Zorki K any good

towershot

towershot

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Rick.
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OK, just won this Thanks to Gaz81 and his e-bay post (damb you man)
"Zorki 4k 35mm rangefinder camera from the early 1970's. Cosmetically it looks very good and it appears to work mechanically. The shutter fires, the wind on is smooth and the lens is unblemished. The lens is the standard Jupiter 8 f2. It hasn't been used for a year or so, but was working normally. No lens cap, but it has the original black leather case.":eek:

Basically,are they any good ?:shrug:
 
Bit late to worry about it now isn't it? my guess is it will be fine but the only way to be sure is to run a few rolls of film through it.
 
towershot said:
OK, just won this Thanks to Gaz81 and his e-bay post (damb you man)
"Zorki 4k 35mm rangefinder camera from the early 1970's. Cosmetically it looks very good and it appears to work mechanically. The shutter fires, the wind on is smooth and the lens is unblemished. The lens is the standard Jupiter 8 f2. It hasn't been used for a year or so, but was working normally. No lens cap, but it has the original black leather case.":eek:

Basically,are they any good ?:shrug:
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One sure fire way to find out...

Is that the one that looks like a leica?
 
Sure is
Zorki_K_800.jpg


I will of course be putting film through it, I took a chance and hope it's ok, just wondered if anyone has used one and if the are OK ish, can't afford a Lieca :shake:

PS it's a 1974 model.
 
I have two, half way through a film in one of them. I'll post results soon. Lets have a race!
 
Having a dad from former communist poland, let me tell you about Rooskie "Kameras"....

1- They will break. I mean, ALOT! apparently people used to make more money repairing cameras than they did selling them, (my dad had a friend who was almost blinded in one eye when one of the nobs on top of his zorki jumped out and hit him!

2- quality issues. buying russian cameras is like playing the lottery, the "standards" they use in factories are low, and varies between each camera. Kiev's I think are known as being the worst in quality, if your a fan of top gear, then they are the Alfa Romeo of photography! No camera in the world has the same problem at any same time, just a mix of others lol!

3- Light leaks and shiny surfaces. all the cameras are known for their light leaks! it can lead to some arty shots though.

4- lens quality! like the cameras, the lenses can be no better! I remember someone online somewhere, buying 5 lenses for the kiev 88 (all the same 1:3.5/45) and with some hacking, took them apart, and found that between the 5 lenses, the glass thickness varied by around 6mm from the thinnest to the thickest! and they where all supposed to be the same! (having said that, some lenses were actually good quality!)

I know I sound negative about all this, but I don't mean to be! They can be fun little cameras, and good for "arty" photos, but I wouldn't rely on them heavily, something allways happenes!

The zorki is quite fun actually, but theres something to remember, set the shutter speed after you have cocked the shutter release, or you permanently bugger the camera!

more info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_Soviet_Union_cameras
 
Hi Guys

The Zorki 4K was the first camera I ever owned bought brand new from Boots in Romford Essex for £19.99 in 1975, took loads of photos with it often enlarged to a wopping 10x8 inches quality of the pictures was good and sharp and the camera never let me down.

Mind you of the 30 plus grand of cameras I have owned since then I only ever had one fail and that was a Hasselblad so I am probably quite lucky, (With Cameras) Not cars though or women LOL
 
lol, actually, i am being a bit of a revisionist. rooski cameras usually are a bit dodgy, but they can be great. I remember my cousin in poland showing me his FED (he had a decent nikon, but used the FED for more arty shots) was quite fun! took some good shots. Apparently lots of people buy loads and mod them to get some really cool shots out of them.

do remember the thing about cocking the camera first before setting the shutter speed! you dont want a broken camera on the first day!
 
Hey! Not fair :-( I want the cheap leica! your ruining my chances LOL! remember to post picks, im interested to see how they come out...
 
Gaz81 said:
I also demand results! :bat:

:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:
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I didn't want it to come to this, but it looks like its gonna have to be a fight to the death..... :boxer:

:LOL::LOL:
 
AleksanderLoesch said:
2- quality issues. buying russian cameras is like playing the lottery, the "standards" they use in factories are low, and varies between each camera.
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I have a friend who collects Russian/Soviet cameras and I remember him telling me that the trick to getting a good model was to avoid anything made on a Monday (I'm sure there was a simple way to find out) as factory workers were always hungover on Mondays.
 
Steep said:
I have a friend who collects Russian/Soviet cameras and I remember him telling me that the trick to getting a good model was to avoid anything made on a Monday (I'm sure there was a simple way to find out) as factory workers were always hungover on Mondays.
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haha, I can imagine the camera shops now :"monday-made camera free" as a sign of quality!

though there is one slight inacuarcy here, this is Russia, so you wouldn't want a camera made on a monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday or sunday- they are allways hungover:D Sorry, thats a bit mean. But I can see how the monday thing works. In poland they have bad drink-driving and the worst period is friday/saturday/sunday evenings, and monday mornings because of the hangover!
 
AleksanderLoesch said:
Having a dad from former communist poland, let me tell you about Rooskie "Kameras"....
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As I was born and lived quite large part of my life there, let me disagree with this somewhat "popular" perception. It is due to the fact that former Soviet industry cannot deliver quality in large quantities so all those mass production knock-offs were suffering the consequences. But to generalise it is a bit wrong - you wouldn't judge about all japanese cameras by Canon only for example...

AleksanderLoesch said:
1- They will break. I mean, ALOT! apparently people used to make more money repairing cameras than they did selling them, (my dad had a friend who was almost blinded in one eye when one of the nobs on top of his zorki jumped out and hit him!
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True but then Zorki was one of those camera factories in former USSR that produced cameras for the masses. If you tried something a bit better like older FED (don't know how to translate it - it's an acronym) or older medium format Kiev cameras, then you might be pleasantly surprised. My dad still has it FED rangefinder an it still works very well after about 40 years of use.


AleksanderLoesch said:
2- quality issues. buying russian cameras is like playing the lottery, the "standards" they use in factories are low, and varies between each camera. Kiev's I think are known as being the worst in quality, if your a fan of top gear, then they are the Alfa Romeo of photography! No camera in the world has the same problem at any same time, just a mix of others lol!
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That is a a rubbish statement - sorry. Kiev's actually (at least their medium format variants) were produced in Ukraine by one of the military factories that did also produce military grade electronics and optics. Even non-medium formats weren't that bad until the USSR fell apart. I still have my more than 30 years old Smena-5 rangefinder (from that very factory that does Kiev's) and it works perfectly. No mechanical issues whatsoever. Re: various problems - some of them were quite repeatable. There was a website in US that specialised in selling Kiev cameras and they actually stated the problems that appeared in a newer models and how to repair them. The problematic parts were pretty much the same for the model so again I'd disagree.

AleksanderLoesch said:
3- Light leaks and shiny surfaces. all the cameras are known for their light leaks! it can lead to some arty shots though.
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I guess you are talking about famous for that LOMO cameras but again they are not really representative of the whole range.

AleksanderLoesch said:
4- lens quality! like the cameras, the lenses can be no better! I remember someone online somewhere, buying 5 lenses for the kiev 88 (all the same 1:3.5/45) and with some hacking, took them apart, and found that between the 5 lenses, the glass thickness varied by around 6mm from the thinnest to the thickest! and they where all supposed to be the same! (having said that, some lenses were actually good quality!)
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Now that again may be the case that you experienced but I would not generalise. After all you won't judge Nikon lenses by their cheapest lens only, would you?.. Have you ever tried Kiev's Arsat lenses? Tilt and shift Arsats are quite popular because they come in variety of mounts including Nikon F and others. Numerous people posts on DPreview.com rated them as of quite high optical quality.

I remeber that about 20 years ago, when I was at school, my friend brought in his dad's medium format Kiev-90 camera with a few lenses to make a few shots of our class (his dad actually worked atthe factory producing those cameras). I still remember the hefty solid feel of that camera, really heavy, large lens and the excellent photos we made out of it...

So I'm sorry but my experiences are quite different from yours yet I am not trying to generalise.

Having said all that, nowadays, I would not buy modern Russian/Ukrainian cameras - quality control which was there at least for military grade factories is now completely gone...
 
I have to say, I totally disagree, I was born in Poland, and lived there for a few years, and still spend 1 or 2 months a year there. And I have a compleate different view from yours! :LOL:

Firstly, I have family and friends there who have been using the equipment and stuff for years, with many breaks and things going on! Also (long story moment) my uncle was studying to become an architect, and at one point in his studies (in the 60s) some students including him did an exchange with a Polytechnic in Moscow. Part of the stuff he was tought there was how to design factories and it included a visit to a camera factory (i think it was FED, possibly Zorki) to see the design, and the conditions and standars were awful! Later on in life my uncle also visited the Kiev Arsenal factory (in the Late 70s) and spoke to people working there who were laughing at the fact the cameras where such low quality. They knew it was really hard for them to get fired (being communism) so everybody did their jobs half-assedly (sorry for the french!)

as for the kiev 88s, my cousing had 3 of them, just so that he could keep one working! the arsat lenses where quite good, but again some suffered problems with light leeks, some layers on the glass lens could be worn/rubbed off and other bits and bobs of trouble!

though, I repeat myself, having complained about the lenses, they wearnt all rubbish, some where quite good!

also, its NOT just the lomo cameras that have trouble with light-leaks. quite a few of zorki, fed, zenit and kiev had trouble with light leaks at one point or another, because of camera designers not allways bothering to change the design of a prototype before they went into production.


I am not generalising, as this comes from many years of my (and my families) experience of russian Kameras, although what you experienced and what I have experienced with these things could be totally different!

I would like to point out, the reason that some "copy-cameras" wernt so good was because of the worse choice of cheaper materials used than the original cameras (leicas, nikons etc....)

(also, for reference, I wouldn't generalise about any camera or lens, nikon and canon have made bad equipment over the years, along with some amazing stuff!)

ooh that was a long post, I hope we can still be friends :LOL:
 
AleksanderLoesch said:
ooh that was a long post, I hope we can still be friends :LOL:
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No worries, it was interesting to know although my experience is quite different especially with Kiev's Arsenal factory. As I said my dad still uses his FED after so many years and he has no light leaks or lens problems at all - and I believe he just got it from the ordinary shop all those years ago so it's not that special. Same is for my old Smena - I used about 25 years ago during all my school years and it still works (though I moved on long time ago to Nikons ;))

Well, anyway, it's amusing for me to see some of those old soviet cameras appear here.
 
It could be that different models/standards were sent out to different countries of the ussr. I know that was a fact for things like cars!

Its quite fun how they show up actually! I am rather surprised at the price some of them fetch on ebay, theres a huge market once a year in poland where you can buy old russian cameras for pennies, the last time I visited however, i hadn't picked up the photography bug :(
 
AleksanderLoesch said:
It could be that different models/standards were sent out to different countries of the ussr. I know that was a fact for things like cars!

Its quite fun how they show up actually! I am rather surprised at the price some of them fetch on ebay, theres a huge market once a year in poland where you can buy old russian cameras for pennies, the last time I visited however, i hadn't picked up the photography bug :(
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Umm, you now got me tempted... The older medium format models (Kiev cameras) are now quite rare and expensive both in Ukraine and outside so it's interesting that somewhere might be a place selling them cheap...

I agree about producing different quality for various reagions - that certainly was the case with the cars so may be it was the same with cameras :)
 
lol I think this is it:

http://www.mtgsa.pl/e4u.php/16,en,

Its a bit like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, crossed with a huge open-air market. I went last year with the family and thats where my cousin picked up 3 Kiev88's I think for those (and a few other bits and bobs) he payed £15 or £30 quid for all of that! thats less than a tenner each!
 
I was tempted myself, but the journey home would of been a nightmare if I had bought everything I wanted! plus I had a hassy waiting for me for when I got back!
 
Not yet m8, have to work shift's so not been out last few days.
Will def put em up when I get em deved, but don't forget I'm working blind with no light meter,just gestikating :LOL: IE very dull day 125secs at f/4
dull 125 at f/5.6 bright 125 at f/8 sunny 125 at f/11 bloody gorgeous
125 at f/16.............no f/16 shots yet.:D:D

I have put up a wanted for a light meter if anyone has one for sale.....(y)
 
towershot said:
Not yet m8, have to work shift's so not been out last few days.
Will def put em up when I get em deved, but don't forget I'm working blind with no light meter,just gestikating :LOL: IE very dull day 125secs at f/4
dull 125 at f/5.6 bright 125 at f/8 sunny 125 at f/11 bloody gorgeous
125 at f/16.............no f/16 shots yet.:D:D

I have put up a wanted for a light meter if anyone has one for sale.....(y)
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Ebay is your friend...

http://photography.shop.ebay.co.uk/...flnZ1QQ_sacatZ3326QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em282

old style light meter, will work a charm and keep with the feel of it all.

I have a Ziess one, seems acurate enough and cheap as chips!
 
Bloody hell Gaz, just loged on ,saw the link to e-bay 3mins 40 sec to finish,
Made a rushed bid and got it for £11.50...........:eek::D:D
Now I'll be iether thanking you or cursing you if it's broke :LOL::LOL:

Got pics deved today at Asda,my usuall place closed,prints different colour to scaned files,scaned files came out very small on pc ? but I'll put a couple up

They all turned out as well,even one of the 2 you trip of after loading the film...
sand_break_small.jpg


Heysham_from_beach_s.jpg

showphoto.php
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showphoto.php
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Untouched version
A bit of saturation and teeeny bit sharpened
 
That ain't half bad! I may take back what I was saying eairlyer :LOL:

hope to see more soon!
 
When i've had stuff done at asda i usualy just get process only as the prints are usualy a bit pants.

Are you having probs scanning?

Good thing about these old light meters is they need no batteries, so one less thing to worry about.

I was taking some photos of my new neice today, using the good old OM1 with Ilford XP2... can't beat the feel of these older metal bodied cameras.
 
Know what you mean about the prints, the do suck, I haven't a film scanner so my usual chemist puts em on a disk for me and his QC is pretty good, but the disk from Asda was OK ish but the file sizes where bloody small.

no batteries, forgot about that lol, now don't brag about the OM1n

Was my first SLR and my first love, that in a foolish moment lent to a so called m8 and never got back, got rid of all the lenses now ,so don't want to go down the road of two systems :eek:

The Nikon FE has now took it's place, well ,I say took it's place but it can't really..................first love and all that.....:shake:
 
OM10's seem to go cheap these days, the OM1's are a bit pricey though... if you want to play with oly stuf again!

If you like film it might be worth getting a film scanner, i have an Epson 4490. They are last years model now so they arnt to expensive.

Got the rangefinder bug now!

I attempted to fix a canonet 25 but I think it's a lost cause, time to look for another. It did give me chance to play with the focus style though and i really like it.

I think the Mamiya 1000s will be going up for sale soon to pay for a decent rangefinder.
 
Got rid of all my OM stuff so to llate to get the bug ,thinking on that epson though £123 is cheapest I can see,

Was clearing a wardrobe out today to decorate the room and came across a OM1 instruction manual :LOL: ,I thought No NO NO, can't have two systems:D:D
Had a OM 10 as well, but didn't take to it.
Thought I'd found a rangefinder today in Oxfam, it was ,but a bloomin Agfa at £15.

Still keep looking for a Lieca at the charity shops.:shake:
 
So......

Hows the russian beast? still working? nice shots? do tell!
 
Just putting the second film through it now,but only get on the beach walking the dog at the moment as decorating,and how many beach groins and sand shots can you take before being bored. :shake::D:D

Looking for a 35mm lens for it at the moment ,as the camera seems to be working OK.(y)
 
tut tut tut :LOL:

Many! Ive been at home being bloody ill and doing coursework for the past few weeks. hardly been outside!

Anyway, hope they come out good lol!
 
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