Zenit opinions

How do folks rate using old Zenit lenses and teleconvertors on the K10D. I have the chance of some reasonably cheaply and I'm assuming they are all K fit but have to still confirm this 100%.

There is a fair chance they might be M42 mount but people generally hold them in quite high regard and certainly value for money. Many of them are based on pre-war (WW2, not Gulf war, that is) German designs. Hefty1, I think, knows quite a lot about them.

The cameras are generally dire in quality and heavy as bricks but the lenses can be very, very good. Nearly always M42 mount (although very few of the later ones were K mount) so you'll need an adapter but the Helios 44 (58mm f/2) is a stunningly sharp Zeiss Biotar clone and well worth having. These were the kit lenses and almost every Zenit you ever see will have one attached.

Any idea what the lenses you're picking up are?

The Industar 50mm f3.5 apparently makes a good enlarging lens, so it should be good on a bellows unit.

no lens detail yet other than this, I will enquire further on specifics:

50mm, 28mm, 70/150mm, 3 tele converters and filters

I have a couple of zenits a zenit E moshva olypics(197 and a zenit 3m(1962)I think all zenits from old to newish are screw thread.I used to have 4 others but sold em and they were also all screw thread

Zenits are actually still in production and those made in the last 10 years or so have a K mount. Hardly ever see them though as they're no longer sold outside Eastern Europe / Russia so any you find over here will almost certainly be M42.

One of my Zeniths with the 58mm f2 Helios, I have used it on my K10D to try it and on my screw Pentaxes and it is very good.


Here is a Praktica with the 85mm f2 Jupiter I got for £1 in my Camera Club auction also a Carl Zeiss 135mm f3.5 I got fpor the same price-they both work on my K10D and screw Pentaxes. I have done lots of press work with the 85mm f2 on my K10D; available light stuff.

I thought this was a PENTAX forum!!!

I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only Zenit owner on here.

By the way Hefty, my Zenit 12XP weighs a ton but can be used hand held down to 30th/second, must be the weight that damps any vibration!

Heh, I also have Zenit 12XP And true, 1/30s hand held was easy with that camera, moreover it's practically indestructible, survived snow, sand, hot weather, cold weather - no problems. And -20 C wasn't any problem

Probably one of the reasons I've decided for Pentax - a proper weight

Erm, K200d and battery grip= Zenit 12XP!

You just can't win...

I used to be in the photographic retail trade and sold a lot of Russian equipment in the 60's to 80's. The 55mm Helios was very good lens but watch out as the early lenses had a 39mm thread for the Zenith 3M (my first SLR) a simple adaptor was available to convert the lens for 42mm. I had the 85mm F2 Helios which was an excellent lens. After that for some reason went onto Zorki's and Fed rangefinders, ending up with the Kiev 4 (contax copy) I can still visualise and hear that sweet sounding roller blind shutter.

The Russians also made a 37mm Mir wide angle and a Jupiter 135 f4 which was more popular.

I have a Russian 50mm Inderstar macro lens imported in the early eighties with a preset diaphragm. Just waiting for my Pentax adaptor to arrive from SRS to give it a try.

If anyone wants information on Russian equipment, let me know. Most of the bodies went back to T.O.E. as the Russian quality control was terrible

Chris