KMZ has it's own web pages at http://www.zenit-foto.ru/
If you interested in Russian made cameras, not just Zenit, DELPHI has a club for Russian and Ukrainian Camera Enthusiasts
Information available on net in Russian:
History
of Russian Cameras
List of Russian made lens for 35mm cameras
Lens resolution
data (wide open) for Russian made lenses
If you are interested in Zenit Cameras, Anders Loberg recently started a Zenit Camera user group!
The camera had bayonet mount, but was sold with rings that allow to
mount M39 or M42 lens.
Auto diaphragm
Instant return mirror (?)
Two models have been made: one with F and X sync contacts and self timer;
another one without self timer and only X-sync contact.
Fixed pentaprism
Shutter: 1/30-1/500, B (cloth, horizontal)
Flash: switchable X/F sync, hot shoe, sync at 1/30
Metering: uncoupled selenium meter
Finder: Fixed pentaprism with ground glass screen.
Battery: none
Non automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
It appears that models before 1968 had M39 mount (?).
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Models from 1983 had brighter viewfinder.
(Note: not all models have hot shoe ?)
Similar to Zenit TTL, but with larger mirror and match-LED instead of
match-needle.
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Veiwfinder image 92%.
Shutter release button on back, DOF preview, back door opens down,
ASA switch is at the bottom, quick-load system.
Similar to Zenit 16 but without meter.
Fixed pentaprism
Shutter: 1-1/1000, B (metal, vertical, electronic)
Flash: switchable X/F sync (?), hot shoe, sync at 1/60 before
1983 and 1/125 after 1983
Metering: TTL match-needle manual
Finder: Fixed pentaprism with split image rangefinder and
ground glass collar in Fresnel screen.
Battery: ? (2xLR-44 seems to work fine).
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
DOF preview
Interchangeable backs (There is a provision for the back to be
removed, but I am not avare of any other backs were made for it).
Self timer, shutter lock, battery check.
Gost (ASA) settings are on the bottom plate.
There are reports that shutter is not very reliable, but easy to fix.
(I am not sure that such a thing existed ...)
Fixed pentaprism
Shutter: 1/30-1/500, B (cloth, horisontal)
Flash: switchable X/F sync (?), hot shoe, sync at 1/30
Metering: TTL open-aperture, electric contact
Finder: split-image rangefinder and microprism collar in ground glass screen
Battery: 2xLR44 (or A76)
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Finder image 65%
There are basically three different views on Zenit cameras:
1.(Radically bad): Very bad and completely useless
2.(Balanced): Quite a good camera for the price, capable of producing
good photographs
3.(Enthusiastic, but rare): Cool camera without any extra - CULT camera
My personal view is close to variant 2. And even after using
whole bunch of manual cameras, I still think that Zenits are
very attractive cameras for the price.
Note: due to virtually nonexistent quality control in former
Soviet Union there are some very bad made Zenit cameras. Fortunately,
as time goes, there are smaller amount of them around because of
the "selection of the fittest" :-), but be careful.
The only Zenit model I (AB) used was Zenit EM, which I bought in Canberra for 30$ (it's Australian dollars). It has automatic diaphragm, selenium meter, limited shutter speeds (1/30-1/500) and slow flash synch (1/30). I liked it. It is heavy and is very stable in hands. Worked flawlessly. It has what I consider to be the best depth of field preview of all screw mount cameras I saw. Slight pressure on the shutter release button would close the diaphragm. Release the button and the diaphragm opens.
Tolga Yurek about Zenit 12XP:
Positive: Very Solid, Very cheap, Very large selection of incredibly
cheap russian lenses, most are optically good, some are excellent
Negative: Small viewfinder image (<70%?), Not the brightest
viewfinder.
Stanley Buck about Zenit:
Boat Anchor. Crude, heavy, and clumsy to use.
From Pavel B. about Zenit ET:
Very good camera for very small amount of money.
Also, cheap lenses which have great optics
(sometimes even Japanese lenses are not as good and this is true ! )
Only problem is not enough slower shutter speeds
(should have at least 1/15 and 1/8 )
Anyway - great camera and lenses!
From Craig Zievis:
Zenit Photosniper 122s. I've had my Zenit for 3 months
and am very impressed by what I got for the cost.
I'm actually getting better pictures than I got with my EOS.
The only thing I don't like is the focus screen and the fact
thats it's not auto.
From Brad about Zenit 12XP:
Very solid, has been dropped, covered in mud, seen plenty of work
and never let me down.
From Tomas Brunclik about Zenit 12S-Photosnipper:
The camera Zenit 12S has, unlike the 12xp, TTL match-needle and not LEDs.
I bought it in Czechoslovakia about in 1985. What it did it did good.
Good, solid and cheap set for wildlife photography. I had only two
problems during 5-years use:
1) One rainy day water got inside and the metering become
almost nonfunctional. Repaired by repair-service without problem.
2) It performes quite badly in counter-light conditions.
Not only veiling (it was not so bad), but often also non-uniform exposure.
I think it was caused by reflections inside the camera body
(it is not as black as should be).
From Tom Piel:
Zenit E: Built Like a tank, I've took it along to
several airshows and it never let me down, I also own
an Eos system but I still use the Zenit next to it.
I even found an old Photo Sniper system which I'm restoring.
There are loads of lenses to be found for this old system
and cheap. So If you want a cheap SLR system and you don't
want to spend much money on it, its really worth considering.
From Mikko Tiihonen
I had the Zenit TTL for 2-3 years without problems until the
shutter broke. Glue used to attach cloth to the
spindles had turned into something like broken glass,
propably as a result of extreme changes in temperature
and humidity. I had several good lenses with 42mm screw,
so I bought a Cosina Lite, wich also has 42mm screw.
Cosina is as heavy & reliable as Zenit, with 1/2-1/1000s
plastic shutter. Cheap Zenit and Carenar lenses have
served me very well for over 10 years now, and I'm
thinking of purchasing a Zenit body for taking b/w
pictures.
From Andy Campbell:
This (Zenit B) was my first 'Real' camera. It had a Helios 50mm F2 lens. It
cost me 20 UK pounds and, when I look back at the shots I got, the results
exceed those I have had since with more expensive Pentax cameras - I believe
some of this is due to the fact that you really had to know what you were doing
with the Zenit and some of the automatic features of modern cameras have turned
the whole photographic business into one of 'point and shoot'.
I am now resurrecting my old Zenit ( I hope the shutter is still good) in the
hope of capturing some of the old photographic expertise I used to have in
photographing my one year old son.
A thoroughly good camera for the cash strapped photographer !
From Kent Nunamaker: I have a collection of Russian & Ukranian cameras including Zenits from the first model (39mm thd.). I am now using the 12XP and am very happy with it. It's heavy because it's not made of plastic. Speeds are limited but adequite. The meter works most of the time, but I rarely use the meter. The camera has a solid, steady feel, and it always works! I've owned "better" cameras that quit when I needed them. I just like manual cameras. When the photos are good, I take the credit for it, and yes, when they're bad, I'll accept the blame, but I have no love for the present trend of "point and shoot" SLR's. By the way, if there are any bad Russian lenses, I haven't found them yet.
From Devid Roche: A few years back I bought my first SLR from a friend heading overseas - a Zenit EM for A$20. The camera took some great photos and encouraged me to take up SLR photography a bit more seriously. So I bought myself a fully automatic Canon EOS- 500n and gave my Zenit on permanent loan to a relative. Now I'm finding the photos from my Canon are lacking the sharpness and contrast I was able to achieve with my Zenit, and I'm ruing the decision to ever part with it.
From Matt Ball:
I am a young student photographer so I don't really have much
experience but I was overjoyed when my dad passed his old Zenit onto me. The
great photo's he'd managed to take were out of my grasp on this camera though
because it packed in on me a few months into my course. When I get some money
I'll be getting it fixed if possible, I still think it's a great camera and I
never suffered from any camera shake even on very long exposures because of
it's heavy nature. Stands up to the nasty Scottish winters as well...
From Al Thompson:
I bought my old clunker Zenit E at a Southern California swap meet
(flea market) in the mid '80's for $15, figuring it would at least make a good
paperweight. After all, I had a Leica, two Minox 35's, A Hassy CM, and a couple
of 2.8 Rollei TLR's (with a Xenar and a Planar).
One day I needed to shoot a closeup of an excavated bronze age relic. For some
forgotten reason none of the other cameras had the characteristics I wanted for
the shoot. I used the Leica, but for insurance decided to try out the old SLR
Zenit and its Industar. What a stupid name for a lens. Nothing pedigreed like
Planar or Xenar. (Of course Elmar isn't a very swift name for a lens either!)
Anyhow, I did the shoot and almost fell over when I saw the results. The
Industar shots were superb. They were razor sharp and undistorted around the
edges, and the color was right on.
I put a new battery in a small Konica lightmeter and slipped it onto the Zenit's
shoe. A polarizer and lens hood were also added. I like the old beast better
than the new Jap point-and-shoot zoom wonders, two of which I also have.
The Zenit never lets me down because of a dead battery. I enjoy its all-
mechanical simplicity and infallibility. And Industar has new meaning for me.
It is my favorite lens for 35 mm work. Maybe I just got lucky, but I don't
think so. The lens on my 2,1/4 square Kiev SLR is also great. So far, Russian
lenses have been excellent, probably even better than the Jap lenses. I have
since acquired a Fed-2 and its lens is also top notch.
Zenit and Fed are the way to go if you want pro quality on a trash bin budget.
But you have to learn a few things about photography like the old photographers
did. After a while a lightmeter isn't even necessary for most shots. A 500th
and f-11 at infinity with Kodak MAX (wide lattitude) still works wonders. The
Industar is also great with black and white. I now cherish my cheap boat
anchor.
From Mike About Zenit 12XP:
I knew a fellow mountain climber who took this thing (Zenit 12XP)
with him to the top of Mt.Blanc (over 5000 mtrs.)
The temperature was below -26 and he told me about quite a few Yashicas and
Fujicas that got frozen and refused to budge. Need I say that he brought a lot
of pictures back?
Oh, yes, he also had a Sigma zoom lens on it, and most of the time we used that
instead of the binoculars. Better view and better magnification.
From Ashley Pomeroy:
My previous experience with photography was restricted to various
Lomo compact cameras, and I wanted to upgrade to a proper SLR with
interchangeable lenses. The Zenit (E, in my case) is the cheapest way to do
this, and so far I'm happy with the results. Having honed my teeth on even
cruder cameras, the lack of automatic anything isn't a problem, and extra lenses
are stupidly cheap on eBay (decent wideangle lenses go for less than 10 pounds).
The only drawback is that I don't have a case, and the camera's tripod mount is
on the extreme right-hand side of the body, and because it's very heavy my
tripod tips over.
From Wim Koekebacker:
I have 4 Zenit cameras, two of them are Zenit-ES's so I can work with
different films when using the Sniper. The Zenit-B (I still regard the B the
ULTIMATE Zenit)is mainly used for flash photography wheras the Zenit-EM is, and
has been for the last 25 or so years, the workhorse of the lot. Despite the lack
of modern gadgets found on modern japanese plastics these cameras are built like
tanks. If treated with care and respect these cameras won't let you down and
will last a lifetime. Be careful though with the selenium meters. Don't expose
them towards direct sunlight for longer than a few minutes or they will become
inaccurate in due course. So always keep the camera in its leatherette even on
trips. By doing so the meters on my Zenits have survived without deterioation.
My oldest Zenit-ES dates back to 1973!! Almost 30 years old ...
From Antonio Correia:
I first started photographing(as many others) with a Zenit EM. I've
worked with Canon, Nikon, Minolta, and other russian cameras such as Lomo, but
the best pictures i've taked yet, were taken by my EM. Truelly a work of art!!!
Now, i have a Zenit E, that i am dissassembling, to learn how things work in
there.
I allsow have a fotosniper, that i've bought for 75 EUROs, and is the best thing
for bird photography. Superb!!!!! Presentlly, i'm trying to buy a Zenit 19.
Good luck with your zenit.
From Bogdan Chendran:
I have this camera (Zenit 19) for almost two years now and I have some problems
with the electronical part (russians are really BAD in making electronic stuff).
I have to change all the wires in it.
Mecanically it is very strong.
Good camera for the price.
From Paul Tiffany.:
I've got an Zenit EM (c. 1979) and
I've had mine for around 15 years. It cost nothing, I found it at the dump
outside of the western Queensland town that I grew up in.
I thought that one roll of film wouldn't hurt. And it's never missed a
beat yet. Recently it came with on a hertiage rail tour as back up to a
Pentax K-1000 and a ME Super. (Seems like everything I've got is in the
old clunker vintage). Its taken many a perfect picture including a trip
in 93 to Birdsville!
I love the camera because of it's main advantage of going without
battery power, batteries always go cactus wrectus when they are needed the
most. It is a great camera and I'll be hanging on to mine for the future.
PS I like the cult status that they are getting!!
From David M. Oates About Zenit 19:
I owned a Zenit 19 from 1982-83 It was a great camera to use and
certainly was an improvement over Zenit TTL I had used previously.
Mine was a M42 screw thread only. Bought it from "Richards Cameras"
Wakefield West Yorkshire (UK). Sadly the shutter developed a fault
and fired at any speed that took its fancy!. Still I always
remember this cameras fantastic standard lens I didn't
find another that drew as well at that one until I bought
into the Contax system (via Yashica).
Nice to hear that some of these 19's are still in use all these years
later I remeber it fondly.
From Wim Koekebacker :
I got this camera (Zenit 11) on Ebay. It is in new, mint condition and
I already used it. Works just like my other Zenits. The shutter,
on the other hand, is not a smooth as my other Zenits. Also, the
original documents came with it.
Interesting fact is, that this camera is made by Belomo.
It has plastic parts (top and bottom) and on the KMZ web site can be read
that KMZ declares this camera to be a "not ours" one!
From Larry :
My first SLR (Zenit TTL),rugged as hell,a bit of a dim viewfinder but great
fun. Cheap lenses.
From Piotrek B. :
I have two zenits 122 and 19. I bought zenit 122 (with Zenitar
2/50) one year ago and I'very satisfied. It's very good camera and it isn't very
heavy as older models. I bought zenit 19 (with Zenitar 1,7/50) one week ago so I
can't say anything about it (it's not tested yet) exept one thing it's terribly
heavy.
From Viktor S. Poór :
I have stuied the photographi with a Zenit TTL. It's ideal to it. A
very massive, "weatherproof" model. I like it,
but 1/30 shutterspeed is a little bit slow for macrophotgraphy.
From Jeremy:
Dad had two Zenits, probably the E model. They had the external light
meter, which never worked accurately. He took some great photos
over the years, but both eventually died when the cloth shutter
disintergrated (the repair quote was over $200 which wasn't worth it).
I recently purchased an old SLR with the pentax-type screw lens so
I can use all his old lenses and macro rings. I looked
at a Zenit, but decided against it due to the shutter problem.
From Jean-Luc Louicellier:
(About Zenit-19): A GREAT camera ! very large viewfinder, very very
accurate lighmeter, original and efficient ergonomy. Mine is 22-year-old
and works great. Seems to be easy to maintain/repair too. A very
good and very attractive M42 camera.
From Henderson Tozer
I got a Zenit EM off of Ebay for $12 just becuase it looked interesting.
I already had a minolta which I thought was great. When I recieved
the camera I loaded in some film thinking that the results would
be interesting as I did not quite trust a camera made by the USSR.
When I got the pictures back they were the sharpest and most vibrantly
colored pictures I have ever taken. At the time I was taking a photography
class so I decided to use the Zenit for fun. Not only did I find it
better than my minolta but my pictures are to be published in
my schools magazine as a special (I did a documentary of my high schools
championship track meet). Zenits are better than they are cracked up to be.
From Matt Bradbury:
I now have two of these tank-like brutes (Zenit-E) along with a ES-Photosniper.
I'd never use anything else apart from a Zenit, built to last
unlike some of the quality i have seen in the build of other cameras. A Zenit
always raises a smile among photographers (How many started with a Zenit?) and
the photosniper attains instant attention! (Fortunatly not yet from the police!)
Long live ZENIT!
From Kaushik Chattopadhyaya
Zenit 122 is a nice camera with basic features. The price tag
is highly reasonable and yet it had compromised on the quality of its normal
lens(helios) which is great. The depth
of field preview facility coupled with the shutter relaease
button is very handy. In India zenit is a widely known camera
and for its reasonable price tag it is much in demand. My opinion is that zenit
has a good future in India especially in basic slr and rangefinder segments. It
is disappointing that zenit does not have a marketing wing in India,forcing the
consumers to rely on the grey market. Indian market is surprisingly large and far
from being saturated - it is infact
untapped. If kodak,olympus,canon can bring out low end and mid-end products
specifically for India and meet with resounding success why not zenit. Another
way to revel the Indo-Russian relationship which has so successfully survived
the ravages of time. Come to India there is a lot of space under the sun!
From David Popp:
I bought this camera on a fleamarket in Germany. I was looking for a
cheap camera for my journey through Australia in 2004. It was my first contact
with SLR's, and so I decided to buy a cheap one. It's a really heavy brick and
quite reliable. My mates on our Oz-tour had EOS cameras, one suddenly stopped
working - A$400 to repair - and one doesn't take clear pictures anymore. The
Zenit had no trouble at all and it was easy to find cheap lenses in pawn shops
and in ebay. I reckon it's a very good and reliable beginners camera. Now I'm
thinking of buying a Praktica MTL5, because of the shutter speeds.
From Chris Lee
Say what they will, zenit and nearly all of the commie cameras are
truely great. they are fun to use, give great results and are agricultural in
manufacture, and I mean that kindly. I also have a TAL2 200mm astro telsescope
and its fantastic! Beats the yankee plastic ones outright! and it comes in a
great big baltic pine box, which will double as a coffin when I cast this mortal
coil..now what else would you want.
From Luke Krancioch:
I started photography with a Zenith TTL which I will always remember
fondly- it never gave any trouble despite the abuse thrown at it over the years.
Although now I'm mostly using Nikkormats I still wont touch automatic cameras
with a bargepole and recently bought this Zenit EM at a car boot sale for
virtually nothing- I'm looking forward to reliving those old days again via this
little gem which seems to be functioning 100%
From Hilary Cuerden-Clifford
I had the version with the Selenium meter in the face of the pentaprism.
I bought it second hand, so my comments might be tempered by some previous
problems the camera had - though cosmetically it was faultless.
It was the worst camera I ever owned. Heavy, but of only moderate quality.
It had arcane features such as a lift to set rotating shutter dial
(acceptable on Leicas up to 1960 but very poor on a 1970s reflex).
It was very poorly designed and took low-quality photographs
(light leaks, sticking shutter, problems with focus etc). I got rid of it
with pleasure. I don't think that it had a single feature worth praise.
What was your impression of Zenit?
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