written by on 23/01/2010
The Zenit 12 XP is a brick of a camera which will simply keep working. And the Helios 50mm F/2 lens is one of the most underated pieces of optics ever. I now own a Zenit E amongst other cameras, made in 1974 and still working quite happily. Compared to modern plastic junk, it feels like a Rolls Royce in your hands.
written by on 04/01/2010
this is not about the perfect exposure, contrast, or sharpness. Nor about ease of use or practicality. My old photography teacher taught me one thing: "the only thing that really matters [in photography] is what you point your lens to."
The Zenit 12xp, with its limited features, tight restrictions and relative user unfriendliness, is the perfect tool developing visual intuition.
http://www.alexzakkas.me
written by on 05/10/2009
I think everyone realises that the Zenit cameras are bargain basement, old school heavy chunks of metal, but what has that to do with basic photographic potential? The metering, with two LEDs in the viewfinder, is very accurate. The shutter speed, albeit limited, are accurate.
I used mine for many years, it beat the hell out of my other Praktica cameras in terms of reliabilty and quality of images with the Helios 28m, 58mm and 135mm lenses. I went over to Minolta when sold my Praktica set, and the Zenit still beat these AF,AE, digital era 35mm SLRs in su zero temperatures, when their lithium batteries froze. Still unsure whether the Sigma lenses I have with the Minoltas can match the old Helios lenses for definition and depth!
written by vumpsh on 08/06/2009
I love this camera. I am an amateur, and my first ever SLR was an older zenit-E. Since then, I have used many newer, much more high end pieces, but when I got a Zenit-12XP recently as a present, I fell in love with the Russian SLR again. Some people criticize Zenits for being clunky, but I love how solidly it feels in the hand. Controls are significantly improved over older models by the same brand, and I could consider this to be the best Zenit. Why? It has many technical improvements (ergonomics, TTL metering, auto aperture, etc) over the early models, but still dates to an era before the quality control at KMZ fell to an abysmal low in the 1990s. The shutter speeds on this camera are 500-30, plus B. This is, of course, limited, but in the conditions of off-the-hands, amateur shooting (for which this intro level SLR was intended), it is enough. Shutter speeds slower than thirty usually require something like a tripod to stabilize your shot anyway (this camera is not professional, this wasn't part of the plan). 500 is a bit low for max. speed, but it falls well into the general scheme of this student piece- the shutter speed dial for the light meter will show one that usage of film faster than 400 was never intended. On a sunny day, at noon, at f-16, your shutter speed should equal your ISO. Thus, on the brightest of days, on the narrowest of apertures of the standard HELIOS lens, you can shoot four hundred film at 500 shutter speed. Thus, the camera is obviously pushed to the limit. It is a LIMITED camera. It is, however, a joy to use and really, really fun. As a student camera, it is excellent. I know that personally I am extremely happy to have learned on an even older, completely manual Zenit, because the simplicity of these workhorse cameras is beneficial in building a true understanding of photography's basics, and forces the student to avoid pointing and shooting. Finally, it is forgiving in its durability. An acquaintance did a test by throwing his 12 into water for ONE HOUR! Upon getting it out and letting it dry a bit, it worked fine. If it does break, it is ridiculously easy to fix and extremely cheap and easy to replace.
written by on 10/12/2008
I love photography.... I use this camera since I was young... I know it just like the back of my hand... it is perfect... Recently I bought on ebay a soligor 25-55mm.... and it just rocks... I love it! It is a masterpiece for learning photography!
written by on 14/04/2008
SOLID! Dependable, satisfying, and the helios lens is sharp and contrasty. What a juggernaut.
written by redbaron on 05/03/2004
Ah Soviet engineering! Well, what Carl Zeiss was to the DDR, Zenit was to the USSR. I have a Zenit 12XP which has finally given up the ghost on me and I think I am actually going to have to replace it. That being said they go cheap on ebay so it is tempting to nab another. It was my first 'proper' 35mm camera and I got it with a few lenses to play with. The Zenit is good and chunky, it's a durable bit of kit and can take a knock or two without a problem which compares well with many of the carbon fibre SLRs these days. The Zenit is very easy to use with simple functions, the flashing red lights tell you when the settings should be correct and as such I found it an excellent start into hobby photography. In my opinion you'd be hard pressed to find a better camera for a 16 year old say who wants to go out and snap. The Zenit is manual which forces you to learn how to use it properly rather than letting all the auto functions do the work. You feel like you've acheived something when you get that really good picture right.
On the negative side you are restricted to screw fitting lenses rather than the more common bayonet ones, that being said you can usually pick these up quite cheaply when you find them. I found the batteries in mine were a little odd and took a long time to find, I think the camera shop fleeced me for them as well, probably knew that I couldn't be bothered to look any more!
Written on: 28/05/2006
I think you'll find there are many people who learnt on Zenit's. I know 2 people who started with 12XPs who now do freelance work and they said it was a great camera to learn with.
Sure, it's old now but because it was built out of tank metal it'll last longer than you or I will mate!
Written on: 25/05/2006
Good god man, this camera is a dinosaur! <br>I had a Zenit E 35mm camera 40 years ago! It was rubbish!
My next camera was a Nikkormat FT2 - wow what a beaut!
Written on: 01/09/2004
Hi Bertie, thanks for your comment. For the serious enthusiast M42 is indeed little of a hindrance but many will be buying cameras such as this in car boot sales and the like and for children etc. and they may need to hunt a little harder for the M42, but your addition is correct.
written by kikhobor on 11/09/2003
I am a beginner in photography,Zenit12xp is a true master for my development of photographic senses and camera handling. But I am having a problem since I bought the camera from an auction and could not have any manual.Could anyone be kind enough to send me complete Zenit12xp manual at [email protected]
written by Tom Tiger. on 22/05/2003
The 12xp represents REAL photography. If you truly wish to
learn photography then this is the way to go. No programs, no autostuf but a back to basics camera. It's cheap, it's durable and the lenses are excellent. It has a M42 mount which means you can get a lot of good and cheap lenses for it. There are even forums around the world to help you with this camera.
So... free support, a good camera, and it even has a TTL meter. Which, imho, is a good meter. The 12xp forces you to think about your shots and makes you think about photography. It is a great choice for any beginning photographer. It only has two bad things, it is heavy (all metal camera) and it has limited speeds. (B, 1/30th to 1/500th
written by Vaidis OK. on 19/09/2002
I have had a Zenit 12XP 35mm SLR camera with Helios 44, Mir 1B and Jupiter 37A lenses since 1994. The TTL exposure calculation system works perfectly. The only bad point is that there are no automatic modes for fast shooting - every time you need to set shutter speed and aperture by hand. And no autofocus, of course.
written by Misiek. on 08/05/2002
The Zenit 12XP is an excellent 35mm SLR camera for its price. A real workhorse, I have had it for 19 years without any trouble. The helios lens is magnificent. I recommend this camera to anyone that is on a budget or just starting out in photography.
Written on: 21/06/2002
This particular Zenit takes Pentax style Screw mount lenses, which are inexpensive of high quality and available on the used market in droves! Russian lenses have excellent glass and are considered to be very good quality. (My only bad experience with one is when a seal had allowed dirt inside the lens when dropped in the desert; I have to take responsibility for that one! It still took wonderful pictures and worked flawlessly.) I paid $12 for my Zenit 12XP. (In Russian it is sometimes seen marked as the 12CD.) Wonderful value whose only drawback has been camera snobs turning their noses up at Russian cameras.
Written on: 22/06/2011
hello,can anyone help me,i have a zenit 12sd and i need some books to learn :d
thanks in advance,
Onixa
Written on: 24/03/2008
David (Poster #11), I was shocked to hear that your Zenit 12XP has dual red LEDS! Mine has two LED's one Red (Left) and one Green (Right). When the exposure is over or under the red LED comes on and when the exposure is correct the green LED comes on and red one goes out! I had always thought all XP's were the same!
<br/>
<br/>I went to my favourite Camera Store locally and had to search out someone that would even speak about Russian cameras. And he referred me to a customer that collects cameras, who said his current 12xp was like yours, but that he had seen both. Apparently there are variations. I wonder (hope) if mine is the rare version. The manual for mine (written in English) matches my dual coloured LEDS.
Written on: 19/07/2004
Hello to everyone, I have a big problem : my zenit 12xp works very well, but when I retire the photos from the photographer I see on them two small blue horizontal lines at two cm of distance from the top and the bottom...what problem could be? Thank you very very much.
<br>[email protected]
Written on: 19/12/2003
In my Zenith 12XP the counter do not function, so I don´t know in what picture I am.
<br>Any good idea to repare it??
<br>Thanks
<br>Rudy
<br>[email protected]
Written on: 04/08/2003
To: Andy From: Peru
<br>
<br>Watch out for 'haze' or 'cloudiness' on a lens or when viewing through prism, it is a way of getting around admitting it has fungus.
<br>
<br>'I haven't put any film through it' probably means it doesn't work.
<br>
<br>Download the camera manual from the free link that was published here earlier.
<br>
<br>Finally if the price goes to the equivalent of 40.00 US dollars or more, I'd let it pass. For that price you can purchase a Ricoh TLS 401, Mamiya 500 or 1000, or even a Pentax Spotmatic which use the same M42 screw mount and are a HUGE step up in quality.
<br>
<br>(I have not had good experiences with 'as-is' auctions, if the seller offers a return privilege it's probably a trouble free purchase; if he does not, it probably isn't!)
<br>
<br>Check his or her feedback rating!
<br>
<br>Hope this helps...
Written on: 04/08/2003
I have seen a Zenit 12xp on an auction website, and I am going to have a look at it. It has a Helios 44 lens. Are there any particular things I should check for, and how much do you think I should be paying? Thanks!
Written on: 20/07/2003
I like the Zenith XP. It's cheap and takes good photos. I've had three Zenith XPs. Each one has eventually broken after two to five years, with the winding mechanism seizing up. Also, the light meter tends to go wrong and if you strictly obey it you will get under-exposed photographs. In this sense, it's a very Soviet-style machine - it's big, heavy and you have to adpat to it. But when it works, it's excellent and I recommend buying one if it's cheap.
Written on: 01/06/2003
The Zenit 11 and 12XP are very similar cameras with one very notable exception. They both use the same M42 (Pentax) screw mount but the Zenit 11 has the externally mounted selenium light meter (compared with the 12XP's internal meter.) These meters are infamous for giving poor readings and usually become useless in time. The plus is they never require a battery.
<br>Here is the link to Nathan Dayton's excellent Website on the Zenits, (has pictures data and manuals):
<br>
<br>http://www.commiecameras.com/sov/35mmsinglelensreflexcameras/cameras/zenit/index.htm
Written on: 31/05/2003
Anyone know the difference between the Zenit 11 and the 12XP?
Written on: 16/05/2003
about batteries: yep most of the batteries with the same shape work fine (alkalines work well also) - but look out not to leave Your camera shutter release button in the V position - once I did that and the batteries did not last a night !
Written on: 15/05/2003
batteries: LR42, but recently I was forced to buy LR43 and they work fine.
Written on: 15/05/2003
Can anyone please advise what kind of battery I need to power the auto exposure facility?
Written on: 09/05/2003
Have to agree on your assessment on German glass, (we love the Polish!!!) The Pentacon cameras are nice pieces of work also, however they break too EASILY. (My Beloved Pentacon Six is an expensive paperweight thanks to stamped soft metal gears and poor lubrication.) Only Broken Petri cameras rival Broken Pentacon cameras on eBay. The people here at Camera shows avoid them.
Written on: 09/05/2003
Well I'm writing from Poland where the Zenit 12xp is the most popular amateur SLR (there are loads of these cameras in people's houses - i.ex. I own four zenit's :) - I'll write You something additional about the camera - the non-export version of the 12xp is the 12sd (not CD:) and its the same as the xp model but has writings in Russian :) Well in fact the model is a copy (with some things thrown away) of a german Praktica which in fact is a copy of the Olympus OM-1 (again - with some features thrown away :))) - now something about the lenses - please don't use the standard helios 44m4 lens (that is 1:2/58) - its a rubbish one - I would recommend pentacon MC 1:1,8/50 - its not only about the light - the aperture is a lot better than in the helios (notice that the helios lens does some ugly things in the background of the picture) - another good but rare standard lens is the japanese revuenon 1:1,4/55 which gives very nice photos for a reasonable price (something about 50US$ for a good one - I have one of these lenses and I'm very satisfied - very light, bright and precise) - f/1,4 m42 lenses from different manufacturers are much more expensive and give similar results ! Ultra wide lenses are mostly quite expensive but again there are some exceptions - in ex. the russian MIR 1b (37mm lens) is very cheap (used for about 15-20$) with a good brightness f/2,8-16 - there are also some different popular lenses here - 500/8 and 1000/11 mirror tele's are very popular also - 16mm wide lenses are expensive but also very popular - almost every lens I mentioned before is availible as a new mint product in Poland (especially jupiter lenses) - only ultra bright 1,4 and CZJ DDR - (CARL ZEISS JENA DDR) lenses are things you have to buy second hand :)
<br>
<br>well have fun with Your zenit cameras :) and when You find it too simple switch to a praktica mtl camera with the m42 and you won't have to sell and buy new lenses !!!
<br>
<br>any questions ?
<br>mail me - [email protected]
<br>BYE ! :)
Written on: 31/03/2003
These M42 screw mount Lenses were used on Pentax Spotmatics, SP, SP500, SP1000, SP1 and the ES (Electro Spotmatic,) as well as the H1. Note: Ricoh models TLS/TLS 401, Mamiya Sekor models DTL500 & DTL1000, also used this screw mount as did the early Fuji, Chinon and East German Practica/Pentacon cameras. There are other variants as well such as the Ricoh screw mounts made for Sears, and of course the Zenit's...
Written on: 31/03/2003
Hi, i own a Zenit 12xp camera who has a M42 screwmount, and i have an Osawa Lens. I will like to know which models of Pentax camera bodies have the same type of mount as my camera. Thanks a lot.
Written on: 01/01/2003
hi
<br>
<br>The light metre in my Zenith 12XP never turns green but there is a reason for that - there is actually no green bulb. Correct exposure is indicated when the two red bulbs start flashing together. The flashing of the two bulbs concurrently fulfills the function of the green light. Therefore I don't find it strange that no green light goes on - and i have never heard of Zenith 12xp with a green indication light inside the viewfinder. Hope that this helps you chris (Russia) Thanks
Written on: 31/12/2002
I have had some limited success with Break Free CLP - a lubricant that frees frozen screws and the like. Use a small amount and try very hard to isolate the rest of the working mechanism from getting any on it; (use a clean towel and hold the camera upside down so the excess drips away from the rest of the camera, might be a good idea to remove the lens also.) Zenits usually have a type of grease on the sprockets/gears and I have had this paste melt off in our hot desert Southwest thus freezing the gear in place. CLP will leave a fine coat of lube behind but if this does free your mechanism, this fine coat will soon dissipate leaving the gear unprotected. Thus a CLA (Cleaning Lube and Alignment might be the way to go. Here is a post from a Pro-Russian camera thread that might help you and others seeking a good inexpensive Russian camera repair:
<br>
<br>'There are competent Russian/Ukrainian technicians who will repair most Soviet cameras at very modest (by Western standards) prices.
<br>
<br>I've had work done by Oleg at "OK Camera". He sells cameras and has a website. Oleg repaired two Kiev 4AM's for me - bad shutters = for $10 apiece.
<br>
<br>Oleg's email address is: [email protected]
<br>
<br>Oleg accepts credit card payment via Paypal or personal checks to "Western Bid", a US firm.'
<br>
<br>I have not tried this camera tech’ as yet but imagine I will need to soon. Hope this helps!
<br>Moderntech
Written on: 30/12/2002
I have a 12XP, and the film selector knob is broken (don't "click"). It's locked on ISO 100 films (I know that because when I use them the photos are fine and when I use the 400 the photos are croped), and I wouldn't mind if it were locked on 400. Is there any easy way to open the camera and roll the inner part of the knob (or whatever it should) to change it to 400?
i'd apreciate any hint, my email is
gabriel.barros<!---->@<!---->folha.com.br
Written on: 13/10/2002
To: Chris from Russia (but I'm Canadian)
<br>Sounds like your lens is the Helios 44M or an equivalent. This is an automatic lens in that the aperture will remain wide open, then the lens will automatically 'stop down' to the correct aperture when the shutter is depressed either partially or fully. You can manually stop down this lens by flipping a lever or rotary switch (usually white in color,) on the lens itself.
<br> I have had a meter that stayed red no matter the lighting conditions. This is what I checked, is the battery compartment free of corrosion, do the batteries need replacement, (also check if they are the correct voltage,) is the automatic lens aperture pin damaged or broken (a small silver colored pin protruding from the back of the lens near the screw mount,) or the lens diaphragm frozen. Finally (as in my case,) the meter itself might be in need of calibration (as well as a Cleaning Lube and Alignment known as a C.L.A.,) which was enough of a cost for me to just replace the body.
<br>
<br>Here is my e-mail address should you need any further help, (as I’m fairly sure Review Centre doesn’t want to get into the nitty gritty of support for the Russian cameras...)
<br>
<br>[email protected]
<br>
<br>Hope this helps...
Written on: 11/10/2002
Hi,
<br>I have a Zenit 12xp camera. I am a TOTAL beginner so don't know much. I have two questions.
<br>1) when I play with the aperture, the objective doesn't get darker or ligher when i turn the ring.
<br>2)When I turn the ring, the red light which shows whether there is too much or too little light never goes green. WHY????????
Written on: 03/10/2002
Sounds like intermittent shutter bounce to me. I'm a camera collector and I now do most of my repairs myself. When I get a Zenit that develops problems now, I just archive it for spare parts and go to eBay and purchase a working one, as they are so reasonable in price. I believe the last 3 Model 12XP/CD's I have purchased ran around $12.00 $21.00 and $24.00 respectively. (The picture at the top of this thread is of my $12.00 Zenit 12XP.) The model TTL is very similar and a good choice also. Hope this helps...
Written on: 02/10/2002
i use a zenith 12xp which belonged to my dad. Recently I've been having a problem that no one in Malta seems to be capable of resolving. The first 2 cm (starting from the left)of some photographs appear whiter, as if they were overexposed while the remaining area of the photograph is ok. It appears mostly on a sky background but can also be detected on other backgrounds. Yet it is random and I could not find out a particular f/stop or shutter speed at which this was happening. A technician changed the curtain and added a seal between the camera body and the bottom cover to stop a leak. Yet the next film I developed again had the overexposed band at the left edge of some pictures. I use a Helios 44 lens and a 70mm-210mm Cosina Zoom Lens and the problem occurs with both lenses. Now I am being told to give it up. Is there hope that it will be fixed? Anyone out there knows how to solve this fault? Thanks
Written on: 29/09/2002
Replace the lens cap to prevent accidental exposure during the rewinding procedure.
<br>
<br>Press Shutter Release Button.
<br>
<br>With the finger tip or a non-marring tool tip depress the Film Rewind Sleeve below the shutter release into the cut-out portion of the surrounding sleeve (it looks like a half moon cut out.) It will click and stay down.
<br>
<br>Lift out Rewind Crank and rotate clockwise. You will feel the film being rewound into the cassette - stop when all resistance ceases.
<br>
<br>I hope this helps, I'll also post the on-line English manual for the Zenit 12XP & 11 which should be useful: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/zenith_12/zenith_12.htm
Written on: 26/09/2002
can anyone tell me how to rewind film on the Zenit 12 xp? PLease, i messed up a couple of rolls trying to do so.
Written on: 06/08/2002
Thanks for this review.
<br>I have found one of these camera's at my local second-hand store for $45 (approx US$25).
<br>It looked interesting but I wasnt sure what lens system they used.
<br>Thanks to your review, I now know they are a M42 screwmount just like my Pentax! Excellent!
<br>I already have M42 SM lenses, so I might buy it for the fun of it and I will Gain another lens, worth it for the lens alone I reckon. Thanks again
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Bertie's Response to redbaron's Review
Written on: 30/08/2004
"you are restricted to screw fitting lenses"
<br>
<br>No restriction friend - there are thousands of such lenses out there and most of them for peanuts. They're 'old fashioned' you see.
<br>
<br>BTW, the 'screw fitting' was originally called 'Edixa thread' from the name of the camera that first used it. It subsequently became known as 'M42' being 42 millimetres in diameter.
<br>
<br>Just thought you'd like to know that.