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e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
Hello /p/

I'm an slr photography newbie. I got this zenit today. Could you tell me what are these stuff on the top left of the camera?
>> AnonyBob !!bHK6FUTAyi2
the outer wheel is most likely shutter speed with 500 being 1/500th of a second and 30 being 30 seconds.

the next wheel with the numbers from 2-22 is the f-stop setting

for the numbers on the white in the cutouts
the 350 is probably the ISO rating of the film.
the 27 is probably how many exposures have been taken on that roll of film.

i dunno about the OCT and DIN and that button in between them.

try googeling the exact model of the camera and see if you can find a manual


ITT: prolly trolling but i was bored and had a second to type this.
>> e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
>>232782

Thank you but I can't go any upper than 350 iso, shit sucks. I couldn't find manual of it, that's why I'm asking.

the number 27 doesn't change after I take shot btw. Maybe camera is broken?

What's the point of those shutter settings when you also have them on the top right?
>> e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
>>232783

Btw, 350 is the last number on that section.

Numbers are 22, 45, 90, 180 and 350.

So when you pick 350, you get 27 across.

It doesn't sound like iso to me.
>> anonymous
The thing is non-functional. It's just a reminder of what film speed you have in the camera, and, given one speed and f-stop combination, which others would yield equivalent exposure
>> e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
Hmm that makes sense. How do I set up my iso then?
>> Anonymous
>>232786
With your mind. What part of manual camera do you not understand?
>> e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
>>232790

Yeah, I figured it out. This camera doesn't have a electric metering.
>> Serenar !m827jEgWi.
That's not ISO, though it is film sensitivity like ISO measures. The left one is GOST (written in Cyrillic of course), the Soviet film sensitivity standard. And the DIN is the European one. Both are now out of use.

I'm trying to think of why you could set an aperture value on top though. Perhaps it's a primitive exposure calculator like the ones inside film boxes?
>> Otherwise Anonymous !R09./old82
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Oh lulz, never expected to see another Zenit user on /p/.

tl;dr - the>>232796was the closest shot, it's an exposure calculator (well, lightmeter), connected to the photodiode above the lens mount (the crate thing). It's broken, so don't bother.


Long:

In 5 of 5 Zenits I used the lightmeter never worked (neither this type, nor TTL), but maybe, just maybe you're the lucky one.

The GOST / DIN is film speed setting. Set it first. For all practical purposes (given Zenit's accuracy), GOST is equivalent to ISO. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_speed

Frame the picture roughly, and lookin the window to the right of the dials, there's a thin arrow, and a circle indicator. If you can't see the arrow, then it's hidden somewhere off the scale, because shit is broken (99.9% chance).

Now, assuming the thin arrow is somewhere in the middle of the scale, rotate the outer dial (the one with shutter speeds, 30, 15, .., 250, 500), until the circle lines up with the arrow.

Now look at how the shutter speeds line up with apertures on the inner ring - voila, this is your correct exposure. On the picture here, that would be 1/500 and f/2.8, 1/250 and f/4, 1/125 and f/5.6, and so on (don't worry it's not lined up perfectly, Zenit can't hold times anyway), assuming the arrow and circle were aligned.

So there you go, enjoy your struggle. I took some of my best shots with Zenit ET. And remember, to triple the value of your Zenit, load it with a roll of Velvia.
>> Anonymous
>>233059
>In 5 of 5 Zenits I used the lightmeter never worked (neither this type, nor TTL)

Believe me or not, but I have 1970-something Zenit E with a working meter here. The shutter cloth is fucked, though, so it's still of no use.
>> Otherwise Anonymous !R09./old82
>>233062
Well I'm in awe. After endless struggles to calibrate them, I just gave in and bought an external lightmeter, which was an awesome investment regardless. The lightmeter is also Soviet, dated 1976, and also CdS based, but works down to a 1/3 EV. So I guess that's believable.
>> e6 !K1ixhQSK7c
>>233059

Thanks for the info man.

Now I need to know how to unload film with this motherfucker.
>> Serenar !m827jEgWi.
>>233059
Oh wow, that makes total sense now. I didn't think that it could be an uncoupled meter, though now that I think about it prewar metered cameras were all like that, and Russian camera technology basically never moved past such a level.

>>233532
It can't be that hard. Find the button/lever that allows you to rewind (Google can help), hit that, then crank in the direction of the arrow until you no longer feel tension.