File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Hay /p/. I found a Zenit 122 in the attic the other day. What do you think of it? Anyway I can clean the lens out from all the gunk that has been collecting on it?
>> Anonymous
It's just a 12XP in a "sleeker", plastic body, and some really cosmetic changes. Otherwise, it's as good or as bad as any other Zenit.

Did you ever use any, esp. not Eastern block SLR? If not, then that's great, you have a free minimal entry level camera to start (just don't trust the lightmeter; I'm yet to see a Zenit with a properly calibrated one).

If yes, and you're not completely clueless, you'll soon notice the following:
- focusing screen darker than your butthole in the darkroom
- focusing screen only showing about 66% of the actual image captured on film
- pathetic times range
- slow flash synch speed making it unusable handheld with the standard lens
- times, esp. faster ones, are more wishful thinking approximates rather than accurate, anyway
- and even if they were accurate, the most likely broken lightmeter defeats the purpose
- equally pathetic film speed range, but it doesn't really matter with a broken lightmeter
- rubbered cloth shutter just falls apart after some time
- if something breaks, any professional repair will greatly exceed the cost of a new one
- etc.
>> Anonymous
>>29954
So.. are all Zenit cameras like that ?
>> Anonymous
>>29955
Sadly, yes. TTL and 12XP models are best bets if you really have to.

But unless you get it for free, it's really better to save a bit more for a body that you won't feel limited with immediately after you get a graps of the basics. And with other mount than M42, which is a dead system now.

Oh, and to make it clear, the 40 bucks I mentioned is already its value times 5.
>> Anonymous
Thanks for your input Anonymous.
>> Rawr !pBDDkuoH3.
Good luck cleaning the lens- it may have a fungus inside, and if it's been in there for a while, it will have permanently discolored the lens.

If the lens is hazy, leave it out on the windowsill in strong, direct sunlight for several days- the fungus may die and bleach out.
>> Anonymous
>>30184
Maybe that's the gunk that's been building up. But I haven't tried that yet. Will try that soon. What's clouded right now is the... uh... thing that's covering the top part of the innards of the camera. I don't know how to explain it, but it's not the mirror mechanism. It's some kind of plastic.
>> Rawr !pBDDkuoH3.
>>30186

The focusing screen?