Engraved Zorki 4

Iskra 2

Iskra 2

Kodachrome Rules!
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Apr 9, 2005
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Curious, are there many Zorki's with special engraving like the Feds?

I've been watching Ebabe for a few weeks and saw one, a Zorki 4, and I bought it. :D and it wasn't black :D

Anybody know who the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force was in 1970? Colonel (I can't read the name) received this one from him. :) Could it be "for real"? :)
 
Zorki-4's were supposed to have been the longest-lasting model - they were even produced after they quit making the 5's and 6's. I've seen any number of them on ebay with various engravings, although most were not personal but, rather, some commemorative notation. They may have been taking lessons from Leica, which has long been notorious for 'special editions'. That way, they could charge extra for them.
 
I'm hoping this one had some special attention in the finishing and final inspection. Probably too much to hope for. The camera serial number was 1970 which matched the engraving date. The lens was an Industar 22 with a later build date.
 
I don't think that the price tag for any of the engraved/commemorative Zorkis (or FSU cameras for that matter) was different. They can have different value at secondary market, but in USSR, the cameras were made more to complete the annual production plan than to maximize profit.
 
I agree on the price, but don't you think the Colonel would be a little 'teed off' if the camera from the Commander-in-Chief didn't work? :mad: I'm betting someone checked it over to make sure everything was in great shape before sending it on. :)
 
This doesn't help you with your research, but...

Not long ago I remember seeing an FSU camera [of some type] up for auction with an engraving aknowledging someone's accomplishment - a graduation, attaining a degree or promotion or something. It had the person's name and the accomplishment, in Russian I presume, and the date the camera was given to them. A close up of the camera showed very neat and professional lettering etc., but it was obviously done privately at a jeweler or something AFTER the camera was purchased.

Usually this type of engraving hurts the value of an item, but I rather find it interesting to see a little bit of the camera's history, although it's still a mystery, and I don't think it would deter me from purchasing an item. Just my 2 cents, but even if your camera isn't higher quality, and hopefully it is, I would still find it rather unique and desirable, especially since it's apparently linked to the military.
 
CVBLZ4

Don't think the value could be reduced much lower than what I paid for it. What you say though is encouraging, the Colonel probably had a working camera or he wouldn't have paid for the engraving. :) ......... or a jeweler/pawn shop was trying to sell a slow mover :bang: ....... or who knows. That's part of the fun buying these old timers. :) Regards.
 
Personal engravings on FSU cameras were indeed made after purchase, unless the owner was a *very* high-ranking official. I was more referring to the impersonal anniversary/commemorative cameras, like dedicated to the Olympics, Youth Festival, 50 years of October Revolution or XXVI Communist Party Congress.
 
Don't think the value could be reduced much lower than what I paid for it.
Click to expand...
Ha! Yeah, I hear ya there Iskra. And that's another of the beauties about FSUs! Think your hopes that "the Colonel had a good working camera..." etc. are logically pretty well founded. Theoretically, someone successful (A.) would take enough pride in his belongings to keep it in good shape and (B.) care enough about it to have it engraved or (C.) care enough about it because someone had it engraved FOR him.

varjag - Yep, I understood your mention of special factory "Anniversary Edition" engravings. I think some of those are rather interesting as well. I almost posted a Yuri Gagarin commemoritive model I saw not long ago. I doubt it was original because........ it was BLACK; probably an after-market paint job since, from what I've read so far, I don't know that any factory Zorkis were black. (I could be wrong.) It had his name, I think, and some type of insignia that I assumed was Russian Space Program logo. But the thing that struck me funny was, to my understanding, Gagarin didn't take a camera along on his historic journey! Oh well, who knows? A curious piece that I might have tried to purchase just for the oddity of it... but I'm such a tight-wad!
 
The Camera Arrives

The Camera Arrives

The Zorki 4 arrived in a yak string wrapped package yesterday. Not a bad looking unit but it has problems. Shutter speeds are "off", rangefinder diopter adjuster is loose, rangefinder needs vertical adjustments, film winder is tight, case is in bad shape, etc. etc. :bang: Nice engraving though. :) I think a repair/CLA will be less than an M body repair/CLA. :rolleyes:

It's going to make a nice rear lens cap for a soon to be acquired Leica or other prestigious (chuckle) lens. :dance:
 
Hey thanks for the update and congrats! ... though sorry to hear the condition isn't what you hoped for. It actually sounds similar to my first Z4. It had almost the very same "quirks" but I still took it out and shot the heck out of it. My second Z4 I recieved just this week. It's 14 years older and operates smooth as silk. Go figure. If you get the chance or desire, attach a photo here of the camera and engraving.

Have fun!!
 
I have two Zorki 4's that were engraved. The first is to an engineer for his work on a sugar beet factory in Kazakhstan and the other was to celebrate someones college degree.
One can find all sorts of engraved items. I have a small statue of Lenin engraved in Kazakh given to someone on completing their diploma.
I guess engraving was one of the trades that lives on with all the fake Leicas that are being sold!
 
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