Zorki's Barnack-style rangefinder — 35mm, Leica Thread Mount, added self-timer, 1954.
The Zorki 2 is a Soviet 35mm rangefinder made by the KMZ plant at Krasnogorsk near Moscow, a development of the Barnack-style Zorki line based on the Leica II. It appeared around 1954. It keeps the Leica screw mount and the compact Barnack body while adding a self-timer over the original Zorki 1.
This is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera in the Barnack pattern, using the Leica Thread Mount (39mm screw). It has a horizontal-travel cloth focal-plane shutter and separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows. Focusing is by the coupled rangefinder and exposure is set manually; there is no built-in meter. The Zorki 2 adds a self-timer, and film is bottom-loaded like the Leica.
The Zorki 2 suits users who want a compact screw-mount rangefinder with a self-timer, working with Leica Thread Mount lenses including Soviet Industar and Jupiter optics. It handles like the Leica II with separate finder windows and bottom loading. Being fully mechanical, it fires without a battery and is straightforward with a handheld meter.
On the used market the Zorki 2 is inexpensive and offers strong value, though the sample-to-sample quality-control variance typical of former-Soviet-Union bodies means individual inspection is advised. Check the rangefinder patch for contrast and horizontal alignment, examine the cloth focal-plane shutter curtains for pinholes and capping, and confirm the slow speeds run. Shutter ribbons and curtain tapes can dry out with age, so a serviced body is the safer choice.