Zenit-B

Zenit-B is a Soviet 35mm SLR camera manufactured at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) from 1968 to 1973. It was a simplified version of Zenit-E without a selenium light meter.

zenit-b

The fact is that even the super simple Zenit-E was beyond the means of Soviet citizens, and it was decided to make the same camera, but without a selenium exposure meter, and therefore Zenit-B appeared.

Zenit-B Specifications

  • Type: 35mm SLR camera
  • Manufacturer: KMZ plant
  • Production period: from 1968 to 1973
  • Format: 24x36cm on 135 film
  • Lens mount: m42 thread mount
  • Lens: Helios-44-2 f2.0/58
  • Viewfinder image field size: 20×28mm
  • Shutter: focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1/30 to 1/500 sec.
  • Viewfinder: SLR with non-removable pentaprism
  • Lighmeter: none
  • Flash synchronisation: sync socket “X”, sync speeds from 1/30 s and longer.
  • Selftimer: mechanical
  • Weight: 920 grams
zenit-b slr

Both of these cameras were produced at the same time, and if a person could not afford Zenit-E, then he bought Zenit-B. In fact, these were some of the few SLR cameras available in the Soviet Union at the time. More sophisticated cameras appeared from time to time in the Soviet Union, but ordinary Soviet people could not afford them.

The Zenit-B camera was equipped with an Industar-50-2 3.5/50 or Helios-44-2 2/58 lens. The camera had an M42 threaded mount. This means that you can use a huge number of different lenses made in the Soviet Union and beyond the borders of this country.

zenit-b industar
soviet-b soviet camera

The camera is still equipped with a shutter with shutter speeds of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, and B. Recall that this camera was produced in those years when a set of shutter speeds from 1 to 1/1000 second was considered normal for SLR cameras (for example, as in Minolta SR-T 101). Of course, this is not a very large set of shutter speeds, but this is quite enough for most purposes.

ussr camera
zenit-b ussr

As already mentioned in the article about Zenit-E, starting with these models, SLR cameras manufactured at KMZ have become much less quality. This happened due to the fact that the number of produced copies increased, and quality control fell sharply. But it should be noted that in Soviet factories there has never been strong quality control.

zenit cameras
zenit camera

But despite all this, Zenit-B had a number of fairly strong advantages, the main of which was the simplicity and relative cheapness of the camera.

Like almost all Soviet cameras of those years, Zenit-B had almost everything that was needed for comfortable photography. Of course, the camera has few shutter speeds, but this is quite enough for photographing in normal light conditions.

zenit b soviet slr camera

Due to the fact that the film in those years had small photosensitivity, shutter speeds faster than 1/500 second were not required. And due to the fact that a rare amateur photographer in the Soviet Union had a tripod, shutter speeds slower than 1/30 second were also not in demand.

Zenit-B review

Conclusion

If you want to buy a Zenit-B, then probably you should buy it. But if you just want some kind of Soviet film camera, then the team of Sovietcameras.org advises you to turn your attention either to earlier models, as they were better in quality and more stylish, or to later models, because they were more comfortable.

ZENIT-B PHOTOS

Zenit-B photos
Zenitar M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Vision3 250d
Zenit-B photo examples
Zenitar M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Vision3 250d
zenit-b photographs
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Kodak Gold 200
Film camera photo
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
Film camera shots
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
Soviet film camera photo examples
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
Soviet film camera review
Jupiter-37a f3.5/135, Kodak Portra 400
Zenit-B camera
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
Film camera landscape
Jupiter-37a f3.5/135, Kodak Portra 400
Kodak film
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodacolor 200
Film photography
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodacolor 200
Zenit soviet camera
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
Soviet film camera photos
Zenitar-M2s f2.0/50, Kodak Profoto 100
zenit photos
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Kodak Gold 200
zenit-b photo
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Svema Foto 65
zenit camera photos
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Kodak Gold 200
zenit camera photo
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Svema Foto 65
soviet cameras photos
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Svema Foto 65
zenit-b photograph
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Kodak Gold 200
zenit photo
Helios-44-2 f2/58, Svema Foto 65

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