Difference between revisions of "Zenit 1"
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The '''Zenit''' (or Zenit 1) is a 35mm [[SLR]] camera made by [[KMZ |Krasnogorski Mekhanicheskii Zavod (KMZ)]] in Krasnagorsk near Moscow in the USSR, during the cold political climate of the early 1950’s. [[KMZ]] was established in 1941. This is the first model to use the 'Zenit' name, and the founder of a long dynasty. It was produced between 1952 and '56. It is a particularly sturdy and clever little camera based on the Zorki rangefinder which [[KMZ]] were already making, and following the original [[Leica]] camera concept, but taken one step further to become an [[SLR]] with a fixed eyelevel [[pentaprism]] finder. The camera's mechanical design is arguably rather basic; it arrived too early for upcoming innovations used in its successors. The lens mount is a 39mm screw thread, but the film register is longer than in Leica rangefinders (in order to allow room for the mirror of the SLR); this excludes the use of Leica-mount lenses except for close up work<ref>Leica-mount lenses may indeed be useful for close work: for example, the [[Industar 61 |Industar-61]] from a FED rangefinder, with the focus scale at infinity, focuses at about 25 cm when mounted on the Zenit.</ref>. The removable base plate is identical in size to that on the Leica, but not interchangeable (it is identical to that on the Zorki of the same age). The outer body, including the mirror housing, is a one piece alloy casting, the top cover is in two pieces, while inside, the shutter crate is a separately cast unit. The shutter is a cloth focal-plane one, very like that on the Zorki rangefinder cameras. | The '''Zenit''' (or Zenit 1) is a 35mm [[SLR]] camera made by [[KMZ |Krasnogorski Mekhanicheskii Zavod (KMZ)]] in Krasnagorsk near Moscow in the USSR, during the cold political climate of the early 1950’s. [[KMZ]] was established in 1941. This is the first model to use the 'Zenit' name, and the founder of a long dynasty. It was produced between 1952 and '56. It is a particularly sturdy and clever little camera based on the Zorki rangefinder which [[KMZ]] were already making, and following the original [[Leica]] camera concept, but taken one step further to become an [[SLR]] with a fixed eyelevel [[pentaprism]] finder. The camera's mechanical design is arguably rather basic; it arrived too early for upcoming innovations used in its successors. The lens mount is a 39mm screw thread, but the film register is longer than in Leica rangefinders (in order to allow room for the mirror of the SLR); this excludes the use of Leica-mount lenses except for close up work<ref>Leica-mount lenses may indeed be useful for close work: for example, the [[Industar 61 |Industar-61]] from a FED rangefinder, with the focus scale at infinity, focuses at about 25 cm when mounted on the Zenit.</ref>. The removable base plate is identical in size to that on the Leica, but not interchangeable (it is identical to that on the Zorki of the same age). The outer body, including the mirror housing, is a one piece alloy casting, the top cover is in two pieces, while inside, the shutter crate is a separately cast unit. The shutter is a cloth focal-plane one, very like that on the Zorki rangefinder cameras. | ||
| − | The standard lens is either an [[ | + | The standard lens is either an [[Industar-22]] or an [[Industar-50]]. Both are 50 mm f/3.5 coated [[Tessar]]-type lenses<ref>See these and other [http://www.commiecameras.com/sov/35mmsinglelensreflexcameras/lenses/index.htm lenses for M39 Zenit cameras] at [http://www.commiecameras.com/index.htm Zathan Dayton's 'Communist Cameras']</ref>. |
[[KMZ]] was one of the early pioneers in the field of 35mm SLR’s, Zenit being the ninth 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, excluding a few exotic and scarce models, mainly from central Europe, and it is the second to appear from this country, the first being the less impressive GOMZ [[Sport (SLR)|Sport]]. Its better known contemporaries are the [[Asahiflex]] and the [[Contaflex (SLR)|Contaflex]]. | [[KMZ]] was one of the early pioneers in the field of 35mm SLR’s, Zenit being the ninth 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, excluding a few exotic and scarce models, mainly from central Europe, and it is the second to appear from this country, the first being the less impressive GOMZ [[Sport (SLR)|Sport]]. Its better known contemporaries are the [[Asahiflex]] and the [[Contaflex (SLR)|Contaflex]]. | ||
Revision as of 17:19, 1 March 2011
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| Zenit 1 image by M*LoW - Massimo (Image rights) |
The Zenit (or Zenit 1) is a 35mm SLR camera made by Krasnogorski Mekhanicheskii Zavod (KMZ) in Krasnagorsk near Moscow in the USSR, during the cold political climate of the early 1950’s. KMZ was established in 1941. This is the first model to use the 'Zenit' name, and the founder of a long dynasty. It was produced between 1952 and '56. It is a particularly sturdy and clever little camera based on the Zorki rangefinder which KMZ were already making, and following the original Leica camera concept, but taken one step further to become an SLR with a fixed eyelevel pentaprism finder. The camera's mechanical design is arguably rather basic; it arrived too early for upcoming innovations used in its successors. The lens mount is a 39mm screw thread, but the film register is longer than in Leica rangefinders (in order to allow room for the mirror of the SLR); this excludes the use of Leica-mount lenses except for close up work[1]. The removable base plate is identical in size to that on the Leica, but not interchangeable (it is identical to that on the Zorki of the same age). The outer body, including the mirror housing, is a one piece alloy casting, the top cover is in two pieces, while inside, the shutter crate is a separately cast unit. The shutter is a cloth focal-plane one, very like that on the Zorki rangefinder cameras.
The standard lens is either an Industar-22 or an Industar-50. Both are 50 mm f/3.5 coated Tessar-type lenses[2].
KMZ was one of the early pioneers in the field of 35mm SLR’s, Zenit being the ninth 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, excluding a few exotic and scarce models, mainly from central Europe, and it is the second to appear from this country, the first being the less impressive GOMZ Sport. Its better known contemporaries are the Asahiflex and the Contaflex.
The Zenit, the name engraved in Cyrillic letters on the prism housing front[3], is the first in a long and popular series of cameras gradually evolving throughout the remaining period of the past century. The first improvement was to include flash synchronization with the model Zenit C[4]. A substantially different camera body with a number of improved features(the Zenit 3) was introduced in 1960. It's successors, the Crystal and the similar Zenit 3M, had most notably lever film advance and a hinged back for easier film loading, at the expense of a somewhat larger body.
Specifications
- Type: 35 mm single-lens reflex camera
- Format: 24x36 mm on standard 135 cassette film
- Manufacturer: KMZ
- Years of production: 1952-56
- Number produced: Est. 39 019[5]
- Standard lenses:
- Industar-22 1:3.5 F=5 cm
- Industar-50 1:3.5 F=5 cm
- Shutter: Cloth focal-plane shutter. 1/25 - 1/500 sec plus B. Cable release socket in shutter release button. No delayed action. No flash synchronisation.
- Viewfinder: Pentaprism viewfinder with ground glass focusing screen. No prismatic focusing aids.
- Dimensions (width x depth x height): 140 x 50 x 90 mm (body only); depth with Industar-22 approx. 77 mm
- Weight: 540 g body only); 610 g with Industar-22.
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Notes
- ↑ Leica-mount lenses may indeed be useful for close work: for example, the Industar-61 from a FED rangefinder, with the focus scale at infinity, focuses at about 25 cm when mounted on the Zenit.
- ↑ See these and other lenses for M39 Zenit cameras at Zathan Dayton's 'Communist Cameras'
- ↑ The Zenit 1 camera line archive page (in Russian) at Zenit-Camera.com also shows pre-production versions with different styling.
- ↑ Nathan Dayton's site states that examples of the Zenit 1 (also the Zorki 1d) exist to which flash synchronisation was added as a modification after purchase.
- ↑ Yuri Boguslavsky (who trades in Soviet cameras as 'Fedka') states 'The camera was probably never exported'.
