Difference between revisions of "Zenit"

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m (Attempt to render the script/italic version of the Zenit name, with the m-like character)
(Rewrote the bit about Zenit versus Leica M39 thread. Feel free to undo/edit! A few other small changes)
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'''Zenit''' cameras (sometimes badged in Cyrillic, '''ЗЕНИТ''' or '''''Зe<small>H</small>uḿ''''') were made by the [[KMZ]] factory near Moscow.  The original Zenit was an [[SLR]] based on the [[Zorki]] [[rangefinder camera|rangefinder]].
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'''Zenit''' cameras (sometimes badged in Cyrillic, '''ЗЕНИТ''' or '''''Зe<small>H</small>uḿ''''') were made by the [[KMZ]] factory near Moscow.  The original [[Zenit 1|Zenit]] is an [[SLR]] based on the [[Zorki]] [[rangefinder camera|rangefinder]] (itself based on the [[FED]], which is a copy of the Leica II).
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The first few Zenit cameras have a 39 mm screw thread lens mount, exactly like that of the Zorki. The differences between the screw thread and that of any Leica-mount lens are trivial, but the SLR Zenit has a deeper body, to accommodate the mirror, so lenses made for the early Zenit are correspondingly shorter. Leica-mount lenses will fit on the camera, but the focus scale will be incorrect, and the lens will only focus at close range (the converse situation, a Zenit M39 lens mounted on a Zorki, is even worse; the lens only focuses 'beyond infinity', i.e. not at all). The early Zenit lenses are sometimes described as having a 'Zenit M39' mount to distinguish it from the more common [[39mm screw lenses|Leica thread mount]]). Some Soviet lenses such as the [[Industar-50]] can be found with an extension tube allowing the same lens to mount on a Zorki (with the tube) or an M39 Zenit (without it). Later Zenits have an M42 screw lens mount.
  
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The early Zenit SLR have a specific screw mount, 39mm in diameter, sometimes called "ZM39" (or "Zenit M39") to distinguish it from the regular M39 (or [[39mm screw lenses|Leica thread mount]]). If you mount an LTM lens on these cameras you can only focus at close range, not at infinity, due to the lens position.
 
  
 
== Zenit M39 SLR ==
 
== Zenit M39 SLR ==
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* [[Zenit 1]]
 
* [[Zenit 1]]
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* [[Zenit C]]
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* [[Zenit C]] (sometimes called the Zenit S; the 'C' is the Cyrillic S)
 
* [[Zenit 3]]
 
* [[Zenit 3]]
 
* [[Kristall (KMZ)|Kristall]] (Crystal)
 
* [[Kristall (KMZ)|Kristall]] (Crystal)

Revision as of 10:22, 4 April 2012


Zenit cameras (sometimes badged in Cyrillic, ЗЕНИТ or ЗeHuḿ) were made by the KMZ factory near Moscow. The original Zenit is an SLR based on the Zorki rangefinder (itself based on the FED, which is a copy of the Leica II).

The first few Zenit cameras have a 39 mm screw thread lens mount, exactly like that of the Zorki. The differences between the screw thread and that of any Leica-mount lens are trivial, but the SLR Zenit has a deeper body, to accommodate the mirror, so lenses made for the early Zenit are correspondingly shorter. Leica-mount lenses will fit on the camera, but the focus scale will be incorrect, and the lens will only focus at close range (the converse situation, a Zenit M39 lens mounted on a Zorki, is even worse; the lens only focuses 'beyond infinity', i.e. not at all). The early Zenit lenses are sometimes described as having a 'Zenit M39' mount to distinguish it from the more common Leica thread mount). Some Soviet lenses such as the Industar-50 can be found with an extension tube allowing the same lens to mount on a Zorki (with the tube) or an M39 Zenit (without it). Later Zenits have an M42 screw lens mount.


Zenit M39 SLR

2928162599_32e977a213_m.jpg
Kristall
image by Siim Vahur (Image rights)
2708037096_796741f3cc_m.jpg
Zenit C
image by Siim Vahur (Image rights)
5486272427_1cce8bb731_m.jpg
Zenit 1
image by Dustin McAmera (Image rights)


Leaf shutter SLR

  • Zenit 4
  • Zenit 5
  • Zenit 6

Breech/M42/Bayonet Triple Mount SLR

  • Zenit 7

M42 SLR

4273838151_960ce9a1ea_m.jpg
FS-3 Photosniper
image by Siim Vahur (Image rights)
4352417609_0b92b4957d_m.jpg

Zenit E
image by bottledog (Image rights)
5550125193_d94b5ed640_m.jpg

Zenit B
image by darerampage (Image rights)


K-mount SLR

  • Zenit 14
  • Zenit 20
  • Zenit 21
  • Zenit 122k
  • Zenit 212k
  • Zenit 22
  • Zenit AM
  • Zenit AM2
  • Zenit APK
  • Zenit Automat
  • Zenit KM

Prototype SLR (Never or only a few produced)

  • Zenit 11 (1964)
  • Zenit 15
  • Zenit 2000
  • Zenit 66
  • Zenit 9
  • Zenit Automat D
  • Zenit Pre-series
  • Zenit T1-MTL

Compact 35mm

Bibliography

  • Princelle, Jean-Loup. The Authentic Guide to Russian and Soviet Cameras. Hove Foto Books, 2nd edition, 1995. 200 pages. ISBN 1874031630.

Links

Retrieved from "http://camera-wiki.org/index.php?title=Zenit&oldid=129482"