A Leica on a shoestring. A classy Russian gentleman. The perfect travel companion. Zorki is everything you've ever wanted and more.
I buy a lot of cameras. It’s a habit. It’s an addiction. I have to say, I’ve never been as enamored with a 35mm camera as I have been with the Zorki 4.
Zorki isn’t easy. It’s fully manual, fully mechanical, and no light meters or batteries for anything. In other words it’s perfect!
If you don’t know anything about manual controls, just check out the sunny 16 rule and experiment from there. Easy as pie. As far as rangefinders go, the Zorki 4 is not only close aesthetically to the Leica camera it was copying, but it is also comparable in image quality too! (Don’t listen to the Leica enthusiasts who deny this, just see for yourself).
I brought this camera around while traveling because i wanted sweet but not too crazy travel photos. I couldn’t have been more happy. The camera feels great in your hands, and you always get people asking you how much you paid and where to get it and all that. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to get one with strap lugs it’s makes carrying it around a breeze. Although if you have the older one without strap lugs but a sweet brown leather case, it might hurt your neck a little more, but everyone will think you’re wearing a camera from Indiana Jones or something.
Zorki is an amazing camera and a great conversational piece to boot, give it a shot!
14 comments
mattcharnock
sweet camera, sweet gallery, sweet text!
dogma
sharp pictures! great review! need to try this baby!
severin
nice shots nice review
plyshbel
Agree, nice review and photos! Vote for it.
But IMHO there’s some discrepancy of word “Sucka!” (means ‘bitch” in Russian) in such a funny title with complimentary content of review:) Inflexion of title and use of comma and exclamation mark says rather of regret than joy. But say it again IMHO, IMHO, IMHO:)
cinzinc
i just saw this camera at a bargain store recently, hopefully it was a zorki 4 that i saw. I wanna get one! stunning images!
masha_njam
SUCKA :))))
sibu_sen
Really good, makes me want to buy one!
lazara
oh that's a great gallery! and a great text :)
stouf
Excellent gallery !
herbert-4
I have one of these. It's a good camera. Wonderful photos. I posted an elaboration of the "Sunny 16 Rule" in tipster. Have a look. Lots of suggestions.
ishoothorizon
Perhaps it's because you do not have a Leica that you claim that the quality is better then a Summicron, pfff...
taylor-nose
Yes! I just picked one up a few weeks ago and it's wonderful! A bit tricky, but the results are fantastic! Wonderful review and wonderful shots!
pushkar
ive just ordered this camera.. cant wait... thanks 4 the tips
solitary_man
Great article! Im a Zorki guy myself :) What lense did you use?