Home/Butkus archive/Zenit
Film cameras

Zenit 122 User manual

User manual for Zenit 122. 22 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.

22 pagesEnglish2.2 MB PDF
Zenit 122 manual cover
Read the manual Original PDF
Download PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly

Document details

Brand
Zenit
Model / document
Zenit 122
Document type
User manual
Language
English
Pages
22
File size
2.2 MB
Category
Film cameras
Document date
Not specified in catalog

Search available document text

Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.

Page 3 · Read text
ZENIT-122  is a 35-mm single lens reflex  camera intended  for  taking  various
 amateur  pictures on black-and-white  and color  films.   It  can be used for  special
 kinds  of photography as well, such as copying,  taking  close-up pictures  of small-
 size objects at short  distances (ultra-close-up  photography),  taking  pictures  with
 the help of a microscope (photomicrography),  etc.
    The- camera accepts interchangeable  lenses with  M42Xl   screw  fittings  and
 mechanical back focai distance of 45.5 mm.
   The following  features are remarkable  with  the camera:
 -   semi-automatic exposure meter  operating  through  the lens (TTL  system) pro-
 vides  for correct exposure setting when taking  pictures with  the standard lens as
 well  as with  interchangeable  lenses, light   filters,  supplementary  lenses, extension
 tubes;
'-   light-emitting   diodes  in  the  viewfinder,   indicating  correct  exposure  setting,
 can be clearly seen both with the diaphragm  fully open and stoqped down;
 -   instant  return  mirror  ensures continuous  viewing   of  a' subject  before  and
 after exposure;
 -   high speed lens  is provided  with  a pre-set diaphragm mechanism which  auto-
 matically closes the diaphragm down for the moment of shutter operation;

                             www.butkus.us
View original page 3
Page 5 · Read text
HANDLING   RULES

   The  camera.  is  a  precise  optical-mechanical    instrument.      It  should  be  handled
carefully,   kept  clean  and  protected  from   jolts,  dust,  moisture,  and  sharp  tempera-
ture  fluctuations.
   Do not remove  the camera  from   its case the moment    it  is brought  indoors  from
cold  to avoid  sweating  of  its  parts,  especially  the  optical  ones.
   Do not  touch  the  surfaces  of  the  optical  parts  with  fingers  since   it may damage
their  coatings. Clean  the optical  coated lens surfaces  with  a clean  soft  cloth  or cotton
wool  wad  slightly  moistened  with   rectified   alcohol  or  ether.  The  surfaces  of  the
mirror  and  the  focusing  device  may  be cleaned  only    if  absolutely  necessary  with
a dry  soft brush  but  in no case with  humid  cleaning  agents.
   Keep  the camera  closed  in  its case with  the cap put  on the  lens.
   Do not remove  the  lens from  the camera  without   neefl  to prevent   dirt  and  dust
from  getting  both  onto  the  surfaces  of  the  lens  optical  parts  and  into  the  camera
itself.
       If you  don't use your camera  for some period  of time  (a month  and more) remove
the  batteries  from  the camera.  Keep  the  batteries  separately   in  places inaccessible
for'children.
   Load  and  unload  your  camera  either  indoors  or  in  shade  protecting     it  against
direct  sun  light  and  bright   artificial    light.
   Always  cock the shutter  as far as it  will  go to avoid blank  exposures.
   Do  not  keep  the  camera  with   the  shutter  cocked   for  a  long  period   of  time
since   it  is  likely   to  impair  the  shutter  operation.
   Do not  try  to  rotate  the shutter  speed dial  with  the index  moving  along  its  short

                             www.butkus.us
View original page 5
Page 9 · Read text
ll-film    rewind knob
  lz-film     rewind   crank
  l3-film   speed dial
- l4-film   speed scale
  l5-fihn  speed index mark
  fG-protective   strip
  tf-shutter   speed dial
  l8;-shutter   speed  index
     mark
  l$-s[utter.    cocking  and
I       film  advance lever
'  zl-cassette  chamber '  23r battery  compartment
     end cap
  ll-yiewfinder     eyepiece
  lll-sprocket    teeth
  zi-take-up    spool
 26-back  door

                             www.butkus.us
View original page 9
Page 10 · Read text
CAMERA LOADII\IG





        30 3t 32 33

 ?7-distance  scale
 28  depth-of =field   scale
 l$-sperture   scale
 30-lens  mounting  ring
 $f-gontrol   pin
 ]l-sperture     setting  ring
 33-focusing  ring    \

1 0
View original page 10
Page 11 · Read text
I

    Put  the  b.tt"ri.r    into  tfre            in  the  following  way:  turn  cap iZ  counter-
     clockwise  as far  as  it  will  go,""-ur"remove  the cap and  take  out  the exhausted  batteries
     should  there be any. Put new  batteries  into  the compartment   with  signs  ,,f  "outward
     (upwards).   Replace  the  cap    and   turn     it  clockwise   as  far   as'  .it   will    go.'
       Check  the  indicating    light   for  operation.  To do  this,  looking  through   the  view-
     finder  eyepiece. press  the  release  button  5  till  a  definite   stop  is  felt.   If  the  light-
     emitting   diodes  (one  or  both)   Iight  up   it  means  that  the  power  supply  operates
     properly.
       Load  the camera  with   film   in  the  following   way:
       -    ,lift  the  film  rewind  crank  12, pull  out  the  rewind  knob  11 as far  as  it  will  go,
    and open  the camera  back  door;
       -   put  a loaded  cassette  into  the chamber  21;
       -   return  the rewind  knob11 to a locked position  stightly  turning.it,    if required,  to let
      'the spool guide  enter  the  cassette;
       -   draw  out  a  film  leader  as long  as to reach  the camera  edge and  insert    it  into
     the  slot of the take-up  spool 25  in so doing make sure that a sprocket  24 tooth engage
I    a film  perforation   hoie;
I       -   close  the  back  door  26,  tightly   pressing    it  to make  the  lock  latch;
       -   to  transport   a nonexposed  portion   of  film   to  the  film   gate,  cock  and  fire  the
     shutter  twice,  In so doing the frame  counter should be set at  ,,0".
        Should  the  film  be wound  tightly   in the cassette, the  film  rewind  knob  wiil  rotate
    r when  the  shuttei   is being  cocked.   If  the  film   is loose  in  the  cassette,  the  rewind
    knob  will   fail  to  rotate  at the  first  frames;
        -   set the speed of the  film  loaded  in the camera by turning   dial  13  till  a correspon-
     ding  film  speed vslue  is click-stopped   against  the index  mark  15.
                                                                                                                                                        , 1 1
                                www.butkus.us                                                                                             L
View original page 11
Page 12 · Read text
Bear  in mind  that wrong  setting  of  the  film  speed with  the  dial  13 will  result
 in wrong  exposure.
Reference  lbble  of Film  Speed Units

 Designation  on  film  speed scale
                    1 6 .   2 5 3 2 .   5 0 6 4 .   1 0 0 1 2 5 .   200 250.    400 500 .
GOST/ISO        16 20 25 32 40 50 64 B0 100 125 160 200 250 320 400 500 640
D I N             13 14 15 16 17 1B 19 20  21  22  23  24  25 26  27  28  29

SHUTTIiR  SPEED SETTING
    Turn  the shutter speed dial 1? to bring a selected shutter speed opposite to the index
mark  18 on  the camerq                         9p                                      plate.. In  so doing  the  dial  ls  clic^k-stopped. Figures-gf
on  the  sh-uttjr  sp-eed dial  show  shutter  speeds  in  corresponding   fractions      a
second and  ,,B" indicates a hand-controlled  shutter  speed. Shutter  Jpeeds can be set
with  the shutter  both cocked and released. When  taliing  pictures  at  ,,B" the shutter
remains open  for  as- long as _the release button  5 is preis-ed down.  To obtain  a long
exposure  turn  the depressed  release button  counter-clockwise  as  far  as  it  wi|1 g5
(,,T" position). The exposure  over,  return  the release button  5 to  its normal  lmiddft)
position  and release  it.  This  will  result  in closing  the shutter.
    - To take  a picture  at  ,,B" or  long exposures one  is recornmended  to use a cable
release  which  can  be screwed  into  th-e release  button   thread.   In  so  doing  the
camera  should  be mounted  on a tripod.

1 2
View original page 12
Page 13 · Read text
STOP SETTING
    Set a selected aperture  against  the  index  mark  by  turning   the  aperture   setting
' r i n g  3 2 .
   When  tahing  pictures with  a self-timer,  the procedure_of- s_!op.setting  is some-
 what  different  as described in the section ,,Operating the Self-Tim€r"'

 F{)CUSING
    The camera  viewfinder    is provided  with  a composite  focusing  device  consisting
     ;i";op;ism    collar-""6   gto""d   glass collar  or focusing  wedges,-microprism-collar
  "f   gro""d   glass        F6cusing itrould  be done at  all shooting  distances including
 "nainfinitv    (oo).  Before"oil"r.  shooting-  iemove   the   lens   cap'   T'ooking  . through     tlt"
                      th"  lens focusin-g ring  to obtain sharp image of the object within  the
  "i"*ijira";t;;"grl""a   glass and microprism          Ind  for cameras with  focusing wedges to match
   it         and iower  parts  of "ofi"r"the  split  image. The best sharpness  is obtained when
  focusing" "ppE. is done  at  full  aPerture.
 @  @  @
                                                                                                                                                     t 3
                             www.butkus.us
View original page 13
Page 16 · Read text
l.  Exposure  setting  in caheras  with  two-diode   indication.
    Lighting   of the upper  diode  indicates  over-exposure  and  of the lower  one-under-
exposure.  T\rrn the-aperture  setting  ring 32 and the shutter speed dial 1Z till  the moment
when  both  of the diodes. are lighting.  11 indicates  the best possible combination   of  ifre
shutter  speed and  aperture   pioviding    for  eorrect  e*posrrie.  However,    if  you   fail  to
obtain    simultaneous   blinking    of  bbth   of  the  dioies,  and  changing   the  shutter
spqed- and  aperture   values  over  between   the  two  neighbouring"   ories  results   in
switchin_g  the-lighting    from  one  diode  to  the  other,  yoi  may  sJtect one  of  these
values.  In such a case the  elposure.will    be  still  acceptably  co"rree-t.
     ?. Exlnsure   setting  in cameras  with  three-diode   indication.
     Lighting   of the upp-er (red) diode  indicates  orr".-"*posure   and  of the  lower  (red) one-under-eYposure.
                              T\{}                                the aPerture  setting  ring  td and shutie"  rpe"a  dial  1z  till the moment           when the                        middle.(green)                                       diode                                                      isrigf,tin!-continuously.                                                                                                                           It                                                                                indicates                                                                                        the best possible          combinatiol                           of                                 shutter  speed                                            g.ng                                                           a'pertrire providing   for                                                                                correct                              -the.                                                                                exposure.However,                     if you  fail                          to obtain                                      continubus-urinlirij;i;-h;                                                          middle  (grcen)                                                                               diode, and changing      the shutter                 speed                       and aperture'values                                                  gvel  between,the                                                                                    i"*o
 results  in  switching   the  lighiing   from  one red  diode  to the  other  ""ilrr;;i"i"g"ffi,or",  yqu may
select one of these values.  In suih  a case the exposure   *irf   u"Jiii     ""a-
                                                                                           """lpi-uiy     "o.r""i.
 i'iu TURE TAKING.
   Having  piepared   the eamera  for  picture   taking,-andcock  the  shutter,  make  sure  of
correct   focusing,   framing   and  expolure   setting        smoothly   ptur"    tfr"  releasebuttgn.!g   take a picture.
 l 6
View original page 16
Page 17 · Read text
BEAR  IN MIND   that sharp  pressure on the  release button  results  in camera
 shaking  at  the moment  of  exposure  and  thus  in  blurring   of  the  picture.
    Whin   taking  pictures  see to   it  that  index  marks on  the release button  and  the
 camera top plate (between,,T"  and,,V")  should be lined up.
    To  tak-e a picture  with  long exposure  mount  the camera  on  a  tripod,   set  the
 shutter speed dial  l?  at  ,,B". slightly  press release button  5 (the shutter  should be set
 beforehand   in  the  ,,ready  to  fire"   position)  and  turn    it  counter-clockwise  as far  as
  it  will  go  (.,T'  position).
    The exposure over, return  the button  to its normal  (middle)  position and release
  it  As a result  the shutter   will  close.


CAMERA  U NI.,OADI NG

   When  the  exposure  counter  shows  figure  36,
rewind  the   f ilm  into the cassette.
   To do this:
   release  the   shutter.   pressing     release  but-
ton 5;
   press bush  6 downwards  as   f ar  as  it  will  go;
     flip  open crank  12 and  rotate   it  in  the arrow
direction  unti I  the   f ilm  leaves the  take-up  spool.
Tly  and  rotate  the  crank  smoothly,  without   jerks,
and  not  too  fast  to  avoid  traces  of  static  electri-
city on film:
                                                                                                                                   t 7
                            www.butkus.us
View original page 17
Page 18 · Read text
-   pull  film  rewind  knob  11 all the way  out, open the back door and remove  the cas-
 sdtte;
  -   turn  the cocking  lever 19 and, holding  the sprocket  teeth 24 with  your  finger, make
 sure  that   it  is engaged:                                                                                                          j
    Do not try  to take more than 36 shots. However    if  it has happened and the film,  fixed
 in the cassette, prevents   full  shutter  cocking,  unload  the camera  in the following  way:
  -   press button  6 and  hold    it doWn rewinding    the  film   into  the  cassette;
  -   remove  the  cassette;
  -   cock and  fire  the  shutter:
  -   press button  6 to  reset  the frame  counter  to  ,,0".

OPERATING  THE SELF.TIMER
   To use self-timer   mount  the  camera  on a tripod,  then  do the  following:
-   focus the image;
-   press the release button  5  till  a definite  stop  is felt and turn    it clockwise  (,V"  po-
sition).  This   will  enable  you  td  set  the  aperture   manually   since  the  diaphragm
does not  operate  automatically   when  the  self-timer    is used;
-   set the aperture  and  the shutter  speed;
-   cock  the  shutter;
-  Wind  the  self-timer  by  turning   lever   I downwards  as far  as  it  will  go  in  the
direction   of  the  camerd  top  plate.  Red  light   in  the  self-timer  window   indicates
that  the self-timer  mechanism  is not cocked, gfeen  light  indicates  that   it  is cocked;


 1 8
View original page 18
Page 19 · Read text
-  prcss the self-timer  release button  2 and take yo\rr place in  front  of the lens.
Ttre shutter  will  operate no sooner than  in ? seconds after  pressing the  button;
-   self-timer  operation over, return  button 5 to its home position.





TAKING  FI,ASH  PICTURES
   The camera  shutter   is synchronized   for  use with
 electronic  flashes. To connect  a flash  unit  with  the
 camera, the latter  is fitted  with  socket 4 on the  front
 wall  of the  camera.
    The camera  design  provides  as well   for  cable-
 Iess connection   of  f-lash units.  For  this  aim    it   is
 fitted  with  hot-shoe  7 -
    Bef ore  mounting   a  flash   unit  on  the  camera
 remove  protective   slrip-of16 from  shoe 7.
    The  Shutter  speed     1/30  s only  can be used
 for  flash photograPhy.
    The  aperture    ii  selected  in acbordance  with  the
 instmctions   given   in  the  Instruction   Manual  on a
 flash  unit  being used.


                           www.butkus.us
View original page 19
Page 20 · Read text
I NTERCHA NGEABLE   I...ENSES
AND CLOSE-UP SHOOTING

                                       Ttre  came_ra  aecepts  interchangeable    lenses   pro-
                                 -vided  with  M42 x  I  mounting   thread  and  mechanical
                             back  focal  distance  of 45.b rnm.
                              The  lenses  with   index  mark  ,nMC"  are  provided
                                  with   multicoating    of   optical   surfaces   that  ensures
                                     bettel                                                             - protection    againts    ref lexes   (halos,   glares,
                                aqg.   light    s-pots)  when   taking -   pictures    of   Julecti
                                                        . with    sharply    heterogeneous     illumination      agiinst
                                         light  as well  as improves  color  rendition.
               V                         If  an interchangeable   lens has no automatic  diaph;
                                        liaphragm.can  be handled  manually.    Ii  a
                                          the left-hand and right-hand  edges of the
                       ::1i?A:S"xf,:""-#'H                                                     ""iL'ii,.",lricationvou want either one tube or .'i*tl:A:"tTttf#'",*yl"*"#ig$:
   E-xtension tubes proridded with a co.ntrol pin should be used with  lenses where
no drapnragm  rnanual.,mode  switsh.is   p-rovided (HELIOS-{4M-4,   for  example).
   Extension tubes without  control  pins ihould  be'used  with  the ienses in  w:hicir
the..aperture  is set manually  (the diaphragm mode selector        should be set to
                                                                                        "*it"rt"M")..
20
View original page 20

From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.

PDF verified 2026-10-10.