Stamped/Engraved Zorki top covers

[wolves3012]

I've just acquired a Zorki 1 (well, another one anyway!) which has a 56xxxxxx serial number, suggesting it's a '56 year. However, it has an engraved logo on the top plate, not a stamped one. My other "one" is a '55 and that is stamped.

Can anyone tell me if late models ever came engraved, or roughly when the changeover happened? My understanding is that all late models were stamped, which would mean mine has had the top plate swapped from an early model - not a rare event I think.

 

[ErnestoJL]

Mine is ´54 (or maybe ´55 1d (e? - a transitional model)) and is stamped. I guess there are no later than ´54 models engraved but rather stamped. AFAIK, no one has reported and engraved model later than ´53 or so.
BTW, congrats for the new baby.
Cheers
Ernesto

 

[Joao]

Hello
If you have already looked at Princelle's book, please ignore my post.
Otherwise, here it goes: he states that ZORKI type 1-d 1953-1954 has the inscription on the top plate "embossed rather than engraved". The ZORKI type 1-e 1954-1956 has the new international speed sequence B, 1/25 ... 1/500 and "ZORKI embossed in top plate". I have no data for a clearcut separation between sequential years and the type of engraving/embossing. There is clearly an overlap,I believe. If you find aditional information on this,please post it.
BTW: My Zorki 1 is from 1955 and has a cyrillic Zorki engraved on the top plate.
Best regards
Joao

 

[wolves3012]

Hello
If you have already looked at Princelle's book, please ignore my post.
Otherwise, here it goes: he states that ZORKI type 1-d 1953-1954 has the inscription on the top plate "embossed rather than engraved". The ZORKI type 1-e 1954-1956 has the new international speed sequence B, 1/25 ... 1/500 and "ZORKI embossed in top plate". I have no data for a clearcut separation between sequential years and the type of engraving/embossing. There is clearly an overlap,I believe. If you find aditional information on this,please post it.
BTW: My Zorki 1 is from 1955 and has a cyrillic Zorki engraved on the top plate.
Best regards
Joao

Hmmm...so yours contradicts Princelle then, if it's original. Mine are definitley both 1e variants, having the accent stripe around the lens and the later shutter speeds. Maybe my original assumption, that it's been swapped at some point, is the most likely still.

 

[Joao]

Hmmm...so yours contradicts Princelle then, if it's original. .

... and to make things more confusing, there is also the possibility of translation errors in Pricelle's book : engraved, embossed, stamped, painted, might be not so different for a non-native-English speaker....
Good Night
Joao

 

[Spyderman]

Maybe the top comes from a box of old parts that needed to be used. Or, as mentioned it might had been swapped some time in it's life...

I'm a happy owner of engraved Zorki-Zorki 🙂 Good luck with yours...

 

[zhang xk]

My 3 engraved Zorki 1 has s/ns on top plate. May be it is an early 5 digits cameras with a s/n 55xxx?

 

[zhang xk]

That is a very beautiful camera.🙂 These sometimes come with a rigid I-22 with black or white face. A 1951 I-22 should have a s/n on the back.

Congratualtions!

Maybe the top comes from a box of old parts that needed to be used. Or, as mentioned it might had been swapped some time in it's life...

I'm a happy owner of engraved Zorki-Zorki 🙂 Good luck with yours...