Zorki 4 w/ Jupiter 8 50mm f/2 lens

[David Silver]

Scored this week...was given three classic USSR Leica thread mount cameras. A friend of my mother's was cleaning out her late husband's things (nothing recent...her husband passed over a decade ago, but she's moving into a smaller home now), and came across these old cameras. She showed them to me, I told her what they were worth, but she said she didn't want to sell them. She wanted to GIVE them to me because her husband always thought I was "such a nice young man". Hmmmmm...no comments from the peanut gallery! Anyway, this is the third of the three (I'm showing the other two in separate threads for separate comments and opinions). It's a Zorki 4 from around 1965, it works perfectly, and it's wearing a gorgeous Jupiter 50mm f/2 lens:



I've handled plenty of USSR Leica "clones" over the years, but have just recently become interested in actually shooting with various Leica alternatives. So, what's the verdict on this one and its lens? Pro, con, or otherwise?

[PeterW]

Hi David, and welcome back.

I've had good results from both the Zorki 4 and 4K with Jupiter lenses, and they're both quite nice to handle.

The only gripe I've got with them is that, except for the early ones. the speed dial was screen printed and not engraved. After few years the numbers wear off so unless you remeber the speed sequence exposure can be a guessing game.

Except for my Canons, which I like, and a few FSU cameras I'm thinning down my accumulation of cameras somewhat drastically to concentrate on pre-1960s stuff, mainly European. One day soon I might even have room to dispay most of them.

PeterW

[kiev4a]

The Jupiter 8 is a good lens and the Zorki 4 was around for about 20 years so it was a decent performer. Only troubly was that the longer they had them the cheaper they tried to make 'em. Can't tell from the picture. Some of the late Zorki 4s had the shutter speeds painted rather than engraved and you have to be a little careful they don't rub off.

You have to be careful about using Leica or Canon RF lenses on it because the re lever doesn't have a roller on the tip and can get damaged or damage some non Russian lenses.

[Rachel]

kiev4a said:

You have to be careful about using Leica or Canon RF lenses on it because the re lever doesn't have a roller on the tip and can get damaged or damage some non Russian lenses.

I've never really understood why this should be so as the lens cams on my Leica, Canon and Soviet lenses look pretty much the same.

[PeterW]

Rachel,
It isn't the cam on the lens that could cause trouble, it's the rangefinder lever in the camera. The Leica used a roller on the lever but the Russians used a tear-drop shaped cam with quite a pointed end. It's possible, in some circumstances, for this cam to jam on a Leica lens and stop it from being unscrewed. Lots of anguish!

PeterW

[GeneW]

David, nice new FSU cameras you've acquired! I've used Zorki 4's and Fed 2's and had good luck with them. The Jupiter 8 is one of my favourite lenses -- a good one is exceptional value for the buck. Another fine FSU lens, in my experience, is the Industar-61 50/2.8. Very crisp and contrasty.

My own preference was always for the Fed 2 over the Zorki 4. I liked its smaller form and its feel. I also had a problem with the Zorki's trying to determine where the framelines were for 50mm. It's a bit indefinite -- I've cut things off in a pic thinking I had it framed well. If you push your eye in close, I think the framelines are closer to 35mm. The Fed 2, while smaller and dimmer, was more precise.

The only FSU cam I have left in my collection is a Kiev 4a with Helios 103.

Gene

[kiev4a]

The Black Jupiter 8 on the later Zorkies is slightly different that the earlier J8s. On the earlier "white" (metal colored) J8s only theback half of the lens rotated when focusing. On the Black lenses the entire front portion including the front element, rotates. I suspect the change in design cut costs. The Black lens seems to perform as well as the white lens, however.

Gene: My problem with the FED 2 finder is I have to be very careful not to scratch the plastic leneses of my glasses on the eyepiece. On Soviet RFs, if I want to do any serious framing, even with the normal lens, I usually go to the turret finder mounted on the accessory shoe.

[Michael Fraley]

David, this is one of my favorite combos. I have two bodies and several J8's. I like the heft of them. And the very bright viewfinder! I find a spirit level helpful for keeping the horizon level. I wear glasses and I like the Fed 2 very much also, but its viewfinder is hard to use with glasses, compared to the Zorki 4. Have fun!

[Peltigera]

I have just got a Zorki-4 today and I have taken half a dozen pictures with it. It is producing the same squeak as my Exakta does so I suspect the shutter mechanism needs lubrication - not something I am going to be paying for on a camera this cheap. Two posts back, GeneW mentions frame lines - I cannot see any. Have they disappeared in my camera or were their presence a variable?

[philbirch]

Jun 28, 2014 13:10:01 GMT -5 Peltigera said:

I have just got a Zorki-4 today and I have taken half a dozen pictures with it. It is producing the same squeak as my Exakta does so I suspect the shutter mechanism needs lubrication - not something I am going to be paying for on a camera this cheap. Two posts back, GeneW mentions frame lines - I cannot see any. Have they disappeared in my camera or were their presence a variable?

I've never seen frame lines on any Zorki, that would imply it has an albada viewfinder. They normally have squinty ones. 

I've never had a working Zorki 4 or 4K and when I sold them in the 70's they were always being returned. A very unreliable camera - or at least the early 70's onwards. The Jupiter 8 is one of my favourite lenses it has a nice 'draw'.

My favourite Zorki is the 2C with a little Industar 22 lens. A total pain in the ass to load but a lovely camera to use.

[truls]

The Fed 5C have framelines, correct me if I am wrong. After shooting with several FSU cameras, my impression is they are solid reliable cameras. Could FSU cameras of today have been repaired or adjusted before a sale?

Jun 28, 2014 16:00:21 GMT -5 philbirch said:

Jun 28, 2014 13:10:01 GMT -5 Peltigera said:

I have just got a Zorki-4 today and I have taken half a dozen pictures with it. It is producing the same squeak as my Exakta does so I suspect the shutter mechanism needs lubrication - not something I am going to be paying for on a camera this cheap. Two posts back, GeneW mentions frame lines - I cannot see any. Have they disappeared in my camera or were their presence a variable?

I've never seen frame lines on any Zorki, that would imply it has an albada viewfinder. They normally have squinty ones. 

I've never had a working Zorki 4 or 4K and when I sold them in the 70's they were always being returned. A very unreliable camera - or at least the early 70's onwards. The Jupiter 8 is one of my favourite lenses it has a nice 'draw'.

My favourite Zorki is the 2C with a little Industar 22 lens. A total pain in the ass to load but a lovely camera to use.

[Peltigera]

A test photo from my 'new' Zorki-4. I used the rangefider to focus on the top of the first upright. It is in good focus so the rangefinder is fine. I still find it easier to guesstimate distances than use rangefinders but it is nice to know it is working well.

[Stephen]

You can nearly always rely on the engraved scales on any decent lens, unless the whole lens has been got at! Any check starts with a ground glass check for infinity, if that's OK then the scales are 100%, then adjust the ring at the back of the lens, not the rangefinder, to get it to match. If the rangefinder is adjusted, it may go out with other lenses.
The Zorki/F2 lens combo should deliver very sound results.

[Deleted]

FSU cameras and optics can be very good or totally unreliable. Depends on when they were made (time of month and year). It complicated but it has to do with the way Soviet industry operated and their quota systems. Generally, if you find a 50 year old Soviet camera that looks like new it's probably because it didn't work properly when it left the factory and spent have a century on some closet shelf. If the camera is worn and has some dings it probably was a good picture taker. My favorite Zorkis are the 1D, the 3C and the 1956 Zorki 4A. The only difference between the 3C and the 4A is that the 4A has a self timer. Both cameras are built like tanks. The longer the Zorki 4 was made the cheaper the quality. Another favorite is the MIR which was an early Zorki 4 without the slow speed shutter train. Very reliable.