KMZ has it's own web page
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! (Yahoo removed all groups in 2012)
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.
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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 (?).
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Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Models from 1983 had brighter viewfinder.
Similar to Zenit TTL, but with larger mirror and match-LED instead of match-needle.
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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.
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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 Freshnel 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.
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(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 Y. 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 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:
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 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 :
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
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 :
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 : 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 : 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 :
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 :
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 light meter 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 latitude) still works wonders. The
Industar is also great with black and white. I now cherish my cheap boat
anchor.
What was your impression of Zenit?