I carried one of these throughout my infantry army career, from the arctic of Norway to the dust of the desert, and everything in between, its been dropped in puddles, and even run over by a tank (pushed into soft ground), 37 years on and still it works. My daughter used it on her college course and gained her C&G in photography with it along with an LRPS. Cheap yes, built like a tank yes, but worth every penny.
I owned the Zenit B (an E without the light meter) and, using the Sunny Sixteen rule, got some of the best shots I've ever taken. That Helios lens is bloody great! It sure was heavy , giving the advantage of being able to shoot in the roughest areas - that no mugger would come near you. I doubt if anyone could survive a whack over the head with it.
Thanks for the video! Seeing this old Zenit-E reminded me of so many good memories. This camera model was the one my father used to teach me about ligh, metering and taking pics in general.
Once again, a really nice video! I have a few of those Soviet lenses including the Helios 44-2. Just got a Zenit ET. Looking forward to shooting with it! Thanks for the vid!
MJ Harfoush Thanks for the comment. For some reason I can't reply directly to your comment. I used Lomography Lady Gray (400ISO). It's supposed to be similar (or identical) to Kodak Tmax. Yes I really enjoy using this camera. The lens is also amazing.
I have the EM, The black version. I agree with you on rewinding the film... LOL. The main thing I dislike about the Zenit EM, is the fact that the shutter counter just spins around and around if you knock it, so you never know how many pictures you've taken. I usually just keep going till there physically ain't any more film to wind on, which leads to another problem... Ouch!... great review though
true true… but if you reach the end of the roll, and the film can't physically wind-on anymore, don't force it, just press the shutter release again and turn the assembly till the red dot lines up with R. Then go into a dark room, lift up the rewind spool, open the back and remove the film with it still connected to the take-up spool; then you'll be able to complete the final wind-on safely without breaking the film. Once that's done, pull the film back across to the rewind spool (it should be loose because the shutter assembly is set to R) pop it back in the camera and close it. You should now be able to rewind the rest of the film in the conventional manner. Voila!…
Just bought one. I don't think it's ugly at all. I actually find it's design interesting. (It may be because i like soviet cameras). TIP : When changing shutter speed change it one position at a time. The sping of the mechanism is sensitive (and old) and it may break.
Yikes! Thanks. Thankfully I hardly ever change the speed. I'm more an apterture priority guy, but this is good to kow thanks. I know what you mean about its rugged 'beauty'. It's definitely an acquired taste :)
I quite like the Zenit E, your right about the lens, I always use it on my digi's. Zenit also works in very low temps. The light meter is actually quite effective, Great video, well done.
its not ugly T_Tactually the problem I have with my Zenit E is that I cant focus accurately in the viewfinder with it. I agree though it is a big finder.
Thanx for the vid. I love this tank of a camera, I have the Zenit E, Zenit ET, and the Kiev 44. And I must say I'm emotionally attached to them, that my canons get jealous :) I really loved the photos u took with it, can u tell me what film and what ISO I've used, and is there a film that u'd recommend? Thanx again mate
+Виктор Асанов thanks, this is really helpful, I remember my late father having a slip of paper with DIN conversion chart :) this is rather more extensive. Thanks again
I've got four Zenits; 3M- '63 model (Industar 50), B- '71 Model (Industar 50-2), EM [Moscow Olympic Commemoration]- '77 Model (Helios 44M) and 12XP- '83 Model (Helios 44-2). I usually shoot on Canon EOS digitals, but when I want to shoot film, I love the Zenits especially the 3M and B models, but I also shoot on Voigtländer, Zorki and a Smena Cosmic Symbol if I'm travelling very light and feeling quirky. Had one guy give me the benefit of his wisdom the other day, and in that in "his opinion", my Zenit 3M was a 'piece of junk'. So I thoughtfully pointed out to him that it was made in 1963, is four years older than I am, around twenty years older than him, and is still working perfectly. I have no batteries or electronics to worry about, and when his high-end Nikon DSLR has long given up the ghost mine will still be shooting. I also pointed out that he was shooting on fully automatic so in effect the camera was doing all the work (may as well go get a point and shoot), that I have been taking photographs since before he was born, and it takes real skill to shoot manual only. With a Zenit, you have no choice.
OMG. Great collection there. You know, I constantly bump into these people too. I don't know what it is about photography and camera gear that turns people into these polarised super-opinionated monsters :) Did you say Nikon DSLR? You're lucky you didn't have a Canonnet QL17 - he would have stabbed you or something :)
He never gave me a reply. Made me laugh. Actually, I bought the 3M off eBay solely on the back of one of your videos. I love it. There's something very satisfying about that shutter 'click'. It's not like the later Zenits; my EM sounds like a barn door closing. On the 3M, it's very nice and subdued. Have a Zenit 11 on order now too, but have to stop for a while, or the wife will have words! :D Keep up the great work, and looking forward to seeing more from you.
great video...going to buy a zenit et..sime.people say you need to advance film first and then change shutter speed....failure to do so will break the shutter mechanism..is it true?
I'm not 100% on the Zenit-ET, but from what I can see the shutter dial looks the same as the Zenit-E. In which case, I don't think that is true. I change the shutter speed at any point, before or after film advance, and my camera has been ok. If you can find a manual, it will probably warn of such an issue if it exists. Zenit-E manual www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/zenith-e/zenith-e.pdf I know it is an issue with Keiv4 and Fed3 cameras. I broke a Kiev that way once :(
I have a camera that looks identical built in the same time period and in Russia but it's called the PRINZFLEX 500E do you know anything about this camera?
HI there I have a Zenit EM and i am kind a struggling with its exposure settings, i have a Kodak Portra 400 color installed, what is those yellow and white marked numbers mean on exposure dial? and how do I setup the correct exposure? Thanks
+maps_747 Hi there. If you mean the numbers on the lens, then the yellow is the focus distance while the white numbers are the 'aperture' settings. They should read 2, 2.8,... up to 16. For now, I would forget about the yellow numbers. You can simply look through the lens for focus. Your speed dial at the top should read B, 60, 125, 250 and 500. For Portra 400, I would set it to 500. You can then adjust your aperture based on the light condition by what is called the 'Sunny 16' rule (google 'Sunny 16' for a chart) 16 - Bright Sunshine 11- Weak sunshine 8 - Cloudy but bright 5.6 - Overcast (or in shade outdoors) 4. Good light indoors 2.8/2 low light (depending) That's just a rough guide though. Hope that helps.
+A Torrent of Videos Hi Thank you so much for your info, but no, not on the lens. yellow and white numbers on the left end ASA-FOCT part, both inside and outside ring, Now i know that ASA_FOCT ring needs to be set same as my films ISO, but how does that outside ring works and how do i set this up? it has numbers like yellow - 30, 15, 8, 4, 2, 1, 4 8, 15 White - 30, 60, 125, 250, 500 i am struggling to set this up and understanding. also, i would like to use the lowest aperture like 2 or 2.8 for the super squirrel blurry background for portraits or near object pictures. what would be the ideal setting for this kinda effect? sorry i am new into this... Thank you again for your kind reply. :)
+maps_747 Hi, sorry I took long to get back, and I hope you've since figured it out but in case you haven't, here are some tips; 1. The light meter on the ZenitEM is not coupled with the lens in any way. So you could completely ignore the light meter and just take photos using either an external meter or estimate it by Sunny 16. It is basically like an external meter sitting on the camera body and it has zero effect on the actual camera settings and the photos. So for example with your Portra 400, you could set the camera speed to 500 and aperture to 16 on a sunny day, and 2/2.8 indoors, depending on how much light you have. 2. On the light meter itself, the outer ring ranging from 30, 15....1, 2, 4..500 represent the speed. Because the camera has a 'Bulb' setting, it means you can have the aperture open for as long as you wish. So 30 represents 30 seconds, 15 represents 15 seconds, 8 seconds, all the way down to 1 second. It then start to rise again, 2, 4 8.. but these actually mean "1/2" - half a second, "1/8" - one-eight of a second, all the way to 500, which is "1/500" - one-five-hundredth of a second, which is the fasted the camera can go. Again, remember you are just telling the light meter what your camera settings are, you are not setting the camera from here. 3. The upper ring ranging from 2 - 32 represents the aperture settings. f2, f2.8..etc. It's a little confusing because there is an f32.. but most helios kit lenses end at f16. You can however use a lens with f32, so I guess they were just covering that scenario. 4. The inner ring - 16, 32, -- 500 shows the ASA (ISO). It's not exactly the same stops as ISO as you've noticed, so there's no 200, 400, but rather 250, 500. Because the Zenit's light meter is analog, you can set it at 'almost' 500. 5. Finally there are the exposure needle and the little ring (doughnut shaped disk) that move back and forth depending on how much light there is. If your light meter is working, you should see them move around relative to light intensity. So, to set up your camera for Portra 400; i. The first thing is to set the ASA to almost 500 in the inner ring. ii. Point your camera at the subject. Then move the outer ring so that the moving needle and the disk are aligned. iii. You exposure is now set. If you look the upper and outer ring, the corresponding aperture - speed pairs are now set. So the light meter is telling you that if you want to select f2.8 (looking at the upper ring), your speed should be whatever the outer ring speed it is aligned to is (for example 125, 60, etc). In daylight sunshine, if you select 500 ASA, your light meter should suggest something very close to f16-500 in this pairing. But remember, you don't actually need this per say :) I hope that helps.
+Juan Felipe Franco Yes you can take pictures but have to figure out the right aperture/speed by yourself or with an external lightmeter, just like with older camera
+Juan Felipe Franco Yes, like Laurent DELPLANQUE said, you can do this manually. That's what I do. The exposure meter on the Zenit-E is for information only, it doesn't actually DO anything for you. It's like having an external meter superglued to your camera.
Hi , great rewiev of camera , thank you, I have one question , should the aperture level be always same in these lighting conditions( 2:42 ) ? for example I mean - if it's sunny weather, should aperture be on 16? or if it's overcast , on - 8? please answer man, I have same camera but I just don't know how to get right settings :(
+Misha Bibileishvili Hi, and thanks for watching. The answer is no :) Think of the chart as a guide only. You can vary the aperture as you like (within reason) as long as you compensate for it with another setting. Lets take a bright sunny day for example, and lets say you have a 400 speed film. Your approximate setting is to match the camera shutter speed to 1/film speed, and set the aperture to f16. So on the Zenit, it would be 1/500 (or just 500 on the dial), and aperture to 16. If you set the aperture to f11, the photo will be a little over-exposed. Many people actually like the slight over-exposure. Going to f8 or f5.6 will probably be too over-exposed. Because the Zenit-e's maximum speed is 1/500, you would have to use an ND filter to reduce the amount of light going into the camera if you want to use a wider aperture than f8 in this setting. Now lets say you have a film speed 100. Again, matching the speed as closely as possible would be 1/125, and the aperture would be f16. In this case, you have room to make changes. You can move the aperture to f11, but have to compensate by moving the shutter speed to 1/250. You can move to f8, and move the shutter speed to 1/500. Note that even though the exposure would be the same, some characteristics of your photo will change, but you may not notice it depending on what you are taking photos of. Hope that helps.
+A Torrent of Videos What a brilliant answer! thank you so much, now everything is clear, you realy helped me, now I'm going to take some good photos with my old camera, thank you . :)
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if you want to talk ugly camera, look at the boring , plastic dross that is churned out now, first drop your camera is a write off. Zenith are built to do a job and they do it very well, lots bang on about German kit having better build, I disagree and out of my 2 oldest cameras, the Zenit B still works perfectly well but the newer Prakitca is buggered, refuses to wind on and leaks light. I have nothing but praise for Zenith, first camera I ever bought and best camera I ever bought, in fact, soon I'm going to use her again and leave my DSLR at home, and learn real photography with a real camera and not rely on a computer in a camera body.
I think anyone looking at buying a Praktica might well want to also buy a few rolls of insulation tape too..... I'll stick to the better camera, the Zenit.
Does anyone know how to take double exposures on this camera? Also I was wondering - when I look through the viewfinder everything seems a lot more close-up than it is in real life, is this how the photos are going to come out? New to film slr photography btw
Hi emmathomsonsmith Thanks for watching the video. Let me see if I can try answering your questions. I'm sure there are people that know way more than I do that may chime in too. 1. The viewfinder is looking through the lens. So most of the time, what you see is what you are going to get. Sometimes you get a little more because the viewfinder is only showing about 95-98% of what is going to be captured. When it looks 'more close-up' than real life, that may depend on the 'focal length' of your lens - so is it a 35mm, 40mm 85mm e.t.c. If you have a zoom lens, you may have it zoomed in a little. As a rule of thumb, with an SLR, what you see is what you're going to get (in terms of framing. Exposure is something else :) ) 2. Double exposure with the Zenit is done in at least 2 ways. I've seen people doing it by messing with the shutter speed dial. I have never done this before so I can't say if it works for sure. There is at least one video on TH-cam showing this, but with no instructions: th-cam.com/video/5kjnh_xj2Go/w-d-xo.html The other way is to shoot the entire roll, then rewind ALMOST to the end and start shooting again :) Hope that helps
Hi Thanks so much for your reply I really appreciated it! I'm just using the Helios lens that comes with the camera, thanks for the clarification though. As for double exposure I have watched that video and yes found it to be of very little help haha, I was trying to do it by holding down the rewind button and taking another shot but this disengages the shutter and won't let you take another photo, super annoying!
emmathomsonsmith hehe, best to forget about doing double exposure on this one. My favourite double exposure camera is the Smena 8. You can do 10000 exposures if you want hehe. I should do a video on it soon. I love the helios lens so much
Modern cameras are tops at stopping action with shutter speeds above 1/1,000 sec., especially aircraft propellers, automobile/truck tires, and free style skateboard and bicycle stunters. Coming from the days when 1/1,000 sec. was the fastest (common) shutter speed available, I've come to appreciate some subject blur. "Strobe ghosting," where the electronic flash stops the action, but the camera shutter doesn't, can illustrate Action in a way that "frozen in space" photos can't. Also, if the helicopter/aircraft's rotor/propeller(s) are stopped, what's keeping it in the air? 1/500 sec. and slower will provide "creative blur," and if you really want a "speed racer" look, pan with your subject as your shutter strides along at 1/60 sec. and slower. Life in the fast lane gets boring.;(
That's a shame. They're pretty cheap on eBay though because so many of them were made. It's almost not worth trying to fix it. It's probably cheaper to just buy one. Especially if you already have the lens, just buy a working body only for next to nothing.
Hi, thanks for a great review. btw, i'll be buying 2 of this camera (one has olympic commemorative logo) from someone in my area with helios 44-2 kit. actually it's 2 bodies & 3 same lenses for $75. is it worth the price? i'm just after the lens. i'll keep the best one for my fuji X-t1 & will sold the rest. thanks. sub'd.
eBase As long as the lenses are clean (no fungus or scratches), and the focusing action is smooth, then you are getting a great deal at $75 in my opinion! Those that Helios lens is just awesome. I use it with my Canon DSLR with an adaptor and get beautiful looking photos with that swirly bokeh.
Thanks for a quick response. bit.ly/1BJxoih ...he just sent me this photo. i'll check it out personallyin few days. i currently has 44m-7. is there any difference between the two?
eBase I'm more familiar with the 44-2 than the 44m-7, but from what I remember, the main difference is in sharpness and resolution. So the 44m-7 is a lot sharper - sort of like the good lenses you get with digital cameras these days. The 44-2 is a bit softer and 'creamier' so portrait photographers love it. I find it also gives a lovely vintage feel to a photo (even digital ones). I will post a link to a photo I took with a digital camera and the 44-2. It looks like I used a vintage filter/preset, even though I didn't. It was just good light and this lovely lens. There is also the swirly bokeh, which shoes more in the 44-2. It depends on what you want though. Many people prefer the 44m-7 because it is technically superior to the 44-2. I prefer the 44-2 because of the 'look'.
dude, i got these lenses today. i think were both wrong about IQ of 44-2.. this lens is tack sharp on my X-t1. i'm blown away. i uploaded same test shots n flickr. bit.ly/18TPItn
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I carried one of these throughout my infantry army career, from the arctic of Norway to the dust of the desert, and everything in between, its been dropped in puddles, and even run over by a tank (pushed into soft ground), 37 years on and still it works. My daughter used it on her college course and gained her C&G in photography with it along with an LRPS. Cheap yes, built like a tank yes, but worth every penny.
Wow, that's incredible. That's testament to the toughness of this beast of a camera.
Best camera ever made beats anything in my eyes.
I don't think its ugly at all, it has a very desirable retro look in my opinion
Yes some people love that rugged look :)
I owned the Zenit B (an E without the light meter) and, using the Sunny Sixteen rule, got some of the best shots I've ever taken. That Helios lens is bloody great! It sure was heavy , giving the advantage of being able to shoot in the roughest areas - that no mugger would come near you. I doubt if anyone could survive a whack over the head with it.
hahaha. it sure doubles as a weapon.
Thanks for the video! Seeing this old Zenit-E reminded me of so many good memories. This camera model was the one my father used to teach me about ligh, metering and taking pics in general.
Wow, that's great. They're very nostalgic the Zenit-E
Once again, a really nice video! I have a few of those Soviet lenses including the Helios 44-2. Just got a Zenit ET. Looking forward to shooting with it! Thanks for the vid!
Thank you. Yes that Helios 44-2 is my favourite lens right now.
MJ Harfoush Thanks for the comment. For some reason I can't reply directly to your comment.
I used Lomography Lady Gray (400ISO). It's supposed to be similar (or identical) to Kodak Tmax.
Yes I really enjoy using this camera. The lens is also amazing.
I have the EM, The black version. I agree with you on rewinding the film... LOL. The main thing I dislike about the Zenit EM, is the fact that the shutter counter just spins around and around if you knock it, so you never know how many pictures you've taken. I usually just keep going till there physically ain't any more film to wind on, which leads to another problem... Ouch!... great review though
... yup and that's a great way to snap the film haha. It's happened to me.
true true… but if you reach the end of the roll, and the film can't physically wind-on anymore, don't force it, just press the shutter release again and turn the assembly till the red dot lines up with R.
Then go into a dark room, lift up the rewind spool, open the back and remove the film with it still connected to the take-up spool; then you'll be able to complete the final wind-on safely without breaking the film.
Once that's done, pull the film back across to the rewind spool (it should be loose because the shutter assembly is set to R) pop it back in the camera and close it. You should now be able to rewind the rest of the film in the conventional manner. Voila!…
Just bought one. I don't think it's ugly at all. I actually find it's design interesting. (It may be because i like soviet cameras). TIP : When changing shutter speed change it one position at a time. The sping of the mechanism is sensitive (and old) and it may break.
Yikes! Thanks. Thankfully I hardly ever change the speed. I'm more an apterture priority guy, but this is good to kow thanks.
I know what you mean about its rugged 'beauty'. It's definitely an acquired taste :)
A Torrent of Videos Anytime :D . If you get the chance , do a review on the Praktica L2 . It's my favorite camera! Love your videos , keep it up!!!
Great review Bro. I am a fan of Zenit cameras and have 3 in mu possession!
I quite like the Zenit E, your right about the lens, I always use it on my digi's. Zenit also works in very low temps. The light meter is actually quite effective, Great video, well done.
its not ugly T_Tactually the problem I have with my Zenit E is that I cant focus accurately in the viewfinder with it. I agree though it is a big finder.
Such a stylish video - and great photos too.
Merci :)
That was my first 35mm camera when I was 17. I may just buy one again.
Great, classy pro. Well done. Cheers.
Thanks for watching :)
Thanx for the vid.
I love this tank of a camera, I have the Zenit E, Zenit ET, and the Kiev 44. And I must say I'm emotionally attached to them, that my canons get jealous :)
I really loved the photos u took with it, can u tell me what film and what ISO I've used, and is there a film that u'd recommend?
Thanx again mate
+Виктор Асанов thanks, this is really helpful, I remember my late father having a slip of paper with DIN conversion chart :) this is rather more extensive.
Thanks again
I've got four Zenits; 3M- '63 model (Industar 50), B- '71 Model (Industar 50-2), EM [Moscow Olympic Commemoration]- '77 Model (Helios 44M) and 12XP- '83 Model (Helios 44-2). I usually shoot on Canon EOS digitals, but when I want to shoot film, I love the Zenits especially the 3M and B models, but I also shoot on Voigtländer, Zorki and a Smena Cosmic Symbol if I'm travelling very light and feeling quirky. Had one guy give me the benefit of his wisdom the other day, and in that in "his opinion", my Zenit 3M was a 'piece of junk'. So I thoughtfully pointed out to him that it was made in 1963, is four years older than I am, around twenty years older than him, and is still working perfectly. I have no batteries or electronics to worry about, and when his high-end Nikon DSLR has long given up the ghost mine will still be shooting. I also pointed out that he was shooting on fully automatic so in effect the camera was doing all the work (may as well go get a point and shoot), that I have been taking photographs since before he was born, and it takes real skill to shoot manual only. With a Zenit, you have no choice.
OMG. Great collection there.
You know, I constantly bump into these people too. I don't know what it is about photography and camera gear that turns people into these polarised super-opinionated monsters :)
Did you say Nikon DSLR? You're lucky you didn't have a Canonnet QL17 - he would have stabbed you or something :)
He never gave me a reply. Made me laugh. Actually, I bought the 3M off eBay solely on the back of one of your videos. I love it. There's something very satisfying about that shutter 'click'. It's not like the later Zenits; my EM sounds like a barn door closing. On the 3M, it's very nice and subdued. Have a Zenit 11 on order now too, but have to stop for a while, or the wife will have words! :D Keep up the great work, and looking forward to seeing more from you.
great video...going to buy a zenit et..sime.people say you need to advance film first and then change shutter speed....failure to do so will break the shutter mechanism..is it true?
I'm not 100% on the Zenit-ET, but from what I can see the shutter dial looks the same as the Zenit-E. In which case, I don't think that is true. I change the shutter speed at any point, before or after film advance, and my camera has been ok. If you can find a manual, it will probably warn of such an issue if it exists.
Zenit-E manual www.butkus.org/chinon/russian/zenith-e/zenith-e.pdf
I know it is an issue with Keiv4 and Fed3 cameras. I broke a Kiev that way once :(
Cheers for the manual mate. Still have my first roll of film with 10 exposures left inside. :)
I have ZENIT 11 camera - still works 📷📷
Great video but AAARGGHHH!!!
I've got to get one now.
I have a camera that looks identical built in the same time period and in Russia but it's called the PRINZFLEX 500E do you know anything about this camera?
The Vintage Camera Project it's the same exact camera. If you peel off the PRINZFLEX label ( don't 😃) you will find "Zenit E" written there.
Old Cameras thank you for that
HI there
I have a Zenit EM and i am kind a struggling with its exposure settings, i have a Kodak Portra 400 color installed, what is those yellow and white marked numbers mean on exposure dial? and how do I setup the correct exposure? Thanks
+maps_747 Hi there. If you mean the numbers on the lens, then the yellow is the focus distance while the white numbers are the 'aperture' settings. They should read 2, 2.8,... up to 16. For now, I would forget about the yellow numbers. You can simply look through the lens for focus.
Your speed dial at the top should read B, 60, 125, 250 and 500. For Portra 400, I would set it to 500. You can then adjust your aperture based on the light condition by what is called the 'Sunny 16' rule (google 'Sunny 16' for a chart)
16 - Bright Sunshine
11- Weak sunshine
8 - Cloudy but bright
5.6 - Overcast (or in shade outdoors)
4. Good light indoors
2.8/2 low light (depending)
That's just a rough guide though. Hope that helps.
+A Torrent of Videos Hi Thank you so much for your info, but no, not on the lens. yellow and white numbers on the left end ASA-FOCT part, both inside and outside ring,
Now i know that ASA_FOCT ring needs to be set same as my films ISO, but how does that outside ring works and how do i set this up? it has numbers like
yellow - 30, 15, 8, 4, 2, 1, 4 8, 15
White - 30, 60, 125, 250, 500
i am struggling to set this up and understanding. also, i would like to use the lowest aperture like 2 or 2.8 for the super squirrel blurry background for portraits or near object pictures. what would be the ideal setting for this kinda effect? sorry i am new into this...
Thank you again for your kind reply. :)
+maps_747 Hi, sorry I took long to get back, and I hope you've since figured it out but in case you haven't, here are some tips;
1. The light meter on the ZenitEM is not coupled with the lens in any way. So you could completely ignore the light meter and just take photos using either an external meter or estimate it by Sunny 16. It is basically like an external meter sitting on the camera body and it has zero effect on the actual camera settings and the photos. So for example with your Portra 400, you could set the camera speed to 500 and aperture to 16 on a sunny day, and 2/2.8 indoors, depending on how much light you have.
2. On the light meter itself, the outer ring ranging from 30, 15....1, 2, 4..500 represent the speed. Because the camera has a 'Bulb' setting, it means you can have the aperture open for as long as you wish. So 30 represents 30 seconds, 15 represents 15 seconds, 8 seconds, all the way down to 1 second. It then start to rise again, 2, 4 8.. but these actually mean "1/2" - half a second, "1/8" - one-eight of a second, all the way to 500, which is "1/500" - one-five-hundredth of a second, which is the fasted the camera can go. Again, remember you are just telling the light meter what your camera settings are, you are not setting the camera from here.
3. The upper ring ranging from 2 - 32 represents the aperture settings. f2, f2.8..etc. It's a little confusing because there is an f32.. but most helios kit lenses end at f16. You can however use a lens with f32, so I guess they were just covering that scenario.
4. The inner ring - 16, 32, -- 500 shows the ASA (ISO). It's not exactly the same stops as ISO as you've noticed, so there's no 200, 400, but rather 250, 500. Because the Zenit's light meter is analog, you can set it at 'almost' 500.
5. Finally there are the exposure needle and the little ring (doughnut shaped disk) that move back and forth depending on how much light there is. If your light meter is working, you should see them move around relative to light intensity.
So, to set up your camera for Portra 400;
i. The first thing is to set the ASA to almost 500 in the inner ring.
ii. Point your camera at the subject. Then move the outer ring so that the moving needle and the disk are aligned.
iii. You exposure is now set. If you look the upper and outer ring, the corresponding aperture - speed pairs are now set. So the light meter is telling you that if you want to select f2.8 (looking at the upper ring), your speed should be whatever the outer ring speed it is aligned to is (for example 125, 60, etc).
In daylight sunshine, if you select 500 ASA, your light meter should suggest something very close to f16-500 in this pairing. But remember, you don't actually need this per say :)
I hope that helps.
HiBuddy, I got a Zenit E, unfortunatelly the selenium cells and the needle doesnt work,can i take exposures anyway? Thanks
+Juan Felipe Franco Yes you can take pictures but have to figure out the right aperture/speed by yourself or with an external lightmeter, just like with older camera
+Juan Felipe Franco Yes, like Laurent DELPLANQUE said, you can do this manually. That's what I do. The exposure meter on the Zenit-E is for information only, it doesn't actually DO anything for you. It's like having an external meter superglued to your camera.
The sensor in a digital camera is actually analog
Hi , great rewiev of camera , thank you, I have one question , should the aperture level be always same in these lighting conditions( 2:42 ) ? for example I mean - if it's sunny weather, should aperture be on 16? or if it's overcast , on - 8? please answer man, I have same camera but I just don't know how to get right settings :(
+Misha Bibileishvili Hi, and thanks for watching.
The answer is no :) Think of the chart as a guide only. You can vary the aperture as you like (within reason) as long as you compensate for it with another setting. Lets take a bright sunny day for example, and lets say you have a 400 speed film. Your approximate setting is to match the camera shutter speed to 1/film speed, and set the aperture to f16. So on the Zenit, it would be 1/500 (or just 500 on the dial), and aperture to 16. If you set the aperture to f11, the photo will be a little over-exposed. Many people actually like the slight over-exposure. Going to f8 or f5.6 will probably be too over-exposed. Because the Zenit-e's maximum speed is 1/500, you would have to use an ND filter to reduce the amount of light going into the camera if you want to use a wider aperture than f8 in this setting.
Now lets say you have a film speed 100. Again, matching the speed as closely as possible would be 1/125, and the aperture would be f16. In this case, you have room to make changes. You can move the aperture to f11, but have to compensate by moving the shutter speed to 1/250. You can move to f8, and move the shutter speed to 1/500.
Note that even though the exposure would be the same, some characteristics of your photo will change, but you may not notice it depending on what you are taking photos of.
Hope that helps.
+A Torrent of Videos What a brilliant answer! thank you so much, now everything is clear, you realy helped me, now I'm going to take some good photos with my old camera, thank you . :)
my pleasure :) enjoy it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, if you want to talk ugly camera, look at the boring , plastic dross that is churned out now, first drop your camera is a write off. Zenith are built to do a job and they do it very well, lots bang on about German kit having better build, I disagree and out of my 2 oldest cameras, the Zenit B still works perfectly well but the newer Prakitca is buggered, refuses to wind on and leaks light. I have nothing but praise for Zenith, first camera I ever bought and best camera I ever bought, in fact, soon I'm going to use her again and leave my DSLR at home, and learn real photography with a real camera and not rely on a computer in a camera body.
You're so right about Praktica. All my Praktica cameras are now light-leaking :)
I think anyone looking at buying a Praktica might well want to also buy a few rolls of insulation tape too..... I'll stick to the better camera, the Zenit.
@@OldCameras Now have 3 Paks and none of them work, all leak light, the Zenit however just keeps on going and going.
Does anyone know how to take double exposures on this camera? Also I was wondering - when I look through the viewfinder everything seems a lot more close-up than it is in real life, is this how the photos are going to come out? New to film slr photography btw
Hi emmathomsonsmith Thanks for watching the video. Let me see if I can try answering your questions. I'm sure there are people that know way more than I do that may chime in too.
1. The viewfinder is looking through the lens. So most of the time, what you see is what you are going to get. Sometimes you get a little more because the viewfinder is only showing about 95-98% of what is going to be captured. When it looks 'more close-up' than real life, that may depend on the 'focal length' of your lens - so is it a 35mm, 40mm 85mm e.t.c. If you have a zoom lens, you may have it zoomed in a little. As a rule of thumb, with an SLR, what you see is what you're going to get (in terms of framing. Exposure is something else :) )
2. Double exposure with the Zenit is done in at least 2 ways. I've seen people doing it by messing with the shutter speed dial. I have never done this before so I can't say if it works for sure. There is at least one video on TH-cam showing this, but with no instructions: th-cam.com/video/5kjnh_xj2Go/w-d-xo.html
The other way is to shoot the entire roll, then rewind ALMOST to the end and start shooting again :)
Hope that helps
Hi
Thanks so much for your reply I really appreciated it! I'm just using the Helios lens that comes with the camera, thanks for the clarification though. As for double exposure I have watched that video and yes found it to be of very little help haha, I was trying to do it by holding down the rewind button and taking another shot but this disengages the shutter and won't let you take another photo, super annoying!
emmathomsonsmith hehe, best to forget about doing double exposure on this one. My favourite double exposure camera is the Smena 8. You can do 10000 exposures if you want hehe. I should do a video on it soon.
I love the helios lens so much
ooh thanks yeah do a vid would love to see it. haven't got my first roll of film developed yet but very excited to see how it comes out :)
wait so the shutter speed can't go past 500??
+Michael Cavazos Correct..
Modern cameras are tops at stopping action with shutter speeds above 1/1,000 sec., especially aircraft propellers, automobile/truck tires, and free style skateboard and bicycle stunters. Coming from the days when 1/1,000 sec. was the fastest (common) shutter speed available, I've come to appreciate some subject blur. "Strobe ghosting," where the electronic flash stops the action, but the camera shutter doesn't, can illustrate Action in a way that "frozen in space" photos can't. Also, if the helicopter/aircraft's rotor/propeller(s) are stopped, what's keeping it in the air? 1/500 sec. and slower will provide "creative blur," and if you really want a "speed racer" look, pan with your subject as your shutter strides along at 1/60 sec. and slower. Life in the fast lane gets boring.;(
well as to my eye it does not have enough photographic equipment
lol. :)
I have this but don't work
That's a shame. They're pretty cheap on eBay though because so many of them were made. It's almost not worth trying to fix it. It's probably cheaper to just buy one. Especially if you already have the lens, just buy a working body only for next to nothing.
Andrew of Danae & Andrew gave you a shoutout in his latest vid so i'm going to check out your channel. I'm looking forward to what I might find...
Thank you! That's one of my favourite channels on TH-cam. Thanks for dropping by!
Hi, thanks for a great review. btw, i'll be buying 2 of this camera (one has olympic commemorative logo) from someone in my area with helios 44-2 kit. actually it's 2 bodies & 3 same lenses for $75. is it worth the price? i'm just after the lens. i'll keep the best one for my fuji X-t1 & will sold the rest. thanks. sub'd.
eBase As long as the lenses are clean (no fungus or scratches), and the focusing action is smooth, then you are getting a great deal at $75 in my opinion! Those that Helios lens is just awesome. I use it with my Canon DSLR with an adaptor and get beautiful looking photos with that swirly bokeh.
Thanks for a quick response. bit.ly/1BJxoih ...he just sent me this photo. i'll check it out personallyin few days. i currently has 44m-7. is there any difference between the two?
eBase I'm more familiar with the 44-2 than the 44m-7, but from what I remember, the main difference is in sharpness and resolution. So the 44m-7 is a lot sharper - sort of like the good lenses you get with digital cameras these days. The 44-2 is a bit softer and 'creamier' so portrait photographers love it. I find it also gives a lovely vintage feel to a photo (even digital ones). I will post a link to a photo I took with a digital camera and the 44-2. It looks like I used a vintage filter/preset, even though I didn't. It was just good light and this lovely lens.
There is also the swirly bokeh, which shoes more in the 44-2. It depends on what you want though. Many people prefer the 44m-7 because it is technically superior to the 44-2. I prefer the 44-2 because of the 'look'.
yes, sharpness is not everything. thank you for these infos. You made me understand more about this gems.
dude, i got these lenses today. i think were both wrong about IQ of 44-2.. this lens is tack sharp on my X-t1. i'm blown away.
i uploaded same test shots n flickr. bit.ly/18TPItn
Переведите кто нибудь... О чем он говорит?...)))
Я говорю : мне нравится камеру . Это некрасиво , но я люблю его , потому что это большой, тяжелый и надежный :)
Безобразный ролик! Неужели не смогли найти европеоида для обзора?!