Zorki３M

[Harold Yastaka]

I'd like to know what information is currently available about the black paint on the Zorki 3M.
I received the 3M in the picture from an acquaintance, but can I assume it was black from the start?
The serial number seems to be a late model, in the 40000 range, manufactured in 1955.I'm from a closed-off island country in the Far East, so I'm not very good at English.There may be errors in my replies and English vocabulary.

 

[JeffS7444]

I'd like to know what information is currently available about the black paint on the Zorki 3M.
I received the 3M in the picture from an acquaintance, but can I assume it was black from the start?
The serial number seems to be a late model, in the 40000 range, manufactured in 1955.I'm from a closed-off island country in the Far East, so I'm not very good at English.There may be errors in my replies and English vocabulary.View attachment 4875742

Your English is OK.

To the best of my knowledge, the KMZ factory never produced a black Zorki 3M, but your camera appears to have been properly de-chromed before it was painted.

 

[santino]

Despite the fact that the painting is not original the camera is actually beautiful, isn’t it?

 

[xayraa33]

One of my favourite models of Zorki cameras.

 

[TenEleven]

Harold your English is fine, I believe there are many more of us here to whom English isn't the first language.

That's a nice Zorky 3M, I think the worn black paint suits it well.
A word of caution though, to my knowledge the Zorkys are all calibrated to Russian (old Zeiss) rangefinder standards - meaning a 50mm lens is assumed to have an actual focal length of 52.4mm vs Leica's standard of 51.6mm.

Canon, as all other Japanese L39 copies would follow the western Leica standard (51.6mm) and not the Russian/Zeiss one.

This means that a western lens on a Russian body will front-focus once you are past infinity. The discrepancy will increase as you get closer-up. However, unlike using a Russian lens on a Leica where you get back-focus (focal point is to the back of RF focused point), front-focus is more benign since the depth of field is always greater to the back than to the front.

So, if you haven't noticed a problem with this combination, don't worry about it.
However it's definitely something to keep in mind if you want to use longer or faster lenses!

 

[Harold Yastaka]

Harold your English is fine, I believe there are many more of us here to whom English isn't the first language.

That's a nice Zorky 3M, I think the worn black paint suits it well.
A word of caution though, to my knowledge the Zorkys are all calibrated to Russian (old Zeiss) rangefinder standards - meaning a 50mm lens is assumed to have an actual focal length of 52.4mm vs Leica's standard of 51.6mm.

Canon, as all other Japanese L39 copies would follow the western Leica standard (51.6mm) and not the Russian/Zeiss one.

This means that a western lens on a Russian body will front-focus once you are past infinity. The discrepancy will increase as you get closer-up. However, unlike using a Russian lens on a Leica where you get back-focus (focal point is to the back of RF focused point), front-focus is more benign since the depth of field is always greater to the back than to the front.

So, if you haven't noticed a problem with this combination, don't worry about it.
However it's definitely something to keep in mind if you want to use longer or faster lenses!

I see.
I usually use it narrowed down, so I don't think it's a problem.
If necessary, I'll ask a repairman friend to adjust it to 51.6mm.

 

[Harold Yastaka]

Your English is OK.

To the best of my knowledge, the KMZ factory never produced a black Zorki 3M, but your camera appears to have been properly de-chromed before it was painted.

After all, unless you can find official KMZ documents or a similar item with a similar serial number, you can't confirm it.

 

[Harold Yastaka]

One of my favourite models of Zorki cameras.

The file cannot be found.

 

[JeffS7444]

After all, unless you can find official KMZ documents or a similar item with a similar serial number, you can't confirm it.

It's very possible that collector's guides such as Jean Loup Princelle's The Authentic Guide to Russian and Soviet Cameras contain errors and omissions. And access to factory documents was likely limited, because the same factories which produced cameras were also military contractors.

But many customized Soviet cameras seem to be modern-day creations from someone in Ukraine, and quality of the better examples appears very good.

 

[Valkir1987]

After all, unless you can find official KMZ documents or a similar item with a similar serial number, you can't confirm it.

Well, at least their cameras were not painted black by KMZ but powder coated. This Zorki looks like it has been painted. And if they would paint it, the layer would have been thicker at least. Zenit E cameras started to appear in black in the early seventies. In the fifties when this camera was released, chrome was the standard.

However, one black Zenit 3M under a different name exists 'Zeniflex' and the Zenit 3M was made as 'Crystal' in a hammerite finish.

Zorki cameras are from KMZ are never found to be painted black, nor have they been offered catalogs from distributors or retailers. So far any Zorki camera that is black appears to be painted afterwards. The first one still has to show up. KMZ did not keep any records about the variations of cameras they produced other than the serial numbers.

Anyway, a Zorki 3M is a nice camera! No flash sync and self timer, but the Leica III elegance is still there... And the rangefinder cam can be adjusted to be used with Leica lenses.

 

[santino]

Rumour has it that the very, very early FEDs were painted black, but this was before the war and not by KMZ. Nobody knows if they still exist.

 

[Valkir1987]

Nobody knows if they still exist.

I have some hope that they might turn up one day. The Fed V with the slow speed escapement did show up eventually, after being a rumor for years.

 

[skopar steve]

I have a Zorki 3M that I like very much. I've seen photos of 3M's that have been painted black, but have yet to find anyone who will paint mine. If anyone knows of anyone that paints cameras black please post it or personal mail me. Thanks Steve.