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Old 1st February 2018, 01:14 AM
skier skier is offline
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Default First Film SLR - Zenit E

I've been thinking about trying a film camera for a while now and finally decided to take the plunge. I wanted a camera that could use the helios 44 and 40 lenses, which meant I needed to find something with an M42 mount. A bit of reading led me to the Zenit E, a soviet-era camera that was produced from 1965 to 1986.

One of the things I found intriguing about this specific camera is that is fully manual with no batteries at all. I figured that as long as I was going back to the stone age (film), I may as forgo the modern convenience of any electrical aids. But with that in mind, another cool feature of this camera is that it came with a built-in light meter (that frequently is no longer functional). As an added bonus it comes with the Helios 44-2 lens, which is one of the two lenses I was interested in.

So, with that being said, any tips/suggestions for a film neophyte. Any suggestions on what type of film to load first? Any tips or hints specifically about using a Zenit or Helios? The camera is shipping from across the pond (I'm in the US and it's coming from Ukraine), so it will be a little while before I have my new toy.
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Old 2nd February 2018, 12:39 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Hi. There are lots of these cameras around in the UK. I’ve been given a few over the years, but don’t currently use them. The 58mm standard lens is usually of good performance. I like the slightly narrower angle of view it gives. I would load a 400 ASA film like Ilford HP5+. It’s quite flexible, and gives good quality negatives. If you like the lens, it can also be used on a variety of other cameras with M42 Mount. Pentax, for example, would be worth a look. I hope you enjoy the film experience.
Alex


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Old 2nd February 2018, 01:33 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Skier, the Zenit E is a pretty hefty camera. Now that you are , as you put it, back in the Stone age, you will find it a handy tool to chip flints off rocks. You can use these to cut the film up into strips after processing...

Alan
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Old 2nd February 2018, 01:36 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Skier, I forgot to mention film. As Alex said, HP5 would be good, or Tri X. Both 400 ISO so good for use without a tripod.
Hope you take to it,

Alan
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Old 2nd February 2018, 02:49 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Welcome to FADU, skier. In terms of film a lot might depend on the facilities you have. All we know is that you are a newcomer to film so I will make the assumption that you will not be doing your own processing and printing yet. If this is the case then if the lab you will use to process can do traditional B&W film then HP5+ is a good film but if the lab only film processes in C41 chemicals i.e. colour negative film and you fancy a go at B&W then get a B&W film that is processed in C41 such as Ilford XP2+. The lab if it is geared to C41 and colour negs and prints may only use RA4 paper( i.e. colour paper) as well but it should be able to produce neutral B&W prints on it if it is any good.

For all sorts of reasons we can best help you if we know a bit more about your photographic circumstances.

Mike
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Old 2nd February 2018, 03:32 PM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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I regularly use a virtually identical Zenit EM. The Helios 44-2 lens is pretty sharp and is fine with colour film as well as B&W. My favourite characteristic of this lens is it's so-called 'swirly bokeh'; out of focus backgrounds, in a closeup portrait for example, can appear to be rotating around the subject, making for a rather magical effect.

Be warned however that these cameras are quite old, and often seize up after a bit of use. I couldn't find anyone in the UK who could be bothered to repair mine, so I sent it to Russia to be serviced.
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Old 2nd February 2018, 03:44 PM
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pentaxpete pentaxpete is offline
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i did a Video on my Zenith E pointing out how NOT to 'Break ' it
You can see it here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Zxk-osf0U
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Old 2nd February 2018, 04:50 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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The very first SLR I had was a Zenith E, buolt like a brick outhouse, I dropped it once from a window and thought that's it, need a new camera, but picked it up and not even a ding, still working, The great thing about the M42 screw mount is that lenses are plentyfull and very cheap, so if you do want to build up a collection of lenses it won't cost the earth, also, M42 bodies are again plenty full and cheap, so many makers produced them, such as Pentax,Practica, Fuji Ect just remember to only change shutter speeds when the shutter is set, do not change speeds without winding on the film, this applies to any FSU camera, very basic, but a good learning tool, and lots of fun
Richard
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Old 2nd February 2018, 09:10 PM
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skellum skellum is offline
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Default and very flexible. Exposure and

Curious as to why you needed a camera to suit those particular lenses?
I'm assuming you already have them?
The very best of luck with your new camera, I hope it does everything you want.
Film is very personal. As has been mentioned, if you need a lab to process then Ilford XP2 or Kodak BW400CN are good. In fact, XP2 is lovely- it smooths out grain and is fabulously forgiving in terms of exposure.
If you're doing your own developing try Tri-X, maybe in HC110. Easy to dilute concentrate that lasts a long time, and gives a really crisp negative.
HP5 is a really beautiful film in 120 or 5x4 formats, but I find it looks just a bit grainy in 35mm. However, plenty of folk prefer it to TriX.
You have to try for yourself.

Lastly, if you have bright shooting conditions, or don't mind using a tripod sometimes, Ilford PanF.
Biting sharpness, smooth tones, makes the very best of the 35mm format.
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Old 2nd February 2018, 11:56 PM
skier skier is offline
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Thanks for the welcome everyone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
Welcome to FADU, skier. In terms of film a lot might depend on the facilities you have. All we know is that you are a newcomer to film so I will make the assumption that you will not be doing your own processing and printing yet. If this is the case then if the lab you will use to process can do traditional B&W film then HP5+ is a good film but if the lab only film processes in C41 chemicals i.e. colour negative film and you fancy a go at B&W then get a B&W film that is processed in C41 such as Ilford XP2+. The lab if it is geared to C41 and colour negs and prints may only use RA4 paper( i.e. colour paper) as well but it should be able to produce neutral B&W prints on it if it is any good.

For all sorts of reasons we can best help you if we know a bit more about your photographic circumstances.

Mike
I'm not going to start setting up a darkroom yet. But I may get there eventually. Someone on the POTN forum suggested using The FIND Lab for developing/scanning the film, so barring any other suggestions that's where I plan to start.

As for more about myself. I'm coming from a Canon 6D with a few different lenses. My most used are the 16-35 f4 and 70-200 F2.8. I like photographing people but have issues finding subjects. My family and friends are sick of it. As a result, I've been doing mostly aviation photography and this year started doing some air to air shoots.

For the more technically knowledgeable on here, how does the shutter work in mechanical cameras like the Zenit? I understand the general function as it relates to actually taking a photo, but mechanically how does it work? What causes it to be open for 1/60 vs 1/500? I'm guessing it must be some sort of spring?

Quote:
Originally Posted by skellum View Post
Curious as to why you needed a camera to suit those particular lenses?
I'm assuming you already have them?
Nope, I don't already have them. I just find the bokeh intriguing when done subtlely. At the same time I think it can be garish if overdone. Below are a couple images I found online that were taken with the 40-2 that I really like
https://img2.juzaphoto.com/002/share.../2393803_m.jpg
https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/ful...-40-2-85mm.jpg

Last edited by skier; 3rd February 2018 at 12:02 AM.
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