Zenit-S - Зенит-C, VEB Leitz?

<p><strong>Zenit S ( ?????-C )</strong></p>

<p>An early “Leica” SLR<br /><br />1955-1961<br /><br />Kadlubek Kamera-Katalog Nr. KRA0500<br /><br />Type: PM3235. <br />“Very common version of Zenit-C with new standardized shutter sequence: 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s + B.”<br />( http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?568663372 )<br /><br />Mine is serial No. 599580xx (which is said to mean it’s from 1959)<br /><br />Industar-50 3.5/5cm Russian Tessar Lens for M39 Zenit N580633xx<br />Kadlubek Nr. RUS3460<br /><br />Since I had gone to the trouble to get a Zenit-M39 lens to adapt to my Start SLR ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00c7Ga ), the temptation to acquire an early Soviet Zenit camera, became, well, you know.<br /><br />I found both the lens and a Zenit-S (?????-C in Cyrillic). The camera is often called a Zenit-C, but the “C” here is “S” for synchronization. <br /><br />The early Zenits are especially interesting since they are very heavily based on the rangefinder Zorki camera, which itself is essentially identical to the earlier Leica rangefinders. <br /><br />I hardly need to go into vast detail on the camera in this regard, since it is so well covered in a number of posts.<br /><br />Among the most interesting of these is our own Rick Oleson’s essay at <br /> http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-9.html <br /><br />This might have been what Leitz would have done, had they decided to make their own SLR in 1955 or so. So the Zenit is kind of an “alternate history” camera, as Oleson points out.<br /><br /><br />Other discussions can be found at <br /><br /> http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?568663372 <br /> http://www.eyescoffee.com/collectcamera/zenits/index.php <br /> http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Zenit-S <br /><br />Manuals are available at several sites, including<br /><br /> http://www.zenitcamera.com/mans/zenit-s/zenit-s-eng.html</p><div></div>

<p>So, to sum up, it’s a camera from an alternate history where the USSR-occupied Wetzlar decided to build an SLR based on the early RF Leicas. VEB Leitz, perhaps?<br>

<br />There is a decent choice of Zenit-flange distance M39 screw-thread lenses for this camera, which have the added advantage of being easily adapted to the rather more sophisticated Start SLR. The Zenit-S has it hands down for "cuteness", I think.<br /><br />For anyone buying Soviet M39 screw (LTM) lenses, it’s always a good idea to confirm that the flange distance is the one you want. The rangefinder lenses for the Zorkii and FED cameras are roughly the same as the Leicas at 28,8mm. The Zenit flange-focus distance is 45,2mm.<br /><br />This is an interesting enough camera that I will probably later on do some pictures with it with the two other ZLTM/ZM39 lenses I have, a MTO 500mm mirror lens and the Jupiter-11 135mm f/4 I recently shot on the Start body. For now, I just wanted to check that it was operable so I could post feedback on it on eBay for the Russian Federation vendor.<br /><br />/All for now</p>

<p>"The rangefinder lenses for the Zorkii and FED cameras are roughly the same as the Leicas at 28,8mm. The Zenit flange-focus distance is 45,2mm"<br>

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Does that mean you could use RF lenses with a short extension tube?</p>

<p>Excellent, another comprehensive post. One learns more on this site than at University! The colour photos look particularly crisp, and I'm in no doubt that it was!<br>

I always feel chuffed when an early FSU camera works, let alone works well. Robert, you can use LTM lenses on the 3C, but just for macro work. I have used my Canon 85mm 1.9 on the 3C.<br>

JDM, of course bugging was very much a feature of the Cold War :)</p>

<p>Congrats on your new acquisition . This has been on my wish list fro awhile as I too find it attractive and interesting. What pulled you over the edge is what's holding me back. The registration. Since the standard LEica mount lenses won't work or at least won'T work correctly, I fear buying one with a lens that doesn't work. Apropos work.. you did a good job considering the challenges. You have compensated well. The results are good and the Tessar demo is just that! Since you have a good match between these FSU models I wish you more fun using them!! </p>

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<p>Although I did buy the lens and body from the same vendor, they were offered separately. The more established Russian and Ukrainian sellers are well aware of the Z M39 and RF M39 flange distances and will get you to the right combination.</p>

<p>Postage from the former Soviet territories is not so expensive as western Europe, and is usually faster. In this case, I paid a little more directly for the items, but postage was "free".</p>

<p>The later Zenits, of course, went to a M42 mount. They all are usually built on the same principle as the T-34 tank - heavy, well-made where they need to be, fairly rough where they don't need to be finished.</p>

<p>On both the Leica and Contax copies that were made by the Soviet factories, consider that the originals were essentially bench-built in their origins and made in relatively small numbers. The Soviet copies were MASS-produced in huge numbers in an environment where quantity trumped quality. And yet they work and keep on working.<br /> Remember too, that the more-or-less contemporary American-made cameras like the late Perfex, etc., are very difficult to find still working. Cameras like the Signet 35 have control systems that make the Zenit and all stand out as models of modernity in comparison.</p>

<p>Am I grateful for autofocus, automatic diaphragms, and all the rest? Of course, but sometimes it's fun to step back - it's the only form of time travel that I know of.<br /> .</p>

<p>They're fanastic looking cameras... I bought one a few years back but haven't managed to put a roll through it yet... think this will have to be one of my photo resolutions for 2014.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The basic specs (from the Camerapedia site) are<br /><br />Lens: Industar-22 (ИНДУСТАР) 50mm f/3.5 or Industar-50 50mm f/3.5 (on the camera used here)<br />Mount: KMZ's ZM39 screw mount.<br />Lens release: simply screw counterclockwise<br />Aperture: f/3.5-f/16; setting: ring and scale on the lens<br />Focus range: 1-20m +inf<br />Focusing: ground-glass screen, ring and scale w/DOF scale on the lens<br />Shutter: rubberized silk double cloth curtain, horizontal focal plane<br />Speeds:<br />Before 1959: 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500 +B<br />Since 1959: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 +B<br />Shutter release: on the top-plate<br />Cocking knob: also winds the film, on the right of the top plate<br />Frame counter: manual setting, on the cocking knob<br />Viewfinder: SLR pentaprism<br />Mirror: no instant return<br />Film Loading: bottom loading, removable special take up spool<br />Bottom plate opens by a folding lever on it<br />Engravings around the opening ring: ЗAКР - ОTKP (Zakr- Otkr = Close - Open). ОTKP is an abbreviation for ОТКРЫТЫЙ<br /><br /><br />Mine had some unusual features. For the second time with an old USSR SLR (the other was the Start), the camera was “bugged”. That is there was literally a tiny bug in the prism/viewfinder. Unlike the Start (with a removable prism) I was not able to ‘debug’ it, but my efforts to make a photograph of the bug were unavailing. However, one of the pictures showed another ‘feature’ (not a bug), that the viewfinder and the film transport are tilted about 1º to the right. Given its provenence, I would have expected a bias toward the left, but perhaps someone on the assembly line at Krasnagorsk was a right deviationist (in-joke for historical materialists).</p><div>[ATTACH=full]1150493[/ATTACH]</div>

Yes, I know this is an old post. I can, however, explain the tilt in the viewfinder of the Zenit-S. Pushed over the inside of the viewfinder lens, is a rectangular mask on the front of a short tube. There is nothing stopping this from moving, apart from the mask resting on the back of the prism.

This is definitely "quirky"

Thanks for the comments.