{"id":62077,"date":"2025-02-19T10:53:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T08:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sovietcamerastore.com\/?post_type=product&p=62077"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:41:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T06:41:59","slug":"zorki-3-from-1954-rare-collectable-soviet-leica-2","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/sovietcamerastore.com\/index.php\/product\/zorki-3-from-1954-rare-collectable-soviet-leica-2\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Excellent ZORKI-3 rangefinder camera from 1954 – rare & collectable soviet Leica copy!"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ZORKI-3 – collectable Soviet rangefinder camera<\/p>\n

MADE IN USSR!<\/p>\n

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In this design Soviet engineers managed to get really close to the beauty and elegance of Leica.<\/p>\n

ZORKI-3 is among the hardest Leica copies to find: only 87.569 copies were produced(together with Zorki-3m) in 1951-1956. M39 lens mount makes the camera compatible with Leica LTM lenses.<\/p>\n

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A bit of history from fedka.com:<\/p>\n

The Zorki-3 was introduced in 1951. At that time the most common rangefinder cameras in the Soviet Union were Zorki and FED, both close copies of Leica II (D). Zorki-3’s design was a real breakthrough. It was slightly larger than Zorki, but it had many new features that Zorki\/FED lacked – a bright, large, combined RF\/VF, a removable back, a diopter adjustment of the viewfinder, a set of slow speeds and a high quality fast lens – Jupiter-8. The body and the back were cast and rigid. The 39 mm Leica thread mount was preserved, so Zorki-3, as any Zorki rangefinder, is fully compatible with the LTM lenses.<\/p>\n

The slow speed mechanism was obviously “borrowed” from Leitz (Leica IIIc), the actual delay mechanism was located at the bottom of the camera and coupled with the shutter controls with a long rod. The shutter had two dials – on the top of the camera for the fast speeds, and second – on the front for the slow speeds.<\/p>\n

By 1954 a new delay mechanism was introduced – it was located under the top plate and all the speeds were set by the same dial. Zorki-3 became Zorki-3M. Around 1955 all the cameras made by KMZ and FED were fitted with a flash synch mechanism (Zenit-S, Zorki-S, FED-2 type b), and so was Zorki-3M, which became Zorki-3S. A self-timer was added to this camera in 1956 and it finally became a Zorki-4, which was a very successful model with over 1.7 millions copies made from 1956 to 1973, and after that over half a million Zorki-4K’s made in 1972-1978. Zorki-4K was the last RF made by KMZ, and outlived Zorki-5 and Zorki-6. And it all started with a Zorki-3 in 1951!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”61969″ img_size=”full” onclick=”zoom” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]Camera (s\/n 5441331) is in excellent condition!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camera’s body has very few signs of normal use.
\nView finder is clean and clear, RF patch is with good contrast.<\/p>\n

All shutter speeds work, except for “D”<\/p>\n

Original curtains are in good condition, without holes \/ micro holes.<\/p>\n

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Camera went through professional Cleaning Lubricating Adjustment with full disassembly, all mechanisms were cleaned, re-lubricated and readjusted \u2013 ready for film!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The lens is coated Jupiter-8, 50\/2 – Zeiss Sonnar copy in LTM. Early version with a focusing lever.<\/p>\n

The Jupiter-8(s\/n 5446006 ) lens is in excellent condition.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clean and clear, no fungus, no haze, no scratches!
\nSome internal dust particles are present but will not affect image quality.<\/p>\n

Excellent mechanics – smooth focus, dry aperture blades.<\/p>\n

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Produced: 1951-1956<\/i><\/p>\n

Name: \u201e\u0417\u043e\u0440\u043a\u0438\u0439-3\u201c<\/i><\/p>\n

Producer: KMZ<\/i><\/p>\n

Frame size: 24×36<\/i><\/p>\n

Lens: Jupiter-8\u00a0 2\/50<\/i><\/p>\n

Shutter(two dials): <\/i>1-1\/25s, 1\/50s, 1\/100s, 1\/250s, 1\/500s, 1\/1000s + B.<\/i>[\/vc_column_text][vc_message message_box_color=”alert-success”]<\/p>\n

Lovely camera in excellent, “collector” condition with only some signs of use\/age, full functionality, after professional CLA.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_message][vc_single_image image=”61965″ img_size=”full” onclick=”zoom” css=””][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine”]\u00a0Attention: As with most FSU rangefinders, you need to remember to cock the shutter before changing shutter speed<\/span> – not following this simple rule might ruin your camera!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Additionally, \u00a0for Zorki-3 only:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n