Zorki-2C

Zorki-2C is a Soviet 35mm rangefinder film camera, produced at the KMZ from 1956 to 1960 and is an improved version of Zorki-C.

The Zorki-2C camera differed from Zorki-C only in that it had a self-timer. You will not find any other differences between these two cameras.

Zorki-2C Specifications

Type: 35mm rangefinder camera
Manufacturer: KMZ plant
Production period: from 1956 to 1960
Format: 24x36cm on 135 film
Lens mount: m39 thread mount
Lens: Industar-22 f3.5/50 or Industar-50 f3.5/50
Rangefinder base: 38mm
Shutter: focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1/25 to 1/500 sec.
Viewfinder: optical parallax viewfinder not combined with the rangefinder
Lighmeter: none
Flash synchronisation: sync socket “X”, sync speeds from 1/25 s and longer
Selftimer: mechanical
Weight: 550 grams

Like all previous models, the Zorki-2C camera was equipped with an Industar-22 f3.5/50 or Industar-50 lens f3.5/50 lens. There isn’t much of a difference between the two lenses, and both can produce very nice vintage-looking images, especially if you’re shooting black and white low-speed film.

But of course, you can use other, faster lenses with M39 thread mount, such as Industar-26M f2.8/50, Jupiter-8 f2.0/50 or Jupiter-3 f1.5/50. Also, you can use lenses with shorter or longer focal lengths, but you will need to use an appropriate interchangeable viewfinder for this.

As in previous models, it uses a standard for the Zorki series shutter with cloth curtains and shutter speeds from 1/25 to 1/500 sec. Later, Zorki-3 and Zorki-4 cameras were released, where there were short shutter speeds up to 1 second and a long shutter speed of 1/1000.

Of course, in our opinion, a camera with a wider range of shutter speeds gives the photographer greater freedom in creativity, but when using cameras with such a small set of shutter speeds as on the Zorki-2C, we have never encountered any particular difficulties, if we are not talking about night shooting or shooting at very low speed film.

In the camera, as before, the rangefinder and viewfinder are not paired, which is why you constantly have to look from one window to another.

Of course, this is not as convenient as on later models, where the viewfinder and rangefinder are paired. But after all, we shoot with film cameras not because it is convenient, but to get the appropriate experience, and cameras like the Zorki-2C fully let you feel this film experience.

This camera does not have a film advance lever, the film will have to be loaded from below, as in the very first Zorki and FED cameras, and the film rewind is made in the form of a simple knob. This is all again, on the one hand, an inconvenience, but on the other hand, part of the old-school film experience.

If you want to get some inconvenience, but at the same time some experience of using Leica without much investment, then feel free to buy a Zorki-2C, but if you want to take pictures on film without any problems, then Zorki-2C is definitely not your choice.

Conclusion

What conclusion can be drawn about the Zorki-2C camera?

Firstly, this camera does not have any fundamental differences from previous models. Secondly, this camera is definitely not for those who want to simplify their task and shoot on film without difficulty. Thirdly, nowadays you can buy a film camera for the same price, but with better performance.

But is the Zorki-2C a bad camera?

Of course not. This camera, like all previous models, is a fairly good clone of the German Leica with some minor additions. Using Zorki-2C, you will get very good photographs similar to those taken in the early and middle of the 20th century, while spending mere pennies on the camera.