I would like to introduce my cameras to you. Today is one of my first cameras, and the first reflex one. An old Zenit ET.
Zenit ET (Zenith ET) - Made in USSR by KMZ (Krasnogorskiy Mekhanicheskiy Zavod - Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works). Design of the camera is dated for 1965.
Some specifications:
Type: Reflex camera
Lens: replaceable, thread M42, originally mounted Lens HELIOS M44 2/58 Aperture: from 2 to 16
Shutter: focal-plane shutter
Shutter times: from 1/30 to 1/500 plus B
Viewfinder: pentagonal prism.
Self-timer: 7 s.
Exposure-meter: external selenium exposure-meter, placed above the lens.
Frame size: 24×36
My comment: In 1997 my mother bought this camera for me from a Russian or Belarussian woman who was visiting us sometimes for selling some things in the markets and bring goods to USSR. It was my first reflex camera, a real one. I took hundreds of photos using it, especially during my trips to Scotland. The camera was exposed to a hard weather and travel conditions during that trips. Finally its chassis started to leak some light, so some of the pictures had a bright smudges (about 10 from 36 pictures on each film). Later another problems appeared whit the shutter springs. I needed to hit camera with a stone or something to make it work. The camera ended on the shelf in my living room as a part of decoration.
Those specification and my comments are also added to the subpage of my blog.
cameras camera lens focal plane shutter frame size kmz m42 m44 mechanical works pentagonal prism reflex camera selenium self timer shutter times travel conditions ussr weather zenit
Hi, I’ve got this camera too.
Do you know if is possible to find a manual for it?
Thanks, bye.
Luigi, I don’t know, there should be something online, but probably only in Russian. What exactly do you want to know? In my opinion Zenit ET is very simple in use. Maybe I know the answer to your question.
Hi
I’ve just bought a zenit ET and there’s something I don’t understand.
1) The aperture dial has numbers from f2 to ff22 on it, but the red dot marking the aperture only moves from f2 to f4.
2) I can see in the lens that on “f4″ I actually have a _wider_ aperture, and on “f2″ it’s a narrower aperture. This is the wrong way round! What gives?
If you can help at all with this mystery, I’d be grateful!
lex
Ah, sorry, found the problem - I was moving the ring with the red dot on it, not the actual aperture ring - should the ring with the red dot on it be moving at all?
Lex, I will check it tomorrow, when I am at home. however, check if you are moving just a dial or whole lens, for it is thread M42.
Hi, I’ve got this camera too.
Do you know if is possible to find a manual for it?
Thanks, bye.
I got Zenit ET and really need to know how to put a film into it corectly. Please help me. I don’t want to spoil a camera or a film.
Also, is there any kind of information I could read how to get the best out of this camera????