re-engraved to give the impression that they're genuine Leicas. There's nothing wrong with buying the genuine article, but beware of the fakes. KMZ put a mirror box onto a Zorki body (at first with the M39 mount) to get the Zenit SLR family.
The Zorki use a LTM39 and not M39. LTM39 stands for Leica Tread Mount 39 and is a RF camera mount. M39 mount was using by for example the Zenith 3M which is a SLR camera mount. Those two lens types are different from eachother. They do this to prefent confusion.
ltm and m39 is the same thing. While ltm therm is used by photographers, m39 is a technical description of a thread. It is 39milileters metrical thread with special step in one milimeter. And both zorki and zenith 3m use ltm, or m39x1 thread lens connection.
@@EricHavard Leica iiis are not that expensive. iiif or iiig can be found for ~200 USD in very good condition. Any LTM lens (Leica, Canon (very good), voigtlander, etc.) will take quality pictures (used correctly, of course). Then LTM lenses can be mount to any Leica or mirrorless with very slim adaptors. At any rate, a good investment.
@@EricHavard agreed. I also take resale values into consideration. I am enthusiast, not a pro (take pictures only for pleasure). Therefore, if i can resale my toy to get another one, why not.
By default it comes with ИНДУСТАР-22 (Industar in english) 1:3.5 F=50mm lens. It seems to me that one of the weak points: lenses are afraid of direct light (you need to cover with your palm or something else, it is best to avoid direct rays); and lubricating the camera. Mine (it's exactly the same as yours) has a problem with the curtain. This is a lottery. Also, I noticed that the frame counter is not accurate (perhaps this is a breakdown only on my camera).
Thank you and I agree. The old Industar lenses tended to flare or ghost with light in the frame. I do find them, in general, to be hit or miss with great copies being truly stunning lenses.
@@DavidHancock It gets weird. FED and Zorki lenses aren't perfectly interchangeable, you need to re calibrate the rangefinder mechanism to get accurate focus between them. I have only two m39 lenses, a Jupiter 8 and an Industar 22. They are both perfectly interchangeable with my Zorki 3M and my Zorki 1C. But they fit upside down on my Zorki 6, making focusing even more awkward than it already is. IMO, the Zorki 6 is the best one, but everyone who has tried them all has a different favorite. It has a ratcheting lever wind and the clearest rangefinder of any of the soviet Leica clones I've seen. It also is one of the only ones with a standard size cold shoe that doesn't bind on japanese cold shoe flashes. Which doesn't matter too much because the flash sync is extremely unreliable on these cameras.
So according to thus video: previous owners can neglect their zorki and it will be fine, but I have to be very careful with it? Why are the previous owners always the lucky ones ... ;p
