The Zenit 11 is a solidly-built camera with essentially the same Leica type cloth shutter as earlier Soviet rangefinder and SLR cameras. It has an external selenium meter mounted on the prism front above the lens. The meter isn't coupled to the camera. The Zenit uses the M42 Pentax screw-mount lens which means there is a variety of lenses from all over the world that will fit it. Partially depressing the shutter release stops down the lens. Additional pressure releases the shutter (source: http://home.att.net/~wayne.cornell/camera/russianslr.html).
The KMZ and Belomo manufactured Zenit 11 (Зенит 11) 35mm SLR was a member of the Zenit E family derived from the Zenit ET but with different control placement and generally in all black but examples with chrome tops are known. Examples were produced with several strap lug variations and with the Zenit name in either Latin or Cyrillic script. It was produced from 1981 through 1990.
An entire generation of photographers learned the tricks of the trade on Praktica’s L range of cameras. From the late 1960s, the giant East German camera works of Pentacon in Dresden created a range of sturdy, simple 35mm SLR cameras that were sold in the hundreds of thousands on the other side of the Iron Curtain, giving countless photographers a cheap and reliable first step into proper photography.
Some of the most common of these were the MTL models. The MTL 5 and 3 were both released around 1984; classic-looking chrome and black leather screw-mount SLRs, manual shutter speeds up to 1/1000th of a second and metering to ISO 1600, flash sync at 1/125th of a second and usually partnered with a Zeiss Jena 50mm lens. It was no-frills, but a perfect student camera; the Praktica had a simple centre-weighted meter, but everything else was manual. If the batteries ran out of juice, you could still able to take pictures if you were confident enough to guess the exposure.
The MTL 3 and 5 were followed by the 5B in 1985, and, a few months later, the MTL 50, the last in a long line of Praktica cameras using the M42 lens mount. Some 25 years after production stopped, the MTL 50 is still a really useful tool for anyone wanting to get stuck into film photography.
Prakticas had an undeservedly bad rep in the 1980s and 90s – and often from people who’d never shot with one. Politics might have been part of it – consumer goods from the former Soviet bloc were usually derided for their crudity and lack of sophistication. But the MTL-marque Prakticas were simple and sturdy. The metal shutter at the camera’s heart makes a hell of a clack, but is incredibly reliable. As photographers developed their skills, and had more disposable income, many sold their Prakticas; used examples soon filled second hand camera stores and charity shops.
By the time the Praktica MTL 50 was released, all-manual cameras using screw lenses were decidedly old hat; the first generation of auto-focus cameras were hitting shops, and cameras were losing their metal shells in favour of more lightweight, plastic ones. About the only major update the MTL 50 had over previous models was replacing the metering match needle with LED lights showing under or overexposure.
I learned basic photography on a Praktica MTL 5B about 15 years ago, having decided to put my autofocus Canon EOS in a drawer. I used it for a couple of year before giving it to a friend so he could do the same; the Praktica introduced me to the screw-mount system, which allows you to build up a decent bunch of lenses (and spare bodies, if you want them) for next to nothing, and the Praktica was followed by several other camera bodies using screw mount lenses.
Then in 2012, I found a Praktica MTL 50 on eBay for £25; about half the price I paid for my MTL 5B more than a decade before. It seemed a bargain too good to ignore.
The Praktica might not be lightweight, quiet or bristling with features, but it’s one of the cheapest system SLR outfits you can buy. Nearly 300,000 of these were made up until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and any that have managed to solider on til now are likely to give years more service.
So what’s so good about these old Prakticas? It’s the simplicity, on top of that legendary shutter (reputed to be cleared for over 100,00 exposures). The centre-weighted metering works perfectly fine in 95% of lighting conditions, and the placement of the shutter button on the front of the camera is a much more natural place for your fingers than the camera top plate; shoot a few films on a Praktica, and you’ll wonder why more camera designers didn’t do the same thing.
Pentacon also developed a special loading mechanism that helped make sure films were loaded safely. The film was placed behind a small plastic tab in the film chamber, and then fed onto the roll underneath two wires that help clamp down on the film as it’s wound on. It’s a pretty ingenious system, and one that makes mis-loading a Praktica pretty difficult.
Most of the time my travel camera is the Pentax ESII, one of the best screw mount cameras ever made, with aperture priority and a range of fantastic Takumar lenses. But the Praktica is a great spare body – during a recent trip to Barcelona and Morocco, I shot all of my Barcelona films on it, using the Pentacon Auto 50mm lens. Even with slide film, the Praktica’s meter was spot on, and the Pentacon Auto is a pretty capable lens. (Some of the other East German lenses, such as the Meyer Optic Orestor 100/2.8 and the Flektogon 35/2.4 are nothing less than outstanding).
I recently took the Praktica on a trip to New York for work as well; the one afternoon I had free to walk the city, camera in hand coincided with beautiful autumn sunshine. The Praktica’s Pentacon Auto lens paired well with Lomography 100 print film – though a lot of street photographers might have some issues with the noise the MTL 50 makes. This is not a quiet camera; the Praktica’s mirror makes one hell of a slap. If you’re wanting to take pictures on the sly, then you might want to use a rangefinder instead.
Tough, simple and reliable, Praktica MTLs are ripe for reappraisal. Get one while they’re still cheap.
View finder: fixed eye-level view finder (Pentaprism) with new field lens with triple rangefinder wedge, truncated microprism screen, groundglass field, built-in shutter speed meter with two red LED
Mirror: instant-return mirror
Film transport / frame counter: quick-release lever (black), Pentacon Loading-System, fold-out rewind crank (black), auto-zeroing frame counter
Lens mountM42x1
Self timer: mechanically, approx. 10 sec
Battery: PX 28 or 4xLR44
Metering system: TTL-metering using stopped-down metering controlled by a switch beside the lens mount above the shutter release knob
Flash system: X-synchronisation (1/125), accessory shoe at the top of the pentaprism, none coaxial flash socket
Flash indication: none
Aperture reflection into view finder: none
General comments: smooth, unruffled leatherette with stampings, complete black finish
The Pentax Spotmatic refers to a family of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by the Asahi Optical Co. Ltd., later known as Pentax Corporation, between 1964 and 1976.
All Pentax Spotmatics used the M42 screw-thread lens mount which was developed before WWII by Zeiss and Praktica. Asahi Optical used the name Takumar for their lenses. These were high-quality, progressively improved lenses, later versions of which featured multi-coating and were called Super Multi Coated Takumars.
The camera allowed one to focus the lens at maximum aperture with a bright viewfinder image. After focusing, a switch on the side of the lens mount stopped the lens down and switched on the metering which the camera displayed with a needle located on the side of the viewfinder. The use of stop-down light metering was at the time revolutionary, but it limited the capability of the lightmeter, specially in low light situations. Later models Spotmatic F, Electro Spotmatic, ES, and ESII were capable of open-aperture metering when used with Super Multi Coated (S-M-C) Takumar lenses with an aperture coupling prong in the lens mount.
Honeywell was the U.S. importer of the Spotmatic. Cameras officially imported by Honeywell were labeled Honeywell Pentax, instead of Asahi Pentax. The Spotmatic IIa was only available as a Honeywell Pentax; it was sold exclusively in the USA and had an electronic interface for specific Honeywell Strobonar electronic flash units.
The original 1964 Spotmatic was one of the first SLRs on the market to offer a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering system. The camera was presented as a prototype at photokina 1960, and was originally designed to use spot metering. Shortly before production Asahi decided that spot metering would be too difficult to use, and so the metering system was altered to use center-weighted average metering. The change took place too close to production to change the name, and so Spotmatic stuck. The camera had a mechanical shutter with speed range from 1000 to 1 and Bulb. The lightmeter is activated by a lever on the side of the camera, which also stopped down the lens. Mercury battery (1.35 V Mallory RM640) was used to power the light metering system; however due to the way the circuit is designed, silver oxide batteries can be used instead.
=== The Spotmatic was introduced by Asahi in 1964 and was the first camera to sell well with Through-the-Lens light metering. The camera was entirely mechanical apart from the light meter, which was powered by a 1.35 volt PX400 mercury cell[1]. A small switch on the (photographer's) left side of the lens housing was pushed up to stop down the lens and activate the meter; the exposure controls would then be adjusted to centre a needle on the right edge of the viewfinder. The body took lenses with a 42mm Pentax/Praktica screw thread, giving a huge range of alternatives. The system became the workhorse of many professionals of the period. ===
In 1973 the Spotmatic F joined the line. This camera, together with a revamped line of Super Multi Coated (S-M-C) Takumar had the capability of metering without stopping the lens down.
Type: SLR body
Manufacturer: Asahi Optical Co.
Year of launch: 1964
Films: 35mm, speeds up to 1600 ASA
Viewfinder: pentaprism eye-level viewfinder
Lens Mount: Pentax/Praktica screwmount (M42)
Shutter: Focal plane shutter, speeds 1 - 1/1000 second, flash sync 1/60 second
Metering: CdS TTL metering (stopped-down manual match-needle metering system) EV 1.7 ~ 18 (ISO 100) ASA range 20-1600 (on original Spotmatic)
The Spotmatic SP F, launched in 1973, included several improvements. It was the first version to offer open-aperture metering, but this needed the updated Super-Multi-Coated (S-M-C) Takumar lenses with an aperture-position linkage to the camera. The FP option for the hot shoe synchronisation was dropped and the meter circuit design was revised to take account of the lens aperture setting and to indicate correct exposure when zero current is flowing through the meter, which now allowed for a variation in voltage from the battery. The battery now needed extra capacity and was changed to the now-defunct PX625 mercury cell. The light meter is constantly switched on but there is an automatic cut-off when the light is at EV2 or less, so it is important to keep the lens cap on when the camera is not in use, in order to conserve the battery.
The Yashica TL Electro-X is part of the TL series of SLR cameras. It was introduced in 1968 and may have remained in production until 1975 (when Yashica adopted their Yashica/Contax bayonet mount).
The Yashica TL Electro-X ITS was introduced in 1972, and sold alongside the first model. Externally the ITS differed by the pentaprism "Y" being replaced by a gold coloured "Atom" symbol. The ITS also came only in black, while the X was made in chrome and black finishes. Otherwise, the only identifiable differences between the two cameras were an increase of the x-sync speed to 1/125 on the ITS.
The TL Electro X was the first camera with viewfinder electronic lights for exposure information (miniature lamps, not LEDs), and also the first with a mechanical shutter with step-less electronic timing, which operates at any intermediate speed between 2 seconds and 1/1000th. The selection of an intermediate shutter speed is largely guesswork. Speeds above 1/30th are click stopped, but it is possible to set the speed dial between settings. The slower speeds are not click-stopped, reflecting Yashica's intention for lower light exposures to be metered by adjustment of the shutter speed rather than the lens aperture.
Two lights in the viewfinder indicate over and under exposure, and point towards the direction in which the lens aperture ring should be moved. Adjusting either the aperture ring or shutter speed dial until these go out indicates that the correct exposure has been set.
Lens mount: M42 screw.
Focus: Reflex viewfinder with micro prism focusing spot, ground-glass collar. DOF preview button.
Shutter: Electrically operated vertical travelling metal focal-plane shutter with speeds from 2 sec to 1/1000th sec., + B and self-timer with mirror lock-up.
Meter: Stop-down, thru-the-lens, centre-weighted, CdS light measuring system; electronic exposure readout (warning lights indicate under and over exposure corrections).
Exposure: Manual.
Film Speed: 25 to 800 ASA.
Flash: Standard X and FP synch, with X-synch hot shoe at 1/90th (X) or 1/125th (ITS).
Film Advance: Ratchet type single-stroke wind lever.
The Spotmatic cameras were introduced by Asahi Optical Company in 1964 and marketed through 1976. The camera was one of the first commercially available 35mm SLRs to include through-the-lens metering. The camera name is derived from the use of spot metering on the original design of the camera. The metering system was changed to average metering prior to its release but the change happened too late to change the marketing materials, so the original name continued to be used. A series of different models were made with minor changes and improvements. All Spotmatics use the M42 lens mount. In the United States, Spotmatic cameras were imported and marketed by Honeywell and bear the name "Honeywell Spotmatic". Cameras manufactured for sale outside the US were badged "Asahi Spotmatic".
The Spotmatic SP
The Spotmatic SP was introduced by Asahi Optical Company in 1964, and was one of the first 35mm SLR cameras with through-the-lens light metering. The camera was entirely mechanical apart from the light meter, which was powered by a 1.35 volt PX400 mercury cell. Mercury batteries are now banned but Zinc-Air batteries can be used instead, or it is possible to carry out a minor modification to the meter circuit to allow the use of 1.55 volt 387S silver-oxide batteries. A small switch on the (photographer's) left side of the lens housing was pushed up to stop down the lens and activate the meter; the exposure controls would then be adjusted to center a needle on the right edge of the viewfinder. The body took lenses with an M42 screw thread, providing a large range of available lenses. The system became the workhorse of many professionals of the period. Three variants of the Spotmatic SP are common: 1) Black and chrome body with Asahi Pentax badge on prism housing, Spotmatic badge on front below shutter release and SP badge on top near the rewide knob. 2) All black body with Asahi Pentax badge on prism housing, Spotmatic badge on front below shutter release and SPbadge on top near the rewind knob. 3) Blank and chrome body with Honeywell Pentax badge on prism housing and Spotmatic badge on front below shutter release (but no correspond SPbadge). The Spotmatic SP did not have a hotshoe. The SP500 and SP1000
The SP500 and SP1000 are identical to the Spotmatic SP except there is no self timer and the SP500 shutter speed dial shows a max speed of 1/1000. However, like the SP1000 and SP, the SP500 can actually shoot at 1/1000 by turning the shutter speed dial to an unmarked stop after 1/500. Like the SP, the SP500/SP1000 models came in 3 variants, black and chrome Asahi, black Asahi, black and chrome Honeywell.
The PX400 is is a discontinued Mercuric Oxide coin type cell that was commonly used in cameras and is now banned because of toxicity and environmental fears.
The original PX400 mercury cell produced 1.35V.
There are three possible replacements for this PX400 cell:
the equivalent silver oxide cell, the S400PX.
the equivalent zinc air cell, the WeinCELL MRB400.
a voltage reducing adapter, the H-B adapter and a silver oxide 377 cell
There are no alkaline cells manufactured of this size and shape.
he Praktica super TL is a 35mm SLR manufactured by Pentacon in Dresden (DDR, former East Germany).
That camera was also available with a black topcover. A special version of the Praktica Super TL was sold in The Netherlands as the Pentor Super TL. It was also sold by Hanimex as the Hanimex Praktica super TL, Hanimex Super TL and Hanimex Pro TL. Porst in Germany sold it as the Porst Reflex FX6 while Foto-Quelle sold it as the Revueflex SL. In the United States it was sold as the Cavalier STL-I.
It features an M42 lens mount and stop-down TTL metering and a focal plane shutter. Year: 1968-76
Type: Reflex 24x36
Film: 35mm
Speeds: B, 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250,1/500
Produced around 1968-1975 VEB Pentacon AG Dresden, Germany
Film type 135 (35mm)
Picture size 24 x 36mm
Lens M42 screw-mount Meyer-Optik Oreston 50mm 1:1.8-16
Filter size 49mm threaded
Shutter cloth focal plane
Shutter speeds B, 1-1/500
Viewfinder SLR
Exposure meter TTL CdS
Battery originally PX675 mercury
Aperture preview button
two PC sync – X, F – but no shoe (?!)
The Praktica Super TL 3 is a 35mm film SLR with an M42 mount, built by Pentacon Dresden in the former DDR (East Germany). It was produced from March 1978 to January 1980.
The Praktica Super TL 3 was introduced in March 1978, showing no fundamental changes when compared to its predecessors. However, some minor detail changes were introduced:
Brighter and larger view-finder image with a new Fresnel lens with a combination of a microprism and split image range-finder;
Hot shoe and additional PC flash socket on the camera body at the base of the lens mount with two fully galvanically isolated circuits, which permit the use of two flash systems (dual flash);
A redesigned shutter, which is even quieter and vibration-free;
Additional (+/-)-symbols in the view finder for signalling under- or over exposure;
New non-slip grip surface.
The camera was produced from March 1978 to January 1980 Kombinat VEB Pentacon through Dresden. Made almost 100 000 cameras. Designer was Rolf Noack. The camera was equipped with a metal, vertical plane shutter of a speeds B, 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 X-sync to 1/125s.
Pentaprism viewfinder was the Fresnel lens and micro-notch, the camera also has a built-in TTL metering (behind the lens) and-return mirror.
Shutter: Mechanically controlled vertical-moving metal-blade focal plane shutter.
Viewfinder: Fixed eye-level viewfinder (Pentaprism) with Fresnel lens with microprism and split-image range-finder as focusing screen, needle metering indication with (+/-)-symbol.
Film transport/Frame counter: Quick-release lever, Pentacon Loading-System, fold-out rewind crank, auto-zeroing frame counter.
Self timer: None.
Metering System: TTL-metering using stopped-down metering controlled by a switch beside the lens mount above the shutter release knob.
Shutter Speeds: B, 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250,1/500.
Lens mount: M42x1.
Flash system: X-Synchronisation (1/125), accessory shoe at the top of the pentaprism, coaxial flash socket at the camera body for dual flash systems.
An early SLR offering from Chinon, circa 1966. Uses M42 thread-mount lenses. Vertical-traveling focal plane shutter to 1/1000 sec.
Sold as the Prinzflex Super TTL by Dixons and as Revueflex 1000S TTL by Foto-Quelle.
Dixons is a British electronics and photographic retail company, which distributed a number of cameras under the brand Prinz. In 2007, the Dixons name was removed from high-street shops and went entirely online; the shops were closed or renamed Currys.digital.
The Zenit-B is one of the Zenit series of 35 mm SLR cameras, made by the Russian maker KMZ between 1968 and 78. Sometimes marked ЗЕНИТ-B (where B is the Cyrillic equivalent to the roman V), the Zenit-B is an all-mechanical camera. It is very similar to the Zenit E, which was made before it, but lacks the E's light meter. Both cameras are developments of the Kristall and Zenit 3M, and retain several of those cameras features, including the unusual shutter release mounted in the hub of the winding lever. The winding lever itself is restyled, and the camera body much squarer than the older models.
More importantly, the B and E have a new 42 mm lens mount (almost always: Nathan Dayton states that a few of each were made with the old 39 mm mount).[1] The 'B' and 'E' also have instant-return mirrors. Neither camera has an automatic diaphragm; the lens must be stopped down manually after focusing. The camera may be found with either a 50mm f/3.5 Industar-50 (Cyrillic: Индустар), with fully-manual aperture control, or a 58mm f/2 Helios (Гелиос) 44М-4 lens with pre-set aperture; the latter has the advantage that the lens can be stopped down without taking the camera from the eye (the lens has two aperture controls; one sets the aperture to a specific f-stop, and the second closes the diaphragm to any set aperture). There are no prismatic focusing aids; just a plain ground-glass screen.
Like the earlier Zenits, the camera has a focal plane shutter with speeds 1/30-1/500 s, plus 'B'. The shutter is synchronised for flash, with a PC socket on the front of the top housing, and the synchronisation delay can be set for bulb or electronic flash with a small lever mounted under the shutter-speed dial. Unlike earlier cameras, there is a flash shoe on top of the prism.
The film is rewound with a simple knob on the left of the top plate; the rewind release is the button in front of the speed dial, easily mistaken for a shutter release. Other features include a self-timer on the front of the body; self-timer exposures are activated with the self-timer's own button, not the normal shutter release. There is a tripod bush (at one end of the base plate, not in the centre).
Most examples have a chrome-finished top housing, but all-black cameras also exist. The camera was sold with a two-part black leather case. The Zenit-B was also sold under various other brand names, including Kalimar, Revueflex and Prinzflex 500.
Zenit cameras (sometimes badged in cyrillic, ЗЕНИТ) were made by the KMZ factory near Moscow. Some models were made by MMZ (BelOMO).
The original Zenit was an SLR based on the Zorki rangefinder.
The early Zenit SLR have a specific screw mount, 39mm in diameter, sometimes called "ZM39" (or "Zenit M39") to distinguish it from the regular M39 (or Leica thread mount). If you mount an LTM lens on these cameras you can only focus at close range, not at infinity, due to the lens position.
The Zenit 35mm SLR camera hails from the USSR during the cold political climate of the early 1950’s, the manufacturer was the KMZ established in 1941 outside Moscow. It is a particularly sturdy and clever little camera based on the original Leica camera concept, but taken one step further to become a true SLR with a fixed eyelevel pentaprism finder, yet rather basic in the mechanical design department, and it arrived too early for the upcoming innovations. Although having a different lens flange to film plane register, the lensmount is a 39mm screw mount, excluding all Leica fit lenses except for close up work. The removable base plate is identical in size to that on the Leica, but not interchangeable. The outer body, including the mirror housing, is a one piece alloy casting, the top cover is in two pieces, while inside, the shutter crate is a separately cast unit.
The KMZ is one of the early pioneers in the field of 35mm SLR’s, Zenit being the ninth 35mm SLR camera brand introduced, excluding a few exotic and scarce models, mainly from central Europe, and it is the second to appear from this country, the first being the less impressive GOMZ Sport. Its better known contemporaries are the Asahiflex and the Contaflex.
The Zenit, the name engraved in Cyrillic letters on the prism housing front, is the first in a long and popular series of cameras gradually evolving throughout the remaining period of the past century. The first improvement was to include flash synchronization with the model Zenit C. After ten years a completely new and improved camera body was introduced with a hinged back for film loading.
Like most Russian cameras the Zenit camera used a system where the first two numbers of the serial number plate (or part) was the year that the part was made, sometimes these parts could wait a couple of years before being fitted, for example 88xxxxxx was 1988.
The Russian Zenit EM 35mm SLR was part of a long running series of Zenit cameras and was an upgraded version of the Zenit E, adding automatic diaphragm stop-down with appropriate M42 lenses and a shutter release separated from the winding lever/film counter. Produced between 1972-1984 by KMZ[1].
The EM was also sold by Kalimar as the SR300, and badged as the Cosmorex SE. It was available in both black and chrome finish.
The Zenit E is a very common Russian SLR camera from the 1970‘s. While some early examples of the Zenit E had the M39 mount, the majority had the much more common M42 one. This opened the camera up to a vast number of non russian/soviet lenses.
Produced: 1965-1986
Name: „Зенит-E“
Producer: KMZ/BeLomo
Frame size: 24x36.
Lens: Industar-50-2 3.5/50 (a minha tem esta lente)
Helios-44-2 2/58
Shutter: 1/30s-1/500s + B.
Zenit-E is a 35mm film SLR made by KMZ and produced between 1965-82 with quantity of 3.334.540 units. Зенит = Zenit means Zenith, a point in the sky that appears directly above the observer.
The main differences from Zenit 3M is added light meter, mechanism of mirror and cocking lever were changed. The Zenit E does not have aperture automation, and therefore must be used with manual diaphragm/preset lenses or auto diaphragm lenses with an auto/manual switch.
There are many types during its production period.
The Zenit range was quite popular since it was priced moderately and it was offered under several other trademarks or brands as Kalimar, Revueflex, Prinzflex, Photokina, Spiraflex, Cosmorex.
Lens: Helios-44-2 58mm f/2, M42 screw mount, filter thread: 41mm
This is the standard lens, the other standard lens was Industar-50-2 3.5/50
The lens mount was KMZ M39 screw type before 1967 (although it is possible to find M39 within the 1968 models).
Lens release: simply turn to anti-clockwise
Aperture: up to f/16
Focus range: 0.5-20m +inf
Focusing: Fresnel matte glass screen; ring, distance scale and DOF scale on the lens
Shutter: Horizontally traveling, cloth focal-plane shutter, speeds 1/30 - 1/500 +B,
Shutter release: on the winding knob, w/cable release socket. For long exposure in B mode, the shutter release will lock down when pressed and turned ccw.
Cocking lever: also winds the film, long stroke, on the right of the top plate
Frame counter: on the winding knob, additive type, manual reset
Viewfinder: SLR pentaprism
Exposure meter: Selenium cell meter
Film speed range: ASA 16-500 setting: dial on the exposure setting ring, left of the top plate
Exposure setting: Match the needles in the window by turning the setting ring, then read out the speed and aperture
Re-wind knob: on the center of the exposure setting dial, press and turn, it will pop-up
Re-wind release: a small knob beside the cocking lever
Flash PC socket: on front of the top-plate, X sync 1/30
Cold-shoe
Self-timer: activates by pressing the small button above the lever
Back cover: hinged, opens by a latch on the left side of the camera
Engraving on the bottom plate: Made in USSR and KMZ logo
Tripod socket: ¼"
Strap lugs: none
Body: metal; Weight: 916g
Serial no. first two digits show the production year, on the back of the top plate
