The Zenith Sharpshooter

<p>Shoot ? Yes. Sharp ? Define, "sharp."</p>

<p><a href="http://westfordcomp.com/foundfilm/sharpshooter/sharpshooter.html">Click</a></p>

<p>Too bad there was only one shot from this roll. I love looking at the pictures you manage to get from your found films.</p>

<p>It's interesting that you posted this today. I was just looking at some box cameras on eBay and wondering what kind of pictures could be expected from them. Now I know. Thanks.</p>

<p>I love it!</p>

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<p><small>For the interior shots I placed The Sharpshooter on a solid surface, leaned a 221 pound weight against the camera and used the "time" setting. I counted to five or something.</small></p>

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<p>It's so good to see the old ways have not been abandoned. ;)</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>"Time-Snap" is a lot funkier than "Time-Inst."...Obviously built strong, too, to survive the Time Exposure methodology. Great post,<strong> Gene</strong>.</p>

<p>I was expecting a Zenit photosniper outfit.</p>

<p>Is it just me, or does the front of this camera look like a face?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Yes John, all those old box cameras had faces, intentional you see. The "time" setting always fascinates me, time out, time for a cup of tea, time heals all ills...a very useful feature indeed.<br>

Great post again, and the use of the quadpod and around five second feature is a lesson for us all!</p>

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<p>I was expecting a Zenit photosniper outfit.</p>

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<p>Me too! Nonetheless, thanks for sharing, Gene.</p>

<p>Very cool. </p>

<p>I couldn't help but think some hipster would pay $$$$ for the glasses that woman is wearing in the picture.</p>

<p>I recently acquired one of these! There was no film inside mine, not even a film spool, but the strap is still in place. It's a rubber strip held in place at the back by a glorified pop-rivit. The front is just slipped into the slot where the Time/Snap lever is and held from slipping out by a large staple. This arrangement also makes it hard to move the Time/Snap lever from one setting to the other.<br>

I suspect a SharpShooter is a very close relative of a JEM Jr, made by JE Mergott Co. Even the film/lens insert is interchangeable with a JEM Jr. Did Mergott sell its design to Zenith? Did Zenith steal the design and put their own name on it? Was this an example of corporate espionage and patent infringements between companies engaged in the highly competitive field of manufacturing box cameras in the 1940s? The couple in the photo might have been the last ones to know those answers.</p>

<p>Todd</p>

<p>You're right about The JEM. </p>

<p><a href="http://westfordcomp.com/classics/spectatorflash/feb10/feb20/spectatorjem.html">CLICK</a></p>

<p>Nice steady shots. I had one of those 220+ weights for holding the camera still. Some of it got lost. It's down to 180 now and it doesn't work as well.</p>

<p>Respectable results from the camera, Gene. <br /> Thanks for sharing.</p>

<p>Coincidentally I also picked up a Zenith recently;<br /> A <a href="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/ZenithClipper.JPG">Zenith 'Sail boat'</a>, the 6G601L Trans-oceanic radio from 1941</p>

I like the gutter hose picture, Gene. It's lighthearted.