Zenit: someone use them?

gone · Jun 15, 2016

I really liked my Zenit E, but the shutter would occasionally cap and invariably ruin the best shot on the roll. Very frustrating. To be fair, I had other makes of cameras that did that too, but was able to fix those. Mine also had a line that ran right down the middle of the viewfinder, which I am pretty sure was prism separation. After several failed attempts to fix the shutter capping I retired it and put the Helios lens on a Canon FT QL body w/ a simple adapter. Wow, what a great lens! I prefer the earlier designs that have the little stop down pin on the back, as they have that wonderful swirley bokeh. Mine made great portraits wide open, and was sharp as heck stopped down a little. Between it and my Nikkor PC 50 2 I had the 50 lenses covered. It was difficult to say which I preferred, as they had different qualities.

In short, the Zenit confirmed what I had found w/ the LTM FSU cameras back when I shot rangefinders. Keep the lenses, use the camera as a rear element body cap.

darkosaric · Jun 15, 2016

Tried - but sold it after a week. Usual FSU story: great lenses, but frustrating camera body.

AgX · Jun 15, 2016

4season said:
Likely the camera fired off a burst while I was carrying it in my bag. Though the shutter button is the two-stage type and requires a firm push, it would only take a few seconds of pressing down on it to do the deed. Reorienting the camera in my bag seemed to help. But even while shooting, it's too easy to fire off a second or third photo without meaning to.

You might consider installing a microswitch (at the battery compartment?), or designing a cap to put over the camera top or grip.

Antigen · Jun 15, 2016

Hi,

i have found a perfect Zenit 12XP like new.

The only problem that I have is the lightmeter.

The reading are perfect, i have compared with an external light meter.

if you approach your eye to the viewfinder perfectly reading it is perfect, but as soon as there is an infiltration of light in the viewfinder, the reading is wrong.

In particular, if you use glasses the meter reading is not reliable (because the lighter pass in the viewfinder)

You know how to fix or if you have an eyepiece to use to cancel the effect?

AgX · Jun 15, 2016

You may try a rubber eye cup.

trythis · Jun 15, 2016

Antigen said:
Hi,

i have found a perfect Zenit 12XP like new.

The only problem that I have is the lightmeter.

The reading are perfect, i have compared with an external light meter.

if you approach your eye to the viewfinder perfectly reading it is perfect, but as soon as there is an infiltration of light in the viewfinder, the reading is wrong.

In particular, if you use glasses the meter reading is not reliable (because the lighter pass in the viewfinder)

You know how to fix or if you have an eyepiece to use to cancel the effect?

Search ebay for an m42 adapter for an eos body and attach the good lens to a good eos body. Problem solved!

OptiKen · Jun 15, 2016

I have a Zenit E that I have not shot a roll through yet but found it uncomfortable and clunky in a test run.
The Helios 44 is a fantastic lens but the very swirly bokah took some getting used to. There are definitely times that it doesn't work with the subject.

4season · Jun 15, 2016

Simply shading the Zenit 12's eyepiece with my hand seemed to work better than eyecup + glasses.

blockend · Jun 15, 2016

I like the fact that people still use Zenits, but they're not for me. Compared to a Nikkormat, Spotmatic, Canon FTb, Minolta ST, for little extra cash, Zenits are agricultural in the extreme.

I have a bunch of Zenit m39 lenses but can't build any enthusiasm to get a body to fit them.

Dennis S · Jun 15, 2016

Have a Zenit E which I seldom/never use but the Russian lenses are adapted to be used on many of my SLRs and produce great results. Plan on getting a Fed 5C to mount some RF lenses I have come across. Jupiter 9 and a Industar 61.

tokam · Jun 16, 2016

Be wary of the latch on the door of the camera, Zenit E, if you are shooting the camera in the ER case. The camera will move up and down in the case and as the latch rubs on the ER case on the LHS, (looking from back of camera), it will come undone allowing the door to open a fraction.

When I first used this camera in the mid 70's I had numerous films where some of the frames had vertical overexposed streaks where light had leaked in when winding on the film. I got used to checking the camera frequently and closing and re-latching the film door. A friend helped me make a "C" shaped clamp from a strip of brass which I wedged over the left hand end of the camera to keep the door latch securely closed.

Lots of memorable pics with that Zenit E from 1973 to 1978 when I jumped into Canon FD gear. The Zenit still sits neglected in an old camera bag and it barely fires now as the shutter curtain struggles to get across the film gate. Should put it out of its misery.

AgX · Jun 16, 2016

Speaking of the ever-ready case: I have not came across any SLR-case that has as sturdy leather quality as the Zenit one. Inside it is even covered with another, soft leather quality.

cuthbert · Jun 17, 2016

AgX said:
Speaking of the ever-ready case: I have not came across any SLR-case that has as sturdy leather quality as the Zenit one. Inside it is even covered with another, soft leather quality.

The leather they used looks like something that would fit a pair of riding boots....even if I prefer the grainy leather used on Spotmatics' cases at the touch.

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 17, 2016

trythis said:
Search ebay for an m42 adapter for an eos body and attach the good lens to a good eos body. Problem solved!

That's very smart!
But that defeats the objective of this thread: to use a Zenit body.

blockend said:
I like the fact that people still use Zenits, but they're not for me. Compared to a Nikkormat, Spotmatic, Canon FTb, Minolta ST, for little extra cash, Zenits are agricultural in the extreme.

I have a bunch of Zenit m39 lenses but can't build any enthusiasm to get a body to fit them.

Send your m39 lenses to me!
I'll find a nice Zenit 2C or a 3M for it.

foc · Jun 17, 2016

My Zenit 11 (1985) was bought on ebay UK a few years ago. I check with the seller and he said he had it from new so that meant that it had been imported into the Uk through T&OE (Technical & Optical Equipment) in London. They had very good quality control checks and repairs on all their Russian cameras. As a result any Zenit from them would last. Infact one of their ex service engineers, Roger Lean services a Fed & Zorki 4 for me a few years ago and we chatted about Zenits.

Here is an article about the company http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/toe/

Here is an April 01 joke I did a few years ago. ( the Zenit 11 D) https://www.flickr.com/photos/50664634@N08/5845006428/in/dateposted-public/

4season · Jun 17, 2016

foc said:
Here is an April 01 joke I did a few years ago. ( the Zenit 11 D) https://www.flickr.com/photos/50664634@N08/5845006428/in/dateposted-public/

The joke's on you--they really were exploring digital cameras at one point!
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http://www.zenitcamera.com/qa/qa-digital.html
http://www.zenitcamera.com/qa/qa-digital.html (original page in Russian)

Wouldn't those Zenit Z1 and D-L3 mockups make a great collector's items.

cuthbert · Jun 17, 2016

foc said:
My Zenit 11 (1985) was bought on ebay UK a few years ago. I check with the seller and he said he had it from new so that meant that it had been imported into the Uk through T&OE (Technical & Optical Equipment) in London. They had very good quality control checks and repairs on all their Russian cameras. As a result any Zenit from them would last. Infact one of their ex service engineers, Roger Lean services a Fed & Zorki 4 for me a few years ago and we chatted about Zenits.

Here is an article about the company http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/toe/

The 12XP I bought in mint conditions had their warranty card. And yes from a quality point of view it looks flawless.

Antigen · Jun 18, 2016

But an EOS with the m42 adapter don't lose the infinity focus?

Links_147 · Jun 18, 2016

Part of me really wants to get one of the modern MC Zenitar lenses from lomography and put it on my XP12/XP12s photosniper body. I don't use my Zenit bodies very often however I do make a point of keeping one around so if I am out shooting with a friend and the batteries in his Nikon powerzoom run out I can hand him a Zenit loaded with FP4+.
Just in case anyone is unfamiliar with the lens I'm talking about you can find it here;
http://shop.lomography.com/en/lenses/other-lenses/mc-zenitar-m-2-8-16-fisheye-lens-1

zozur · Jun 18, 2016

I have few Zenits body but I was disappointed when my film was broken after rewind. So I don't have much love for these cameras.

Cycler · Jun 18, 2016

When I was in the local camera club we had a talk from the local Police photographer. He kept a small stock of Zenith Photosnipers for use by detectives on observation jobs. First because most detectives were a bit rough on kit and didn't seem to understand simple rules like, "Photo gear is NOT intended to be slung in odd corners when not in use!" And because if an obo team were disturbed by villains they could use the Zenith as a weapon. And, most times, it would still function as a camera afterwards. Equally important, Zeniths weren't too much of a drain upon his limited budget.

onre · Jun 18, 2016

Antigen said:
But an EOS with the m42 adapter don't lose the infinity focus?

Why would it? M42 flange distance is 45,46 millimeters, EOS 44 millimeters. Just enough space for an adapter.

darkosaric · Jun 20, 2016

onre said:
M42 flange distance is 45,46 millimeters, EOS 44 millimeters.

EOS is there really great, you can also use nikkors on EOS with an adapter.

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 20, 2016

onre said:
Why would it? M42 flange distance is 45,46 millimeters, EOS 44 millimeters. Just enough space for an adapter.

darkosaric said:
EOS is there really great, you can also use nikkors on EOS with an adapter.

Yeahhhhhhh! Greaaaaaaaaat!
Now, would you please show me a fully MECHANICAL EOS? Pretty please?
Thanks a lot!

onre · Jun 20, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Yeahhhhhhh! Greaaaaaaaaat!
Now, would you please show me a fully MECHANICAL EOS? Pretty please?
Thanks a lot!

Original post was about losing infinity focus with an adapter. No idea what that has to do with cameras being fully mechanical or not.

I'd say that number 1 problem with Zenits is the factory lubrication. After cleaning and re-lubricating they tend to work just fine.

Zenit: someone use them?

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