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Russian cameras
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:34 pm    Post subject: Russian cameras Reply with quote
Hi all,
Do you have any experience with russian slr cameras (zenit mount/m42) ?
I'm thinking of buying one for a trip i'm going to make this summer. It's not going to be the average "quiet" trip so I'd rather not bring my digital slr and have it dropped, full of sand, fried in the sun, drowned in the water, or robbed (believe me, it can all happen!). I think I'll be able to get really good photos with a traditional film camera anyway and as I also plan on buying a couple of m42 lenses to use with an adapter with my canon eos 400d, I can use those lenses on the film camera body too. I've seen the Zenit-E and Zenit-TTL are quite common. Any opinion on those or other similar cameras? are the light meters of those old cameras prone to be broken? or maybe the shutter? would it really work for me?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would prefer a zenit ttl or better a 12xp. The function of the old selenium lightmeter is often dubious. I bought numerous zenit e and et because I wanted the lenses, very often the shutter was crap.

Drawback is that you will need a button cells for the lightmeter of the 12xp. I wouldn't suggest the following Zenit 122. It's the same as 12xp, but plastic, no real Zenit feeling.

Michael


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hmm, they are old cameras, if something happen with them ? I suggest to you bring a backup camera too.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the quick response!
hmm.. and how about other (also old and cheap) m42 cameras (pentax? praktica?)


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have no personal experience with Pentax cameras, I had only one I bought for the lens and left immediately in shop. It seems well built quality item better than East German or Russian. I guess Praktica is better built quality than Zenit. In my opinion if you buy two copies from old film cameras and ask an expert to test them. You will travel in safety one of your cameras will works. I am not a film camera fan, so my opinion is not very serious. Hopefully other forum members who are still use them can give you better answer.

My order for film cameras:

1) NIKON!

2) Pentax

3) Praktica

4) Zenit

I love Pentacon Six too but that is an another story.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:

My order for film cameras:

1) NIKON!
2) Pentax
3) Praktica
4) Zenit


Attila, if I understand correctly, Naplam wants an expendable camera.

Naplam, what about one of those 70s rangefinders?
There are some like the Yashica 35 which take standard everyday batteries and you can therefore find replacements everyhwere.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
He would bring a cheap M42 SLR camera, he asked first Zenit.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
He would bring a cheap M42 SLR camera, he asked first Zenit.


I don't know how many M42 cameras that are cheap will still work without a mercury battery. He may have problems and need to carry a hand light meter.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Don't know I bought a couple of Praktica in the last year for Pancolar lenses, all worked with third party maker batteries. If it interesting I will ask Hungarian forum members many of them have Praktica and other film cameras.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
naplam wrote:
Hi all,
Do you have any experience with russian slr cameras (zenit mount/m42) ?
I'm thinking of buying one for a trip i'm going to make this summer.


Hi naplam

I'd like to offer you one of my Praktica Nova 1B cameras, exactly like this:

Click here to see on Ebay

I have three of these - one of them is the second SLR I ever owned, which I bought used in 1969. It still works perfectly, even though it has been dropped and knocked a few times. I'm keeping this old familiar friend, but the other two came more recently with lenses I wanted, so I don't need them. They're both in good condition and you're welcome to one for just the cost of the postage.

This camera doesn't use any batteries. It has an external Selenium meter which moves a needle in a little window on the top of the body and you set the shutter and aperture manually. It uses automatic lenses with the push pin, and you can press the button halfway to check depth of field. The only thing I disliked is that it doesn't have a flash shoe, so you have to take off the case and use a bracket.

If you're interested please mail me.

Peter


PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
As for M42 cams I have gathered experiences with those:
Praktica L2
Zenit E
Zenit EM

I would recommend the Zenit EM (plus an additional light meter).

But there surely are better ones.

Another nice idea is a small K-bayonet cam (e.g. Ricoh KR-10x) with a M42-K-adapter.
The Ricoh is solid and small and its light meter is very reliable.

Carsten


PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
An old Pentax SP1000 or spotmatic needs only two button cells and wil last for years. Almost unbreakable.


Even better an MX but thats with K bayonet so your lenses will not fit on your DSLR.

Guido


PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jigt wrote:

Even better an MX but thats with K bayonet so your lenses will not fit on your DSLR.


Well, I use a Pentax SMC 1.7/50 with an K-EOS-adapter at my 350D - it works excellently!

Carsten


PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I picked up a Zenit E for $10 a while back - wouldn't have done it except for the ridiculous price. When it arrived I was very surprised and impressed: the shutter is quiet and smooth and the camera has a very solid feel, very different from the tinny construction of the cheaper Japanese M42 brands. It is probably best to think of it as a meterless camera though: my meter works okay, but it's not very sensitive and it's not very convenient to use. With print film you can guess your exposures 90% of the time so a meter is not critical anyway.

I have not used any of the later Zenits, but in Soviet gear there is virtue in simplicity; the E has very little in it to go wrong.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:19 am    Post subject: Re: Russian cameras Reply with quote
naplam wrote:
Do you have any experience with russian slr cameras (zenit mount/m42) ?
I'm thinking of buying one for a trip i'm going to make this summer. It's not going to be the average "quiet" trip so I'd rather not bring my digital slr and have it dropped, full of sand, fried in the sun, drowned in the water, or robbed (believe me, it can all happen!).


Zenit-E/ET/EM/TTL/SD it is better to take factory in a Krasnogorsk. Or Japanese tank Ricoh Singlex Tls.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
There is a very good use for older Zenit-cameras if you ever go to take photos on any chemichal or petrolium associated facility - oil tanker etc. You just can't use any electronic camera there. Don't know if there ever are ATEX -certified SLR:s - some compact digitals maybe.

But is Zenit ATEX -compliant - anyone ever fired it in a darkroom - does the mechanics produce sparks or fire Shocked
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