Elvijs Vitins
ZENIT with Industar 22 50mm/f3.5
Zenit is a 35mm film SLR camera made by KMZ and produced between 1952-56 with quantity 39.019 units.
Original Zenit is also known as Zenit 1. Zenit (Зенит = Зенит), means Zenith, a point in the sky that appears directly above the observer. On the front of the camera Zenit logo is engraved as Cyrillic italics.
The camera is essentially a rangefinder camera Zorki 1, but with a reflex housing. The KMZ is one of the early pioneers of 35mm SLR cameras. Zenit was the 9th 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, and it is the second in Soviet Union, the first one was GOMZ Sport.
In transforming the Zorki into an SLR, the simplest approach was taken: the rangefinder housing was removed from the top and replaced by a ground-glass screen and prism; a mirror was added below, with a rope-and-pulley setting system and the M39 thread mount was pushed forward to make room for the mirror inside. During the first years of production (until the Zenit-E of 1967) Zenit camera development coincided with that of the Zorki series cameras.
ZENIT with Industar 22 50mm/f3.5
Zenit is a 35mm film SLR camera made by KMZ and produced between 1952-56 with quantity 39.019 units.
Original Zenit is also known as Zenit 1. Zenit (Зенит = Зенит), means Zenith, a point in the sky that appears directly above the observer. On the front of the camera Zenit logo is engraved as Cyrillic italics.
The camera is essentially a rangefinder camera Zorki 1, but with a reflex housing. The KMZ is one of the early pioneers of 35mm SLR cameras. Zenit was the 9th 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, and it is the second in Soviet Union, the first one was GOMZ Sport.
In transforming the Zorki into an SLR, the simplest approach was taken: the rangefinder housing was removed from the top and replaced by a ground-glass screen and prism; a mirror was added below, with a rope-and-pulley setting system and the M39 thread mount was pushed forward to make room for the mirror inside. During the first years of production (until the Zenit-E of 1967) Zenit camera development coincided with that of the Zorki series cameras.