Zenit 3M - which pressure plate?

[AgX]

Some time ago I acquired a Zenit 3M made by KMZ, but overlooked that the pressure plate was lacking.

Meanwhile two soviet pressure plates made their way to my stuff:

-) one from a Zorki (I guess) that would fit the 3M with little grinding at the latch openings, but that would ly inbetween the lateral guide rails of the Zenit.

-) one that would fit directly, but being very filimsy with the back opened and likely then to fall out. It would sit on the lateral guide rails. Thus forming a channel for the film.


The mere fact that the Zenit 3M got these rails and moreover got them grinded, make me think that it was intended to yield a film channel, as in installing the 2nd pressure plate.


Can someone who got a 3M confirm this?
(At looking laterally into the inside at halfway closing the back it is possibke to see whether the plate rests inbetween or on the lateral rails.)

 

[AgX]

bumb

 

[RLangham]

I would email Oleg Khalyavin and order a proper pressure plate from him. He has thousands of parts bodies and sent me, for instance, a Zorki pressure plate for... he quoted his price in roubles and I ended up paying him in Euro, but it came out to about 12 USD after shipping and handling.

EDIT: I finally found his email. photocameras@mail.ru

 

[AgX]

Thank you for that hint. But basically it was an academic question, on which type of plate belongs there, but all hints direct to the wide type.

The fact alone that I found a solo plate of the wide type at the same place I found the camera lacking its plate and that the plate fits only losely is a hint that the camerea come with that one.
About the reason I got no idea. The spring plate is stamped, thus got a fixed lenght. There seems to be no mis-bending either. The studs at the back are most likely fixed by means of a gauge, thus of standard positions too.

Anyway, as even at changing films the plate is likely to fall out, I shall glue one side of the spring plate in central position with hot-melt to the back. By this there is no chance of it falling out and still there is enough lateral play at compression.


Ordering anything is out of question as I just lost an internationa parcel within Germany after passing customs and DHL is completely unresponsive. (First time I have had something sent from abroad for over 15 years, prior shipments were utmost troublesome at DHL too...)

 

[RLangham]

Thank you for that hint. But basically it was an academic question, on which type of plate belongs there, but all hints direct to the wide type.

The fact alone that I found a solo plate of the wide type at the same place I found the camera lacking its plate and that the plate fits only losely is a hint that the camerea come with that one.
About the reason I got no idea. The spring plate is stamped, thus got a fixed lenght. There seems to be no mis-bending either. The studs at the back are most likely fixed by means of a gauge, thus of standard positions too.

Anyway, as even at changing films the plate is likely to fall out, I shall glue one side of the spring plate in central position with hot-melt to the back. By this there is no chance of it falling out and still there is enough lateral play at compression.


Ordering anything is out of question as I just lost an internationa parcel within Germany after passing customs and DHL is completely unresponsive. (First time I have had something sent from abroad for over 15 years, prior shipments were utmost troublesome at DHL too...)

Yes, my Zenit E has a pressure plate that falls out too, and I think it's the original! The Zenit E should have a similar back door casting to the 3M.
Honestly I have fun with these Zenits. People hate them because of shutter irregularities and jams and things but the Zenit S is the nicest made of all my Soviet cameras, even compared to the Zorki S, which it's directly derived from. I'd honestly consider getting other Zenits.

Did you know Che Guevarra, when he was killed, was carrying a Zenit 3M?

 

[AgX]

So far I had no plate falling out a Zenit E, actually never before with any camera (Pentacon for instance applied same type of fixture of the pressure plate).