Zenit 3M Camera, any good? Now with pics of cleaned camera!

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Just been given one from a mate, dug it out of the back of his loft!
Full of crud/dust on the outside but seems to be fully functional, anything I need to look for?
Never used one before but seems to be built from scrap tanks!
Got a roll of the poundland 400 ready and waiting once I have cleaned it.

SCROLL DOWN FOR PICS.
 
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Any good? - Excellent value as long as you got it free. Anything else to look out for? - Don't drop it on your foot.
 
Any good? - Excellent value as long as you got it free. Anything else to look out for? - Don't drop it on your foot.
Cheers! Value not important though, I was asking about the quality.
I'll wear steel toe caps! :p
 
Reckoned to have been made by Russian tractor mechanics when orders were slow. Certainly built like a tractor.
 
Reckoned to have been made by Russian tractor mechanics when orders were slow. Certainly built like a tractor.

You're not kidding. When the shutter is pressed, it sounds like someone's dropped a girder! (ok, maybe a little overstated)
The Helios 44 is adding to the weight too. Looks nice and clear on the inside though!
 
I bought the more upmarket Zenith E new in 1968. The Helios lens was sharp, everything else was pretty rough. The shutter needed repairs within the first 3 months.
 
In my teens and twenties when my only camera was a secondhand Praktica FX-2 which had a 'waist-level' finder (on 35mm that really means chest level at least), and a Pentax was a financially unattainable dream, I used to hanker after a Zenit for its pentaprism.

Actually the Praktica was fine in the sense that it was a light-tight box with a shutter, it was just that I didn't have a very good lens for it ...
 
My first 35mm SLR was a Zenit EM. Badged for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Definitely a camera that is more industrial than anything I have ever used with such a wake the dead kerthunk when you shoot. To a 14 year old me it was awesome compared to my Mum's 110 camera that I had been using before & I took some great photographs with it.. Trouble is that I got a copy of the 35mm Photographers Handbook soon after & it had a Nikon F3 in it & my relationship with the Zenit went downhill from there. Why no TTL? Why only one finder? Where does the motordrive go? Ignorance of a child.

The Helios 44 lens however is something special. I still use mine to this day, but with a Praktica MTL5 that I got off of ebay for £10. Way more civilised than the Zenit. If the body turns out to be broken then perhaps think about looking for one to use the lens. It really is a lovely lens.
 
The Helios 44 lens however is something special. I still use mine to this day, but with a Praktica MTL5 that I got off of ebay for £10. Way more civilised than the Zenit. If the body turns out to be broken then perhaps think about looking for one to use the lens. It really is a lovely lens.

I'll give the camera a clean tomorrow, including a good blow job (no, not that kind) inside. Make sure everything seems to be working then shove a roll in it. Must say I haven't used an M39 fit lens before, so that's another learning curve!
Never noticed if there were any light seals! Still, I have some seal material for my Olympus cameras, so no problem.
I'll report back when done.
 
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If you've got a roll or two of Poundland film, it's always sacrificing one to use as a test film, I've got a roll of crap Kodak that I use to test the film transport in new cameras with, it's saved me quite a few pounds worth of decent film over the last few years.
 
I'll give the camera a clean tomorrow, including a good blow job (no, not that kind) inside. Make sure everything seems to be working then shove a roll in it. Must say I haven't used an M39 fit lens before, so that's another learning curve!
Never noticed if there were any light seals! Still, I have some seal material for my Olympus cameras, so no problem.
I'll report back when done.

If it is an M39 scrap the Praktica MTL5 suggestion as that is an M42. Sorry :(
 
RaglanSurf.
Yep! Got a good supply of 200 and 400 film! I too have a spool of waste film in the draw, good idea, cheers.
 
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double post! oops.
 
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My first 35mm SLR was a Zenit EM. Badged for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Definitely a camera that is more industrial than anything I have ever used with such a wake the dead kerthunk when you shoot.

Back in the early 1970's my first "proper" camera was a Zenit B. Everybody had one because they were cheap. The E was quite sophisticated by comparison!
 
Back in the early 1970's my first "proper" camera was a Zenit B. Everybody had one because they were cheap. The E was quite sophisticated by comparison!
It's true, my first 'proper' camera was a Zenith E chosen over the Zorki 4K for it's built in meter :LOL:
 
It's true, my first 'proper' camera was a Zenith E chosen over the Zorki 4K for it's built in meter :LOL:

Mine too, the sad part being that I was torn between the Zenith and a secondhand Leica 3G. I went for the shiny new Zenith.
 
So, general consensus is, it's a good un?
Seems to be fondly remembered!
 
So, general consensus is, it's a good un?
Seems to be fondly remembered!

Only if you don't have any other cameras ;) For me I've picked up three varieties of Zenits and just didn't like them so I wrapped them up in cling film and in the bin they went...why cling film? well someone sorting thru' the rubbish dump might want them.
 
Only if you don't have any other cameras ;) For me I've picked up three varieties of Zenits and just didn't like them so I wrapped them up in cling film and in the bin they went...why cling film? well someone sorting thru' the rubbish dump might want them.
That's a bit harsh! I gather you don't like them then? o_O
Well as it was free, I'll give it a go and see if I like it as I'm rather fond of old film cams. Most of my collection are older Olympus models, the odd one or two not working yet,
but that's part of the attraction, seeing if I can get them working.
If you have any more for the bin, chuck em in mine please! :D
 
That's a bit harsh! I gather you don't like them then? o_O
Well as it was free, I'll give it a go and see if I like it as I'm rather fond of old film cams. Most of my collection are older Olympus models, the odd one or two not working yet,
but that's part of the attraction, seeing if I can get them working.
If you have any more for the bin, chuck em in mine please! :D

Well I only bought the Zenits for the lenses (M42)...why use a Zenit when you can use say Pentax m42 camera (or other nice M42 cameras) or the lenses with a M42 adapter for cameras like Canon, Minolta, Konica etc with better metering. But in suggesting use a better camera I also use a MTL3, MTL5b now and again :rolleyes::Do_O
 
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This one has an M39 Helios 44. As stated before, not one I am familiar with.

You can get a m39 to m42 adapter for about £2 with free postage, it might work with the Helios lens as if I'm correct it's slightly different to the Leica m39 (used it for enlarging lenses which I think are common Leica)...but as the thread is thin it might not matter.
 
You can get a m39 to m42 adapter for about £2 with free postage, it might work with the Helios lens as if I'm correct it's slightly different to the Leica m39 (used it for enlarging lenses which I think are common Leica)...but as the thread is thin it might not matter.
Yes, read that up last night, the lens thread is negligibley different but it wont focus on the zenit, but can be used for macro.
 
Yes, read that up last night, the lens thread is negligibley different but it wont focus on the zenit, but can be used for macro.

Well I was thinking of the other way round i.e. using M39 lenses on a M42 camera...but if an enlarging lens screws onto your Zenit it should be a good macro lens.
 
That's a bit harsh! I gather you don't like them then? o_O
Well as it was free, I'll give it a go and see if I like it as I'm rather fond of old film cams. Most of my collection are older Olympus models, the odd one or two not working yet,
but that's part of the attraction, seeing if I can get them working.
If you have any more for the bin, chuck em in mine please! :D

Harsh ...but fair.

I think people only brought them because they were cheap I seem to remember having an E which like most of them soon broke they just really weren't really very good, replaced by a Practicia SuperTL which wasn't wonderful either but a whole lot better than the Zenith.
 
That's probably the best looking Zenit ever. It has to be said though, that is a lot of effort for one.
 
Zenith Resurrection, it looks good!
 
Well done. They never looked that good when new!
The acid test is yet to come.....does it do what it says on the tin?
 
That's probably the best looking Zenit ever. It has to be said though, that is a lot of effort for one.

Labour of love! Well alright, not love, but I quite like bringing an unloved camera back to a useful and used item.
It will have a roll through it soon and probably, depending on outcome, will sit with the other rangefinders in my collection.
(Well, until my Mrs says enough!)
Thanks for the comment!
 
Zenith Resurrection, it looks good!

Cheers, I'm very pleased with it so far. Cost, well the camera was free, a little White Lightning metal cleaner, some elbow grease and about a third of a sheet of leatherette, £2.50 at the most! Not bad for a working (I think) rangefinder.
Thanks again.
 
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Well done. They never looked that good when new!
The acid test is yet to come.....does it do what it says on the tin?
Have to agree about not looking that good, especially when I first saw it all grubby and tatty.
But I cocked the shutter and fired it and heard that girder fall, I was hooked!
Glad I decided to work on it now though.
Probably take it with me on Wednesday to Saltaire, get a few shots of Titus Salts Mill.
Then we shall see!
 
Zenit, the SLR that got many hooked on photography ... well done on resurrecting it from obscurity and giving it a new lease of life :D
 
Zenit, the SLR that got many hooked on photography ... well done on resurrecting it from obscurity and giving it a new lease of life :D
Thanks Gramps! It was actually a Zorky (cant remember what model, but probably a 4)) that my Granddad gave me around 1960ish, that I first started with. I had it through my teens before it gave up the ghost. He worked on Lancaster's at Greengate Middleton, Manchester. He was excused Military Service having one leg shorter than the other and had to wear a 'cork shoe' no idea what he needed a camera for while working, but that's what he told me. "It's a good un" he said at the time. He also have me his Smiths pocket watch, I still collect them too!
 
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