Since for some time I have been asked about the manual for Zenit ET, and I ddin’t have one, I decided to describe the basics.
1. To open its body you have to pull up the small hand wheel on the top used to rewind the film.
2. To rewind the film you have to use the small hand wheel on the top together with a metal ring around the trigger button (you have to push that ring down - not the trigger - and hold to rewind the film)
3. Exposure meter: just right to the ISO/DIN ring and hand wheel you can find a scale built in the body of the camera. There is a indicating needle and a indicating ring. When they are overlying then it means that the adjustment of shutter time and aperture is OK. When the needle and the ring are in the different positions then picture will be overexposed or underexposed. Use the shutter time knob, aperture ring on the lenses to gain the proper adjustment.
4. Self timer spring and button are placed in the front of the camera.
5. The exposure meter in this camera is not TTL (through the lenses) and the sensor is placed just above the lenses. During examining the exposure try not to cover the sensor with your fingers.
6. As you probably noticed it is manual camera. It is not an electronic device. There is no film winding engine, no auto focus etc.
Thanks so much for posting this! I recently got a Zenit ET as a gift. The first thing I did, of course, was run a test roll through it and I couldn’t figure out how to reverse the film!
Glad I found this! Thanks again!
Hey! Thanks a ton for this tutorial. I have a couple of questions about the exposure meter though. I noticed that when you turn the ISO dial, the ring moves, but what do you have to do to get the needle to move? I don’t know if these cameras require a battery or if my meter is just broken, but if you know anything about this let me know, thanks!
“..I noticed that when you turn the ISO dial, the ring moves, but what do you have to do to get the needle to move?..” i was thinking about this before too) but u don’t have to move the needle.. it moves by itself depending on the light of the subject or whatever, and when it moves, it’s ur turn to move the ring above the needle.. for example try to focus the camera on a bright subject or just try to make a pic in a bright scene.. and look at the needle.. then just cover the exposure meter sensor, and look at the ring again.. u don’t have to do anything with it) just move the ring.. and there is something more about that ring next to the ISO/DIN ring.. if u want i’ll tell u later..)
ps. sorry for my english) and for my way of explaining things) if there is something not clear about what i said, ask)
you have no idea how much you’ve helped me. i fucking love you right now. thank you very much. i got the same two problems: rewind and and the needle. i bought it off the street from a souvenir guy and i thought it was broken. now i’m using it like crazy. cheers mate. thanks again.
Hello there
I just bought a Zenit ET and I was told that it can take black and white pictures…but how???
Can you help me please
well, it is simple and has nothing to do with the camera. You just need to buy a black and white camera film.
lol
that’s it?
thanks a lot !!:)
but I have another problem
I don’t know how to take the film out without ruin it.
thanks for your help
Hi
After you have finished the film, just press down the aluminium ring around the shutter trigger and then rewind the film using the hand wheel on the left side top of the camera. You can easily feel it when the film has rewound fully. Then pull the hand wheel upwards to open the body and take out the film roll.
what year is this camera?
Hi there
I recently bought a ET, but I seem to have a problem with the ‘curtain’. When I take a picture, the mirrors don’t flip back. Is this normal? When I forward the film, they get back in position, but someone told me that the curtain does not remove. Is there a manual to fix this? Tnx
thnks for the manual/guides….by the way i found out that this camera only have focusing is there any way i cn get zooming lense that is suitable for the lense hole?
i notice the ring above the nidle, and it can be moved by a first wheel. but what is the wheel between the “ring wheel” and handwheel for? although i can move that just if i use something thin to move it, like a pencil. if im right, your calling it iso/din.
i’ll appreciate if you would answer my question. thx
i notice the ring above the nidle, and it can be moved by a first wheel. but what is the wheel between the “ring wheel” and handwheel for? although i can move that just if i use something thin to move it, like a pencil. if im right, your calling it iso/din.
i’ll appreciate if you would answer my question. thx
hey there
i have the same curtain problem like above.
the curtain dont want to move, only when i push the curtain down with my fingers.
how to fix it?
Thank you for the useful website. I don’t find that the indicating ring moves at all when I adjust the shutter knob. It only moves when I move the ring just below the iso/din ring–is this another shutter time knob?! It does seem to be labeled in the correct increments: 500, 250, 125, 60, etc.. Btw, thanks for showing me how to get the film out–too late for that roll, but I’m hoping for better luck next time. Beautiful photos of Ireland.