Hands-On with the classic Zenit B: Shooting Film in 2024!

[@alphagrafix]

Roger no mate the shutter MUST BE COCKED BEFORE CHANGING SHUTTER SPEED.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Really? What you read! Cheers for the heads up for more research. The manual states either way. Phew!

[@alphagrafix]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss that's how I've always understood it and a B was my first camera in 1978, also you should not rotate the shutter speed dial between B and 500 you have to go back the other way or you'll knacker the dial

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes I did read that. Cheers.

[@AcidGrains]

People crap on these cameras but I've heard if they were imported into the UK they had a good inspection and bad ones were rejected. I have no idea how true this is but I own a TTL and an EM, and they're so far absolutely fine! Lasted 40 or so years!

[@markbeadle6434]

They were also repaired by TOE london. I’ve had some cameras CLA’d by one of their ex technicians. They’re always great.

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

Zenith makes very good pics. Confirmed

[@SloopJohnBee-vq6dw]

I still have my TTL. Last used it in lockdown. Got thrown out of a shopping centre for using a professional camera!🤣🤣

[@tobysummers471]

They are great cameras for what they are. Took mine to Amsterdam recently. Only issues I’ve ever had with my Soviet cameras is my FED 1. Would be great to get that fixed up.

[@NigelYoung-b9d]

I love my Zenit E which I picked up for £4.

[@Stargate_Project]

У меня аналогичная камера ✌️😅💯 простая и надежная как АК😂

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

And thats when film is fun!

[@Vadim.vangog]

Zenit ET is my first camera, but probably not only I have) a lot of shots were taken, it's like a piece of life history.))))

[@OXyShow]

I just love Soviet SLRs ♥️🫡

[@richardjames3022]

OMG memories, I remember selling those when I first left school in the early 1970's and worked in a photographic shop. Admitadily mostly Zenit E, but we still had some 'B' in stock. TOE (Technical Optical Equipment), based in London were the importers from Russia. The imported other things than camera, such as binoculars, clocks etc.

[@SloopJohnBee-vq6dw]

My first SLR was a Zenit TTL in the mid 80s. Served me well for many a year, mainly shooting motorsport and custom car shows. 👍📸

[@TheEPROM9]

They are built well & are pretty solid, they are internally simple compared to other cameras, this makes them very easy to work on.I have restored a few now. The main flaw they have is the tolerance on the internal parts, this is due to the Soviets not replacing their tooling when it wore out but continuing to use it until it broke. Due to so meany of them being made spare parts are easy to come by & they are dirt cheap. I restored a load poped them on eBay & still waiting for one to sell.

[@timslater9086]

I’ve had several Zenit B & Es over the years. Built like tanks, the only issues I had were occasional mirror jams. The foam padding around the prism on some would also degrade giving a brown tint and a vertical line in the viewfinder. I always bunged the cases as they smelt terrible. Provided that you get the focus and exposure right they produce perfectly decent images.

[@markbeadle6434]

Some of us never stopped shooting soviet cameras. I usually go for the Zenit M39 bodies, 1/c & 3 are all tiny and great. The Zenit 19 works great, it was the pinnacle though, plastic !

[@mattwhitehall9536]

They get bad press but I was bought one for Christmas when I was 8 (early 80’s) and that’s where it all started and I still have it, black Zenit EM, consequently I also have my dads Zenit ES photosniper. But don’t use ether as much as I should, I always grab my F90x now. The Zenit was a cracking camera, as long as you didn’t drop it on your foot.

[@mrbwa1]

I have once that came from my Aunt's brother. IT was rebadged as a Kalimar SR100 with the name plate glued over the Zenit B name on the prism. It came with a Helios 44-2 that has the focusing scale marked in feet.

[@rickdacosta9727]

I have a Zenit E. Its crude, heavy, smells a bit off and the silver is coming off the mirror. I love it! The meter need no batteries and is surprising accurate. I bought it for $35 CND on ebay. I have shot film thats costa more per roll in it then the camera did. I do need to clean the oil off the aperture blades though.

[@nelsonclub7722]

I started a 35 year career with a Zenith 11 and a Carl Zeiss 35mm 2.8 - would I use it today if I had to? - hell yes

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Positive. Like it! 👍

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

Zenith 👏👏👏

[@penrox0]

My first camera (Zenith B) bought new in 1975 for £57 …. Loved it 😂. Had the better Helios 44-2 lens - KMZ

[@13ahab]

My first 35 mm camera was a Zenith B with a Helios lens. In 1969, I upgraded to a Pentax Spotmatic, but I still kept the Zenith as a backup. I must have taken thousands of pictures with the Zenith. I seem to think it cost me £19, 19s 11p.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Old money! The Spotmatic is awesome.

[@maxencelemoine4190]

I started with a zenit 12 xp, I was very please with it and its results, a very nice camera and a very nice hammer if you need to smash things. A real brick!

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

On a wide angle lens, you can minimize the horizon bending by keeping it as close to the center of the frame as possible. Of course the amount of distortion will vary from lens to lens.

[@erichstocker8358]

As always I enjoy your videos. Good information, well presented and just a lot of enthusiasm and fun. Keep up the great work; we appreciate it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Awesome, thank you Erich and thanks for sticking around so long.

[@corgis6801]

My first manual film SLR was a Zenit B from 1973. It had shutter issues at 1/500 however and the lack of any focusing aids was a deal breaker for me. I was able to get a Zenit EM however which was way better then the B. The Zenit EM ended up being my most used film SLR even winning out over newer SLR's I had from the 80's and 90's. Its just too much fun messing around with the simple manual controls and using some of the weird M42 lens with basic coatings. Only issue I had was the light meter window is not light tight so if the camera is out with direct sun on top of it I will get some fogging on the top of the frame. I ended up having to buy an ND filter as well since 1/500 is too slow for portraits or even using a film faster then 200 ISO.

[@bigshooter461]

That Industar 50mm f3.5 is RAAAAZOR sharp at f8. I have a handful of Zenit cameras bought them all for the Helios 44s that were on them. That KMZ plant is said to be the best source of Russian cameras and lenses for QC. Incidentally I also have a K3 16mm film camera in Like New condition, it's an M42 mount camera that appears to have never been used. I have aspirations of loading it with some 250D and 50D and shooting some of the m42 glass I have collected. HELIOS 44-2, Pentax 135 f2.5, 50mm f1.4, maybe the 17mm f4 fisheye to see what it looks like. The native zoom on the camera is a 17mm-69mm f1.9 zoom . I think the crop factor for standard 16mm is around 3.4x compared to 35mm stills so it will be interesting to see how some of these lenses behave. ...but I am digressing, it was great to see you shooting this camera. Commented early, got excited seeing the intro with that industar, I can't pronounce that K word either LOL. Looking forward to your medium format video. Nice Work Sir! 😎👍

[@edwardjohnjames8168]

My first. 35mm camera back in the 70s was a zenith e which I still have and it still works perfectly

[@davidvierck3938]

I have a half dozen USSR cameras including two Zenit E's. I bought most of them for the lens. I finally got a Helios 44-2(13 blade Boka monster) for my digital Fuji X-T1. I use a fed 4 with a Jupiter 8 50 mm f2 for the Frugal Film project on Facebook. Overall I think Soviet Cameras are fun but quirky. It would be tough to use one for a serious project.

[@rogerbradbury9713]

My first SLR was a Zenit B, I think in 1972. Mine came with the 58mm f/2 Helios for £29.99 from Dollonds in Aylesbury. I later bought a Dollonds branded 135mm f/3.5; not at all a sharp lens, and later still a Photosniper. I went for a Zenit B because the school had a couple of Zenit 3Ms, again with the 58mm lenses. If you set the self timer and 'B', you'll get quite a long exposure. I think it was 7-8 seconds. Different examples vary with the exposure time apparently, but mine was very consistent. I wish I still had it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Bulb should go on for as long as you keep it open. You got me checking!

[@oskarmieczkowski6023]

I got 3 zenit cameras they are obviously not great, but definitely reliable and can take most of the lenses 👌🏻 love it !

[@lensman5762]

Last year I bought a Zenit 11 in A1 condition for less than the price of two rolls of Portra 400. It is basic but that is now I love my cameras. I love it, as clunky as it is.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thats the joy of shooting film today. You can gamble on these old cameras you find in charity shops and you haven't paid much for it. I often look in charity shops for a camera, they are not often except old brownies, which I got a few of. Enjoy the 11 !

[@telecomboring]

My first SLR! Bought for £5 at a car boot sale in 2005, I ended up with quite a few zenits as they are so cheap, around half of them ended up developing shutter issues or light leaks.

[@Murgoh]

I have 4 Zenits including the Fotosnaiper. I also have a Zorki. Can't beat the price/fun ratio, heavy and clunky but fairly robust cameras that take decent pictures and usually work quite well. I like old Soviet cameras, my Kiev 88 is one of my absolute favorites.

[@southwestscenes1]

Brilliant video

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thankyou!

[@jhenline7813]

As ever, love your enthusiasm Roger 👍

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks!

[@paul-somecameras6]

I have a Zenit B which was thrown into a deal on a Meyer Optik 30mm lens by my local camera shop. It's a bit of fun but not as smooth to use as my Canon A1 or Contax 159, which is to be expected.

[@jondr.8933]

I love my zenit 12 xp. Purchased it about 40 years ago. Still have it & it still works. The meter sometimes thinks it has no battery, but a quick terminal clean sorts it out. It's also a handy hammer if you can't find one. Lenses are cheap. It's not found itself praised by influential tic tok stars yet. The 122 or to be precise the 12 mark 2. Is also good and lighter.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Nice bit of home DIY. Did the same with an old Chinon that stopped working. Bit of alcohol and all came back!

[@yorkieinnz4648]

👍Thanks as always for your great content. A friend of mine had a Zenit E back in the day and it's thanks to him showing me the results he got with the camera that made me go out and buy my first SLR the Pentax K1000.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

A very good camera! Popular with schools and colleges back in the day. Expensive now but very reliable.

[@ray_wilton]

I just got a Zenit E, mine has the Jupiter lens. It came in the original package, 1978 model, looks nearly new and the case still smells of fresh leather. I take a lot of pleasure in using cheap old cameras to get good shots, I think it proves a point. I'll watch out for that latch for the back though!

[@Uwe_Ludolf]

Ofcourse they can, if they are in good shape. My RB67 is as old and still takes great shots. In fact, my 70 year old Rolleiflex 2.8C still is working great.

[@Stargate_Project]

I recommend using the Jupiter 37 lens and you can make a wonderful portrait of your daughter❗️💯

[@markbeadle6434]

I have one of these too. It’s a very good performer

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Noted!

[@camedia7291]

I have a black Zenit EM with the famous Helios 44.2, as a Brit living in Sofia,Bulgaria these cameras are everywhere here, another great video as always.👍

[@oldgittarist]

Nice shots from Newtown, Roger!

[@staryjanek]

I got mine when I was a student in 1971 , but with the older ,cheaper ,silver finished Industar lens, took a ton of photos, then graduated to a Practika, I still have both and still use them on occasions. also got the zenith "spy" folds into a wee suitcase enlarger, still going strong :) Yep you guessed it, I'm a hoarder, throw nothing away :) The quality was variable let's say, some people had shutter advance or even the shutter curtain could crumple up at one side of the camera :)) Oh I also got a "Leningrad" CDS light meter and that still reads accurately :) Get a few pairs of cheap fingerless gloves for shooting in the Winter :) Christmas is Coming :)

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks. I got the Praktica MTL5B recently. Lovely camera! Yes I must get some gloves and cut the shooting finger off!!

[@inverlane1939]

My first camera in 1981 was the ‘E’ Version, that I purchased from a work colleague for £15. It sparked a lifelong passion with 35mm and I must have had at least 25 Minolta and latterly Nikon film and digital bodies, to a mirrorless Nikon Z9 in April 2023 😄

[@russellharris5072]

my first SLR was the Zenit B back in late '74,I paid £12.50 for it from a neighbour with the Helios 50mm F:2 lens.I dropped it one night running up the road,the back sprang open and I lost a frame or two.Luckily it was dark but being built like a tank,it just shrugged the whole drop thing off.I've still got it somewhere and it still works........................................

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

All the dents and scrapes on a camera tell a story. Glad it was okay.

[@odukar2315]

I bought a mint ZENIT 11 one years ago. Plan was to widen my little collection of Russion cameras. This camera is build like a tank. Ths camera was build in the late eighties. I loaded it with a KOSMO film, however I still have some images left. So I couldn't say anything about the results. A 58mm f2 Helios 44M is mounted.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Hope they turn out okay for you. The 11 was the camera in the catalogue I mentioned. £49!

[@Stargate_Project]

Wow, our Zenit ✌️😀📸 I agree with you 😅🇷🇺

[@garyiow8482]

I burned a hole in the shutter of my Zenit EM. I fixed it with some of my sisters eye shadow mixed with rubber solution from a puncture repair kit. It worked a treat!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I know how that feels!

[@stevemitchell8839]

Loved this video, this was my first camera, my dad gave it to me for a Christmas present in the mid 70's and I've been hooked on photography ever since. I lost that original camera, but found a used on on eBay 15 years ago from Belarus and still have it, however the Shutter is sticky and I just keep it for nostalgia.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Probably just needs a CLA if it's worth it. Nice story!

[@northstar1950]

A few years back a pal gave me a Zenit 12XP with a Helios 44M-4 lens. I have had the lens on a digital camera and it pretty good and I have put a film through the camera with decent results. It's in excellent cosmetic condition and has had very little use. Your results are excellent.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I've not had great luck with some old lenses on a DSLR picture wise. Mostly chromatic aberrations on the edges of objects but for video they have been excellent. Always worth trying out if you have the adapter.

[@anthonylovesey1137]

I have got a Zenit 11 35mm SLR, which was given to me about 13 years. The photos that I've taken with it came out ok.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Good to read

[@ianlainchbury]

Love it. These old cameras have a real character to them. Cheers Roger 🙈 Another one to the shopping list? 🤔😂

[@krzpob]

Fun fact: timer is the same as in FED, but without a mechanism for exposure longer than 1/30, because they need a space for a mirror :D First Zenit has screw mount m39, the same as in Zorkii or FED :D

[@stratocactus]

M39 but not the same as FED ans Zorki cameras, which are L39 also called LTM (Leica Thread Mount). Flange to film distance is different between Zorki/FED (which are rangefinders) and Zenith SLR (mirror cage asks for a longer flange distance. So same diameter but Zorki/FED lenses or not compatible with Zenith M39. I had a Zenit B coming with a Helios-44 in M39 screw mount and I was disappointed when I found out I couldn't use it on my Zorki 1E :/

[@donball9777]

I've got four zenits, there fun back to basics cameras.

[@filipbakic8871]

8:39 NOOO IT'S THE EXACT OPPOSITE!!! Firstly wind the camera, then change the speeds! The same goes for the FED line of cameras, and that's how i've been instructed to use mine

[@thomasa.243]

Yup, else the shutter speed can be off. It does not have to be off but it can happen

[@Blofeld76]

This rule aply only to Fed and Zorki rangefinder camwras. With Zenit cameras, you can change shutterspeeds either before or after cocking the shutter. It's mentioned in Zenit B/E manual.

[@filipbakic8871]

@@Blofeld76 i've heard that too, but you can never be too carefull

[@Blofeld76]

@filipbakic8871 Yes, it's better to be safe than sorry. I broke one Zorki 4k when I tried to change shutterspeeds without cocking the shutter. Some leafshutter cameras, on the other hand, are exactly the opposite. With my Yashica C TLR shutterspeed must be set before cocking the shutter.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Either way. However, I did read it was change speed first.

[@MarkHickford]

That "space ship" light leek looks more like a developing fault where the film has stuck together and not developed properly. Any other frames or part of the film got a corresponding mark?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

That was the only frame Mark. If more were like it then I would have thought similar. I did think that but loading was nothing out of the ordinary. But you never know loading in the dark. Your thought makes me think twice.

[@carltanner9065]

A have a Zenit 122...quite like the camera😊 I like the M42 screw lenses, makes it easy to use!!

[@rudolffamiev2188]

Hi Roger, nice camera - I also own my Zeniot 11 from new - I bought it as a student... :)

[@mattdyer9544]

Of the handful of zenits I have used my 1968 Zenit B is the best. The viewfinder prism/focusing screens are uncluttered and brighter than later models that have TTL metering and split prism screens, with the brighter Helios 44 lenses its quite nice (although still small with awful coverage and curvature like you’ve pushed your head against an old CRT TV. The general rule with Soviet cameras is that the earlier in production it is the better made it is, by the Zenit E the russian shutter mechanisms had improved on the direct copies of leica designs from earlier cameras to make them generally more robust, despite spinning they the shutter speed can be changed before or after charging. KosmoFoto has some good technical articles by eastern european sources both on the technical design of soviet cameras and of the state of professional and amateur photography in the USSR. Its all incredibly interesting covering the process of purchasing a camera that actually worked, to proliferation of public darkrooms and an abundance of paper and chemicals.

[@Nick_r]

I had to choose between the Zenit B or Praktica Nov1 as that was all I could afford in the late 60’s. The Zenit had an M39 thread so I went for the Praktica because I wanted M42.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes the early Zenits were m39 I read.

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

the camera is older than Roger but it works and is fully functional, even the self-timer. It has a very nice clear mirror impact. What does this prove? About the fact that, contrary to appearances, Soviet cameras were very solid. And how nice the photos make it has already been shown on YT. My father used Zenit ET.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

The insides are probably cleaner than mine lol

[@johnsuffill6520]

My first SLR back in 1977 or 1978 was the Zenit E (which I still have). The external light meter taught me a lot about exposure which stayed with me through the rest of my life. Also, it's unfortunate that most of todays lenses no longer have a proper depth of field scale, it was very useful for getting the maximum range into focus (why focus beyond infinity?). Using depth of focus at f8 plus setting the shutter speed to approximately the same speed of the film you are using (1/125th sec with 125ASA/ISO film for eg) on a sunny day but with thin cloud would get you perfectly exposed photo's. All you had to do then was compensate for shadows, no thin clouds, thick clouds & etc. You soon learned how to take photo's without the use of a light meter at all. I've even done that with my all-singing-all-dancing DSLR. What I really want is a manual-only DSLR. Not even a P mode for grab shots.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thats easy John. Select your ISO and Cover the back screen and shoot like there is 36 exposures inside. ha ha. I used to do that to stop me looking at the back of the camera.

[@erichstocker8358]

Zenit was the first SLR I had. I had a Fulbright Scholarship to Vienna Austria in 1970. They booked a book with Mediterranean tour and then train to get us to Vienna. At the port of New York my luggage was broken into by the handlers and my Zeiss Contessa Se camera stolen. When I got to Vienna I bought a Zenit because they were so inexpensive. I had that camera for my scholarship time and then back in the USA for several years before I replaced it with a Japanese camera. I gave the Zenit to my brother in law and he used it for years. They were good cameras, cheap and could be durable. Problem was that construction wasn't consistent. Nevertheless, saved my time after the theft of my camera.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I wonder where it is now! I've read in these comments the cameras coming into the UK from USSR were quality checked first.

[@Shelbington]

I had a Kalimar SR200 which is just a rebranded Zenit E. IMO, the early Zenits have too many quirks and I had a lot of bad luck with mine. My first roll through the camera I accidentally ripped the end of the film from the canister. Thankfully I noticed it before opening the back, but I do feel that the film advancing on these old Zenits can easily shred film without much force on the advance lever. For my second roll through the camera I had the same exact experience of the door latch catching on something in my camera bag and the door opened slightly. Thankfully only about 3-5 frames were destroyed. I also noticed after that roll that the 1/30 second shutter speed wasn't always completely closing. These situations and the fact that you have to advance the film before changing shutter speed, only a plain ground glass screen, and having to remember to close the lens aperture down after a shot, made me get rid of the camera. One of only a couple film cameras that was truly frustrating to use. I got a nice Helios 44-2 out of it at least. In search of an inexpensive Industar 50-2 lens I recently bought a Zenit ET. Mine is a grey one without the stop down aperture function. The 1/30 second shutter speed is a little wonky too and I'm not a fan of having to manually stop down the lens aperture, but IMO it's much easier to use than the Zenit E. I don't have to worry about the shutter speed changing and while the focusing screen is a little dark, there is a micro prism patch in there that helps. And there's a normal rewind lever instead of the tiny knob. It is actually enjoyable to use!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I was so happy I had images after the door opening. The manual says you can change shutter speed before or after which is reassuring. I read change it before advancing. Many on this thread suggest the opposite which is reassuring.

[@Shelbington]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I probably should have looked at the manual more closely about the shutter speed selector and film advancing. I went with what I was reading on the internet from others. But the more I think about the Zenit E that I had the more I think about all the little things that were annoying with it. I don't miss it especially since now that I have a Zenit ET.

[@liveinaweorg]

I've used the Zenit, FED, Zorki and Kiev; like any old camera, when they work they produce great photo's. The Zenit's are like tanks and with so many made and so many still in circulation it isn't difficult to find one that works and doesn't have any light leaks. As for the lenses, stick on a Helios 44 or a Jupiter lens and you are good to go. Great video as always.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Someone else mentioned a Jupiter 37. Cheers.

[@andyfinlay9776]

Cock the shutter BEFORE changing the shutter speed! Although this is mostly for older Soviet cameras (like the 3, the older FEDs and Kievs) and also the Leicas they were based on, it's not a bad habit to get into. The first 2 numbers of the the serial number is the year date. Most if not all officially imported Soviet cameras were checked and rebuilt by TOE back in the day. I use Nikon F2s mostly, but absolutely love the basicness and simplicity of these cameras, plus at the moment you'd pay more for a pint of beer!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yeah the Zenit B is either way in the manual Andy. I read different! I'm glad I stopped drinking nearly a year now. Get more film! LOL

[@jameshenderson5385]

My first film camera was the Zorkie 4K bought from Littlewoods catalouge in 1973 I loved it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Littlewoods 😂 I remember that

[@Nedski42YT]

If you are going to try vintage Soviet medium format cameras next I'd avoid the Lubitel TLR. I tried one back in the 1970's and the leaks seemed to let in more light than the lens did. It might have been a Lubitel-2 but I'm not really sure. I was so disappointed I through the camera in the garbage (dust-bin?)

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

You could have made a lamp out of it

[@motorvelo]

When I taught photography I told the students they were never ready cases!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

About right. They are made well but somewhat cumbersome. Mind you, as someone said, the back wouldn't have popped open if I had the case on ha ha

[@Otokichi786]

I have a 1938 Leica IIIa that I last used in the 1970's that probably can still turn out interesting images with a 1950's Collapsible 50mm f/3.5 Elmar as I did in the early 1960's.;)

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I have the same camera. Give it a little workout. Hopefully it's not got stuck.

[@RickMahoney2013]

What is the slowest shutter speed you would shoot when hand holding ?

[@skipwilliamsnj]

The old adage is 1/focal-length for minimum SS. So for 50mm lens: 1/50th.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

For me personally it depends on the camera and lens. 180mm Nikon with an SLR I can't hold it less than 1/250th. Hold breath time.... Rangefinder with leaf shutter easily 1/30th and I have had good results at 1/15th. Regular SLR like this and 50mm lens or wider 1/60th would be the slowest but I've had touch and go with 1/30th. Ideally though Rick 1/125th I try to keep at a minimum handheld

[@rick-fstop-lewis]

Good one again, Roger. I bet you have enough prints to fill a gallery by now! Bummer on the light leak. That photo with a blob would have been a good print. I guess it just goes with the territory when shooting film, right? One of these days I'll find a free or real cheap copystand for scanning my negatives so I can share my b/w film shots. Majority of my stuff on FB is digital. Nothing against digital but it's just not the same.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Rick. I have hundreds of prints but only a small percentage of really god does I'd say. Yes there is always a risk shooting cameras you're not familiar with. Instead of a copy stand look at the K&F Concept tripod which turns into a boom. I use that. Then you have a spare tripod too!

[@Abogado-Del-Diablo]

These cameras are not very well received. However, the first SLR I bought was a Zenit E with a Helios 35mm lens back in 1978. I was 15 and had saved my pocket money to get it. It was a great camera well made solid construction not like the plastic fantastic you buy now. This camera was the first I used colour film in Fuji Venus 800 fantastic results.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks for sharing

[@wilbertvandenberg3158]

Zenith. The big brother of the Praktica. I would wouldn't be caught dead with one.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Zenith made windows. 😉

[@peter-robinson]

the rash around your eye looks like a reaction to chemicals released as the rubber or plastic starts breaking down. It is often Nickel that causes the reaction in things like the silicone bands of fitness trackers and watches. It’s going to be something similar and will get worse with repeated contact.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks Peter. The doctor thought it was eczema but I know it's not. I've been putting vaseline on it and taking antihistamine and it's gone down. It came up after using the camera, real strange. At first I thought it was the camera but then realised it doesn't come into contact with my skin in that area. It's clearing now though. Appreciate that.

[@richardjames3022]

You should be winding on, before you set the shutter speed

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I've pinned a comment about it. The manual states either way.

[@mickjones1941]

the only problem is some cameras have a problem with the prism which gets a dark line down the middle

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I've had that on my Pentax Spotmatic. Don't know why. It goes horizontal half way to the middle.

[@Stargate_Project]

Sounds cute 📸😂🎛️👍

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Bless the little shutter. LOL

[@JanneRanta]

I also have an old zenit but I dont shoot it. Works awesome and all but I for the life of it cannot focus without split prism or rangefinder focusing.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I found that to be a downside, for me. Or..... maybe not so. It might train my lazy eye a bit better! I'm still using that tripod Janne. I purchased another one too! 😃

[@tomislavmiletic_]

(16:22) maybe you should tape that latch to prevent that in the future, just saying 🤣 Btw, years ago I had Sigma's 24mm that not only bent horizons, but had almost a fisheye like barrel distortion. Not one of my 24mm lenses before or since did that. 28mm? Not a fan...

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Someone suggested leaving the case on! I'd rather tape it. Yes I was weary of that 24mm and the horizon but pleasantly surprised. The only time I want to see a flat earth!

[@tomislavmiletic_]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss 🤣🗺

[@jondr.8933]

If you want details on russian cameras look up Alfred klomp. A school kids project. He was quite knowledgeable

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks! I've noted the name.

[@АлександрСагачёв]

I had a Zenit-122 with a Helios 44-M4 58/2.0 lens. It was in 1995. Unfortunately, it was stolen from me. After that, I bought a Vivitar 3800. I didn’t like the shutter speed range of the Zenit. Too small.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Sorry to read it was stolen! I'd hate that. Yes you can't too creative with the Zenit B unless you want to Bulb and count slow speeds.

[@Stargate_Project]

I prefer Helios 44-2 & Jupiter 37👍👍👍📸

[@rossmansell5877]

People have to do things for themselves with the Zenith..oh dear...🤣🤣🤣🤣 Got the B and the Zenith 80 5x5...(heck of a lump with the big Arsat 30mm 3.5 wide angle..(more a fish eye)! Both decent cameras for their time and can still produce the goods..depending on the handler......The Zenith 80 may have problems if mishandled = particulalrly setting shutter speeds incorrectly.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I read select speed then cock shutter. Others say the opposite. And the manual says either. Good to hear positive

[@Robthevampire666]

After the end of the second world war The Soviet union took the entire Leica factory equipment, designs and some of the designers as they did with Carl Zeiss and a lot of other stuff from tractors to cars etc as war reparations and moved them to Russia Ukraine (Historically a part of both imperial and soviet Russia ?) and East Germany

[@Stargate_Project]

It’s true 👍💯💯💯

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Wow! Hence why their Zorki looked like the Leica II. Thanks for that.

[@ZOMBIELUIS666]

Made by the working person for the working person

[@petrub27]

i only use canon 1v. other film cameras seems like a bad dream from stone age

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Nikon F6, FM3A, F5, Olympus OM, Leica, the list goes on

[@RickMahoney2013]

Anyone use filters when shooting B&W portraits ??

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I would imagine so Rick. To add contrast, smooth skin tones. I don't though

[@mueslimuncher1950]

I had various zenits in the past, and generally I found them unreliable. They tend to jam halfway through the film. I have a few that still work, and I love the look and the logo but I think the Praktica is a better buy.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Taken from experience then. Cheers.

[@robertkeith6952]

zenit were cheap but reliable done what you wanted but built like a tank typical eastern block but good fun

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Yes I agree Robert. Except reliable. I can't comment on that but Build quality and fun defo

[@dima1353]

These zenits are an chronicle of Soviet inefficiency. Zenit is the answer to the question of what happens if you trust a command economy to produce consumer goods. The Soviet Union was very slow in upgrading equipment, machinery and processes in light industry factories. Soviet factories could do something at the level of the 30s and 40s. And do it relatively reliably. Engineers were smart and constantly tried to come up with something appropriate for the time, but attempts to embody it in a some form resulted in an expensive and unreliable product. That is why the most popular form of "Zenit" was the "E" model and its variations. Without a coupled exposure meter, without a "jumping" aperture, with a viewfinder that covered 60% of the frame, well, because you can’t fit a very large mirror and ground glass into the Leica (oh, yes!!! Through the “Zorky” zenit preserved the DNA of the Leica II in the very basis of its body and mechanics. Open the lid of Zenit E and Zorkiy/FED/Leica II and look at them - they are the same !!!). When Japanese companies had full aperture metering as a basic function even in entry-level models, our fathers considered a non-rotating shutter speed wheel as a cool feature (ET model). At some point soviet manufacturers introduced several models with stop down metering, produced in fairly large quantities , but model "E" still sold the best. This is a model that differs from the earliest forms of SLRs only by a prism and a returning mirror. For you these are interesting toys, and it costs you nothing to praise them, but I saw the face of a photographer who worked with these Zenits for 25 years in the Soviet Union and a little later, when in the 90s he bought... No, not Nikon F3, not Canon EOS-1, just a Minolta X-300... It was joy and happiness, it was a liberation !

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Someone already mentioned the then Soviet Union stole Leicas blue prints. I think many people shooting film today are in fundamental mode, experimenting with film and possibly wouldn't take this camera to shoot an important event. But to get a good working used one online for less than £50 to play with. Endless fun. (Hopefully endless).

[@dima1353]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss These cameras are much cheaper here. They have become a bit more expensive now, precisely because of the interest in the West. But in 2010 I bought a Zenit E with Helios 44 for $12. That seems like a fair price. For $50 it is better to buy a basic "student" Japanese mechanical SLR with 50 f/2. You don't need to go any further in fundamentals than the Pentax K1000. And there's nothing fundamental about a viewfinder that only sees 60% of the frame.

[@olkman3440]

Thanks, but Industar 61 much better lens

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers. Never tried.

[@MichaelRusso]

Don't use S-M-C Takumars (Super Takumars and older are ok) on the Zenit or you might regret it. They won't come off the body without really working on it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Ok, I'll keep that in mind. Cheers.

[@iainmc9859]

Zenits have street cred now. If you carry a Leica people won't talk to you, carry a Zenit and people get interested. Two quirks that are a little annoying. I've locked the shutter button and missed shots because I'd forgotten to unlock it before shooting ... user error, but worth noting and the only real 'design fault' is the film counter that is so easy to move by accident whilst getting the camera in and out of a bag. Really annoying when you think you've got 4 shots left and the camera won't wind on ....

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I didn't even know there was a lock button! Hang on...... (literally just checked) Nope, not on this Iain. I had a guy once approach me, a posh looking quirky guy in his 60s I'd say. I was shooting a Yashica Electro and he stopped me asking if it was a Leica. Maybe the perception of shooting a Lieca is the guy must be a knob head and won't talk to anyone that is not using one. Like seeing a 500k rolls Royce and trying to strike up conversation about the design. Yet the guy in an Escort Mexico is much easier to chat with. interesting.

[@iainmc9859]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss Apologies, thinking of the Zenit 11 (and other models) you can turn the shutter release button a half turn (it has knurling on the side) which locks the shutter. Kicked myself as I missed a once in a lifetime shot of a hearse with top hatted usher walking ahead of it passing in front of a shut down abandoned pub. I'd waited five minutes for the 'perfect' shot as well. It took me a cup of coffee and a sit down to work out why the camera wasn't working ... we're never as clever as we think we are 😒

[@impressionsoflight9263]

The 24mm lens is preferred by the flat-earthers, the 28mm by those that don’t believe 😂

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

🤣

[@Stargate_Project]

But indusrar f50mm isn’t very good 😢

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

This one was okay. I couldn't grumble.

[@Rabenov-wq8qy2qg5t]

Don't use these hard cases! With these you can unintentionally open the back of the camera!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

True!

[@irillRep]

Hello, tell us how to photograph a coin on a film photo camera, Share the secret!!!

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Maybe in another video

[@rossmansell5877]

TOE imported Russian cameras etc and inspected all imports. They weeded out a lot of the faulty stuff....Russia was more inerested in producing numbers as opposed to quality.. Fill the norms set down.....or else🤣🤣

[@irillRep]

😄Зенит ЕТ+HELIOS-44-2 2/58=🩷👍