Zorki-C

Zorki-C is a Soviet 35mm rangefinder film camera produced at the KMZ plant from 1955 to 1958 and is an improvement of the Zorki-1 camera.

Zorki-C is essentially the Zorki-1 camera with the addition of a sync contact. There are about the same differences between Zorki-1 and Zorki-C as there are differences between Zenit-1 and Zenit-C.

Zorki-C Specifications

Type: 35mm rangefinder camera
Manufacturer: KMZ plant
Production period: from 1955 to 1958
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: none
Weight: 550 grams

As in previous models of this line, Zorki-C was equipped with Industar-22 f3.5/50 or Industar-50 f3.5/50 lenses. And of course, you can use other lenses with an M39 thread mound. But do not forget that when using lenses with shorter and longer focal lengths, you will need to use interchangeable viewfinders with the desired focal length.

But when using interchangeable lenses, it is worth remembering that many lenses have been adjusted for a particular camera, and before shooting with a new lens, you should check the alignment of the camera and lens.

The shutter remained unchanged, and still could work out speeds from 1/25 to 1/500. Let us remind you that the Kiev cameras, produced on the Arsenal plant in those years, had a shutter with metal curtains and could work out shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/1000 sec.

But nevertheless, even a shutter with speed from 1/25 to 1/500 is quite sufficient for most of the tasks facing the amateur film photographer.

The camera has become a little higher, but nevertheless, it remains very compact. This was due to the presence of a synchrocontact. If you use flashes suitable for this type of sync contact, then you may be able to accept the fact that the appearance of the camera has become much less charismatic.

But in our opinion, the presence of this function was clearly not worth the fact that the camera began to look like an ugly compromise between design and functionality.

Despite the fact that the camera has become much less attractive, it inherited all the shortcomings, or, to put it differently, the features of previous models.

For example, as before, the viewfinder and rangefinder in the camera are not combined, as was done, for example, in the FED-2 camera, which was produced at the same time.

In addition, you will still have to insert the film into the camera from the bottom, since the back cover still does not open in this model. Again, in cameras like the FED-2 or Kiev-2, you could easily remove the back cover and load the film without any difficulty.

Conclusion

In our opinion, the Zorki-С camera does not have any advantages over other models of this line, especially over rangefinder cameras that were produced at the Arsenal plant.

But if suddenly you come across this camera somewhere in good condition at an affordable price, then take it without hesitation, because despite the fact that this camera does not have any advantages over the cameras listed above, it also does not have significant drawbacks.

Zorki-C is a fairly light and simple camera, it has a good set of shutter speeds, a nice lens, and nice ergonomics. Among other things, using this camera you will get some Leica experience at a very low price.