rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>In a mad moment of nostalgia I took down a couple of venerable Zenit EMs and ran some film through them.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Slice it how you like, it would be hard to claim that the Zenit EM is the world's most agreeable camera to use. However, it is one of the world's most prolific SLR's, with production beginning in 1972 and ending in 1984 with 979,140 units produced, according to the excellent sovietcams.com site. It appeared in several different versions with minor variations as the years progressed, and under a variety of brands re-badged for the Western market, such as Revueflex, Diramic, Cambron and Kalimar. Produced exclusively for the US market, the "Cosmorex SE" echoes our fascination with the age of astronauts and cosmonauts. The two example I've shown exhibit some of the minor evolutions such as the addition of a hot shoe and a re-styling of the control fittings, and one bears the imprinted logo for the ill-fated 1980 Olympic games in Moscow, which many Western nations boycotted on political grounds. I have several EM's and they all still function, right down to the un-coupled selenium-powered light meters, though the accuracy in a couple of cases is questionable.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p><br />The EM is a very weighty camera, strongly built, with not many concessions to the finer points of quietness, a feeling of precise machining, or particularly high standards of finish. But they seem to be practically indestructible, and I guess the severity of the Russian climate demanded a camera that could be operated under winter conditions without seizing up, and with gloved hands. Everything clunks and clacks but is totally positive in action, while the very uncomfortable shutter release has a nice serrated rim to make sure one's finger cannot slip off if numbness assails the digit. The interior shows the strength of construction, and a practical approach to film loading and transport. A cloth focal plane shutter delivers a range of speeds from 1/30 to 1/500, plus "B".</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>The cameras are clad in a durable sort of tweed-patterned leatherette which has worn very well over the years, far better than many of the camera's Western or Japanese contemporaries, and there are constantly tidy examples of the EM coming up for sale. Usually they're accompanied by their clumsy cases, great clunky things with the legendary odour of old Russian leather, beloved by some and disliked by many. The lens throughout the production run was the 58mm KMZ Helios-44M f/2, a 6-element four-group clone of the Biotar. The 58mm Helios is apparently one of the world's most mass-produced lens, and is reknowned for it's sharp, contrasty images and rather harsh OOF effects; I like it for technical and "starker" subjects, but I wouldn't choose it for portraits or landscapes. Production variation are known to occur, as with many Russian lenses, but the two I used for this post seem fairly indistinguishable, one from the other.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>I ran a length of Artsta EDU 100 through the Olympic copy, developed in ID-11, and a Fuji Superia 200 through the other. Scans from an Epson V700 photo. I don't find the EM a particularly pleasant camera to use, and no great photographs resulted, but I hope they give some idea of the cameras' capabilities.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.2</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.3</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.4</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.5</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.6</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.7</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.8</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.9</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.10</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>No.11</p> <div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene m Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>As usual, a delight to read and view. I'm inspired by your posts, Rick. How the hell do you get your cameras so clean ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member69643 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>How timely! Just last week I was reading in Modern Photography, Herb Kepeler's article on cheap 35mm cameras. You know - the $99 Cambron - was a great deal for folks like me who never had much money. I never bought one due to mistrust of mail order back then, but I always wanted a SLR when I was plodding along with my 126, or 110, or even my Yashica MG-1. Herb mentioned they were "ok" at best, with optics that were only passable at f8 or so.</p> <p>Your pics and story are delightful, again reminding us, it's not the camera that matters, it's the photographer.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_foreman1 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Excellent examples of this renowned Russian stalwart. I too have one though cocking the shutter is unpredictable. I find the lens excellent and your photos show it at it's best. The house photo and the accompanying fence shot bear this out! MY meter still works too.. How do they do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Wonderful shots of and with the cameras.</p> <p>I have the Zenit ET version, and while it is the most "counter-intuitive" camera I own, its meter also works. </p> <p>Keppler was wrong about the lens if the Cambron came with the Helios - </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfophotos Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>I echo what Gene said! I owned a Zenit EM for a while, and what it lacked in features, it made up with its folksy Russian charm. :D</p> <p>I forgot about these old web pages of mine... but over a decade ago, I had a stable of Russki cameras... <a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mfobrien/russki.html">http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mfobrien/russki.html</a></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_robison3 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Did the same company who made the Zenit EM's also make the T-72 ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_bergman1 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Rick,</p> <p>This is a fine write up with a fine set of pictures, however I have never seen you so uninspired. </p> <p>I am reminded of the Twelve Labors of Hercules and the Zenit is the Augean Stables. </p> <p>I think it just shows how important it is to have camera in hand to determine whether you will like it. I know a lot of people get hung up on specifications for cameras. You really need to handle it. </p> <p>I know that a number of cameras I have purchase off of Ebay where I couldn't wait to run a roll of film through them. For others I look for an empty space of the shelf.</p> <p>Thanks for the post.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_mareno1 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Anyone that shoots a Russian camera is beyond inspired. They're eternal optimists :). Nice shots, neat cameras, what's not to like? The Russians have made some outstanding lenses, it's their cameras that polarize people, and for good reason usually. I really like 129.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_6502147 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Call me ignoramus, but I thought Zenit was a Taiwan product....similar to petri-dish. Nice shots, Rick.</p> <p>Les</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starshooter Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 <p>Great stuff. Sound like the cameras are typical Russian products. They made their warplanes and tanks in the very same way. If you think they are cranky, try an Exacta. Perhaps you have. Thank you. I really enjoyed the info and the pix.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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