Zenit ET is a 35mm film SLR camera manufactured by Vileiskiy Zavod Zenit, (Vileiskiy Plant Zenit), near Minsk, former USSR, produced between 1982-1993 with quantity 3.000.000. Зенит = Zenit means Zenith that is the point in the sky that appears directly above the observer in astronomy or may mean the highest point.
Zenit ET belongs to the long running series of Zenit cameras. Small numbers of early Zenits was produced by KMZ, in 1981-82.
Zenit ETs also exist without aperture automation and without a built-in meter. They offered various finish materials and colours like silver, black, or bronze. This camera is an attempt to modernize the Zenit EM. Initially it looked just like an EM with new lettering, with new designs on the dials. Some variants also lack strap lugs.
The cameras produced in Vileiskiy Plant Zenit of MMZ-BelOMO are a complete remake of the earlier Zenit ET. The shape and features remain the same, but more plastic parts are used, including the top cover, bottom plate, and film advance lever on some cameras. BelOMO also supplied the multicoated Helios 44-3 58mm preset lens for use with the ET models lacking aperture automation.
There were 3 types Zenit ET (KMZ) and 6 types with 11 sub-types of the Zenit ET (MMZ-BeLomo).
This is an attempt to modernize the "Zenit-EM". Initially there It looked just like an EM with new lettering, then there was a polycarbonate plastic top and is finished in black with new designs on the dials. The serial number is on the inside of the back door. Zenit ETs also exist without aperture automation. They were supplied with Helios 44-2 lens and are rare.
Specifications
Produced: 1981-1991
Name: „Зенит-ET“
Producer: KMZ/BeLomo
Frame size: 24x36.
Lens: MC Helios-44M-4 2/58
Helios-44-2 2/58.
Shutter: 1/30s-1/500s + B.
Quantity: 61.069 units (KMZ).
±3.000.000 units (BeLomo)
Vilia is a 35mm film viewfinder camera made by BelOMO and produced between 1973-86 with quantity of about 2.000.000 units. Вилия = Vilia is a river flowing through Belorussia and Lithuania.
Vilia is an elegant simple camera, looking a little bit like an improved Smena Symbol, but is in fact a completely independend design. The shutter is of leaf type, while the four leaf diaphragm has a nearly square opening – both are located just behind the lens. The lens is focused manually from 0.8 m to infinity, while symbols on the distance scale help to assess correct distance for given subjects (portrait, group portrait, group, landscape). Film is advanced with a lever located on camera's back, coupled with shutter cocking. The camera is equipped with a hot shoe for synchronizing a flash, as well as with a synch cable socket. The excellent viewfinder has bright lines with parallax marks as well weather symbols connected with aperture setting.
Vilia is equipped with symbolic system of exposure setting, similar in its idea to that used by Smena 8M or Smena Symbol. When the system is used, the shutter speed is preset according to film speed scale on its ring – from 1/30 s for 25 or 32 GOST/ASA to 1/250 s for 200 or 250 GOST/ASA[1], while the exposure is adjusted by changing the aperture from 4 (heavy clouds/rain) to 16 (bright sun). Weather symbols are visible at the bottom of the viewfinder only and are pointed by a small bright dot, depending of aperture setting.
A further developments of the Vilia, using the same body and lens, were the Vilia-Auto, this time equipped with automatic exposure setting based on a selenium meter, as well as Orion EE and Siluet Elektro with a CdS meter.
Back cover: hinged, opens by a sliding latch on the left side of the camera
Tripod socket: ¼"
Strap lugs : none
Body: plastic; Weight: 357g
Serial no. on the bottom plate
Fonte: Camerapedia
Meet the BeLomo Vilia, a cheap, sweet looking camera with a surprisingly good lens.
The Vilia is a camera very similar to the Russian Smenas, but it was built in Belarus and it’s actually an individual design. It looks somewhat bulky and it’s certainly not the most compact or light weight camera out there, but still I find that it holds a charm of its own.
They must have made quite a few of these cameras because they’re still readily available – for little money! In my case shipping was more expensive than the actual camera.
The Vilia takes regular 35mm film. It’s equipped with a hot shoe for flash use. Unfortunately shutter cocking and film advance are coupled, so it doesn’t allow for multiple exposures.
Let’s now have a look at the camera’s heart – its lens. The Vilia uses a Triplet 4/40mm lens, and this lens is much better than expected. Actually, I’m surprised that such a crappy looking camera would come with such a nice lens. At 40mm it isn’t particularly wide and I find myself using the viewfinder more frequently than with my other cameras. Even at F4 the Triplet shows almost no vignetting and it’s exceedingly sharp. This only gets better as you stop down! So if you’re into dark corners and mysteriously blurred images, the Vilia is probably not the camera for you.
Choose a shutter speed of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, or 1/250, and an aperture of F4, F5.6, F8, F11, or F16, and you’re good for almost any lighting situation. Aditionally, the Vilia offers a ‘B’ bulb setting for those looooong exposures.
here’s one more thing I’d like to mention: the viewfinder. As you look through, you’ll notice a series of weather symbols at the bottom. Each weather symbol stands for an aperture value and as you set your aperture, a white dot underneath the weather symbols indicates where you’re at accordingly. So if you set the aperture at F16, the dot will appear underneath the “very sunny” symbol in the viewfinder. This is not only cute, but actually quite handy in practical use.
So overall the BeLomo Vilia is a very capable camera at a very low price, and a true alternative to a Smena.
LensTriplet 69-3
minimum found number6065320
maximum found number6066282
Produced piecesUnknown
RarityR1
Distinctive features of type
Without Quality label
Não tem o logotipo (quality label) no canto superior direito, vista de frente e possui o n.º de série 5265300, o que parece não coincidir com a descrição.
