5 frames with a KMZ ZORKI 1 & Industar-22 f3.5/50mm

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

That’s exactly the Oleg I mean. So far, I’ve only been in touch with him in writing. What you’ve said confirms the impression I have of Oleg. Are you happy with the Zenit 3M? I’m thinking of buying one fitted with a Helios-44 with an M39 thread. It was the main camera used by a very good photographer from Lithuania, Antanas Sutkus. I think I’ll hold off on servicing this Zorki-1 for now; it’s working perfectly. Thanks for the kind comment, Martin. All the best!

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

Thanks, Chuck! I hope you continue to enjoy photography!

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

Not really, based on my experience over several decades, Jens. I wouldn’t be welcome there either. :-))) The castle grounds are home to the horse breeding facility of the Rheinischer Pferdestammbaum e.V. An equestrian centre is integrated into the site. Pictured here is the outdoor competition arena with the judges’ tower, where preparations for a dressage competition are currently underway. Thanks, Jens. Good lighting!

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

Carl, thank you very much for your kind words. I’m glad you like the photos. After uploading the article, I took another roll of film and changed my mind. I’ll carry on taking photos with it without the CLA. The lenses and viewfinder are clean, and it works perfectly at all apertures and shutter speeds.

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

Thanks for your kind comment, Omar. I’d done some research, and this Zorki-1 from KMZ (built in 55/57) is apparently the most robust version; however, like the original Leitz model, it has the viewfinder and rangefinder in separate windows, which doesn’t cause me any problems. The I-22 also has the advantage of being foldable; the camera and lens are really very small. I’ve been really lucky – it looks as good as new, and although it’s probably been used very little, it works perfectly at all speeds. I’m holding off on having it serviced for now, although I do have a very good place in mind. In the 1980s and 1990s, I mostly took photographs using reversal film. I’ve stored several thousand slides in 36-exposure magazines, which take up a great deal of space. From that period, I still have a Kindermann projector from Germany designed for interchangeable magazines – the same company that also manufactured the Leitz Pradovit projectors back then. As I’ve already said, not everything labelled ‘Leitz’ is actually made by Leitz. I’d always wanted a smaller projector with a simple slider for two framed slides; the slides stay in the little box they came in from the lab. Lower costs, less space. It’s just a bit fiddly to use, but I’m not interested in long slide shows here – I want to view individual shots at a size of 120x120cm. The Leitz Prado 150 is just right for flats, with its 85mm or 100mm lens. It was manufactured for many years; I have the last model with the familiar red Leica dot. It has no ventilation, so it gets hot quickly, but it’s rock-solid – there was nothing better of its kind back then. So you take two slides at a time, alternating between them. I wouldn’t recommend it for longer presentations. It’s often sold alongside the Prado 250, which has a brighter lamp but is more suited to large meeting rooms. Both have an interesting feature: you can load uncut rolls of film into them. Thanks again, all the best, Omar!

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

Thank you very much for your comment, my friend!

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 09/07/2026

In that case, they probably weren’t just sitting in a display cabinet; their previous owners must have been busy taking lots of photos with them. :-))) That’s right – whilst both lenses do have many similarities, there were differences in the exact type of glass, the curvature of the lenses and the position of the aperture, as I’d already mentioned. As a result, the two lenses produce a completely different rendering. The Elmar focuses slightly differently and has fine edge sharpness, whilst the Tessar is affectionately known as the ‘eagle’s eye’ because of its sharpness. Thanks for your kind comment, Geoff.

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 10/07/2026

Thanks, Gary – I’m glad you like my photos. I found a lovely, working model there. Well, I still don’t have a Leica camera – it was just a simple slide change with the Red Dot.

Walter Reumkens replied:

Comment posted: 14/07/2026

Hello David, thank you for your kind comment. Yes, I’m also happy with the lens, although when I took the first few photos I hadn’t locked the folding mechanism properly and ended up with a round image. What I also appreciate about 35mmc.com is that people here still take photos with the old Leitz products. Some Leica fans might shake their heads at my comments at the start of the article, but I’ve always looked very closely. :-)))