I still have a few and have never had an issue with them and the lens is great. It’s almost like you’re talking about another camera. I’ve had problems with many film SLRs like Practika not winding film properly and battery compartments but I’ve never had a problem with any of my Zenith cameras. They are built like tanks and are still going strong and light metering is fine. The Helios lens is better than a lot of kit lenses on other cameras if it’s day. I’ve had nothing but fantastic results with it and less problems than other brands.
Yep, my first camera was a Zenith, then a practical and then moved to Chinon as these were popular in the Dixons stores. Thanks for sharing Cheers Andrew
When I was a lad I couldn't afford an EM, started with a Kiev iV and moved over to a Zenith E. The Kiev had a pop up hood for the lightmeter which stopped it being over affected by the sky. I learnt to point down at the grass to get my light reading.
This was a lovely trip down memory lane. I too had the EM as my first camera as a 16 year old back in 1979. Your memory of the oil smell really made me laugh, i can still smell it now! I've got fond(ish) memories of it overall, though you've just reminded me of all the bad points...i chopped mine in for an Olympus om10 only 2 years later for my 18th birthday present!
Glad it wasn't just me who remembers the smell! I imagined, as a cold war teenager, that Russian tanks probably smelled the same. The Zenit was certainly a tank within the photography world.
Thanks for the video. Took me back a bit. I had an East German camera, Praktica, IV I think, with a hideous pentaprism housing. I was offered a Zenit E in part ex for mine, but I refused. The one thing that sticks in my mind is the weight. The images were on par with my Praktica, but it was even more clunky. My next camera was a Voigtlander Vito C and the improvement in image, over both the Praktica and the Zenit, was remarkable. I felt I had almost arrived as a photographer, and still, after all these years, I'm nearly there. A trip back in time. Thanks.
I seem to have very vague memories of this camera, though I can’t be sure. I lusted after the Canon F-1 - which I’d still call one of the most beautiful cameras ever made, period - but it remained frustratingly out of reach. I wound up starting with a Mamiya-Sekor SLR with a fixed lens, and later graduated to an Olympus OM-1. I was very happy with that camera, and today shoot with its namesake.
You'd probably managed to block the Zenit out of your mind and we've gone and brought it all back, lol. I do love the F-1, and of course the OM1 was also a beautiful camera.
Great video brought back a lot of memories, my Zenit E came with a free pair of safety shoes in case you dropped it on your foot, 🤣 it was my first SLR and it's how I learned exposure, but as soon as I started working I got myself a Minolta X300 that felt like a Rolls Royce compared to the Zenit. Switched to Canon when digital started but a couple of years ago I was given a Canon AE1 programme with lots of glass, still need to try it out.
My younger brother who was in boarding school in 1978 had a Zenit. He used to call it The Tank. You mentioned the light meter. Not only it would underexpose, but also it wasn't linear, but after a few spoilt rolls of film, one learned how to use it. I had Nikon FE at the time I think. The funny thing is that nearly 45 years later despite having a decent collection of exotic cameras in 35mm, MF and LF, I paid £30.00 for a black Zenit 11 and to tell you the truth, I love its clunky nature and all the rough edges. Typical Soviet affair.
I have quite a few Zenit models, mainly because they were so cheaply priced back in the early 2000s. They are definitely not the highest quality cameras, but they are easily repaired for the most part. And, as we all know, some of the Russian lenses used on the Zenit cameras are quite good.
Mine was a Zenit EM, back in 1974. I used it for about 12 years until it got stolen when my bedsit was burgled. I now have an Olympic Games version, with the natty logo. Did you know the actual mechanism was derived from the older Zorki series of rangefinders, which were themselves derived from the Leica II? So the Zenit SLR has a proud heritage. 😃
It was my first SLR (I got for Xmas in 1983). I still have and it still (mostly) works. Really dim view finder and difficult to focus. My Dad had the Praktica MTL3 which was much better. The light meter died after a while so I learned to judge the right shutter speed from an early age.
I originally got a Zenith E (no meter) but didn't like it so took it back to the shop next day and exchanged it for a Praktica(sp?) Nova. Both were built like tanks but I just felt the Praktica was better put together. I only kept it for a year before upgrading to a Cosina with TTL metering and much smaller/lighter. But the budget models were great teaching cameras.
I still have a few and have never had an issue with them and the lens is great.
It’s almost like you’re talking about another camera.
I’ve had problems with many film SLRs like Practika not winding film properly and battery compartments but I’ve never had a problem with any of my Zenith cameras.
They are built like tanks and are still going strong and light metering is fine.
The Helios lens is better than a lot of kit lenses on other cameras if it’s day.
I’ve had nothing but fantastic results with it and less problems than other brands.
Yep, my first camera was a Zenith, then a practical and then moved to Chinon as these were popular in the Dixons stores.
Thanks for sharing
Cheers
Andrew
When I was a lad I couldn't afford an EM, started with a Kiev iV and moved over to a Zenith E. The Kiev had a pop up hood for the lightmeter which stopped it being over affected by the sky. I learnt to point down at the grass to get my light reading.
I don't think I ever learned to point the meter down enough. That was probably my problem.
This was a lovely trip down memory lane. I too had the EM as my first camera as a 16 year old back in 1979. Your memory of the oil smell really made me laugh, i can still smell it now! I've got fond(ish) memories of it overall, though you've just reminded me of all the bad points...i chopped mine in for an Olympus om10 only 2 years later for my 18th birthday present!
Glad it wasn't just me who remembers the smell! I imagined, as a cold war teenager, that Russian tanks probably smelled the same. The Zenit was certainly a tank within the photography world.
Thanks for the video. Took me back a bit. I had an East German camera, Praktica, IV I think, with a hideous pentaprism housing. I was offered a Zenit E in part ex for mine, but I refused. The one thing that sticks in my mind is the weight. The images were on par with my Praktica, but it was even more clunky. My next camera was a Voigtlander Vito C and the improvement in image, over both the Praktica and the Zenit, was remarkable. I felt I had almost arrived as a photographer, and still, after all these years, I'm nearly there. A trip back in time. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it.
My first proper camera. My Dad gave me his Zenit EM when he upgraded to an Olympus OM -1N. That was in 1980.
I seem to have very vague memories of this camera, though I can’t be sure. I lusted after the Canon F-1 - which I’d still call one of the most beautiful cameras ever made, period - but it remained frustratingly out of reach. I wound up starting with a Mamiya-Sekor SLR with a fixed lens, and later graduated to an Olympus OM-1. I was very happy with that camera, and today shoot with its namesake.
You'd probably managed to block the Zenit out of your mind and we've gone and brought it all back, lol. I do love the F-1, and of course the OM1 was also a beautiful camera.
Great video brought back a lot of memories, my Zenit E came with a free pair of safety shoes in case you dropped it on your foot, 🤣 it was my first SLR and it's how I learned exposure, but as soon as I started working I got myself a Minolta X300 that felt like a Rolls Royce compared to the Zenit.
Switched to Canon when digital started but a couple of years ago I was given a Canon AE1 programme with lots of glass, still need to try it out.
We just made a video about the Minolta X500. Coming soon.
@@AmateurPhotographerTV Great 🙂
My younger brother who was in boarding school in 1978 had a Zenit. He used to call it The Tank. You mentioned the light meter. Not only it would underexpose, but also it wasn't linear, but after a few spoilt rolls of film, one learned how to use it. I had Nikon FE at the time I think. The funny thing is that nearly 45 years later despite having a decent collection of exotic cameras in 35mm, MF and LF, I paid £30.00 for a black Zenit 11 and to tell you the truth, I love its clunky nature and all the rough edges. Typical Soviet affair.
I just bought a Nikon FE. We'll be making a video about it shortly.
The FE feels like a Rolls Royce compared to a Ford Escort ie Zenith. @@AmateurPhotographerTV
I have quite a few Zenit models, mainly because they were so cheaply priced back in the early 2000s. They are definitely not the highest quality cameras, but they are easily repaired for the most part. And, as we all know, some of the Russian lenses used on the Zenit cameras are quite good.
Mine was a Zenit EM, back in 1974. I used it for about 12 years until it got stolen when my bedsit was burgled. I now have an Olympic Games version, with the natty logo.
Did you know the actual mechanism was derived from the older Zorki series of rangefinders, which were themselves derived from the Leica II? So the Zenit SLR has a proud heritage. 😃
I did know that but only learned it recently. I had no idea at the time. Thanks for sharing that though.
My first SLR was a Zenit TTL in the 1980s. It was a tank too. Still use the Helios lens on my Nikon DSLR for its swirly bokeh 👍📸
It was my first SLR (I got for Xmas in 1983). I still have and it still (mostly) works. Really dim view finder and difficult to focus. My Dad had the Praktica MTL3 which was much better. The light meter died after a while so I learned to judge the right shutter speed from an early age.
I originally got a Zenith E (no meter) but didn't like it so took it back to the shop next day and exchanged it for a Praktica(sp?) Nova. Both were built like tanks but I just felt the Praktica was better put together. I only kept it for a year before upgrading to a Cosina with TTL metering and much smaller/lighter. But the budget models were great teaching cameras.