KMZ Zenit ET

KMZ Zenit ET Overview

The KMZ Zenit ET is a single lens reflex camera introduced by KMZ in 1981 as part of a long line of SLRs that bear the Zenit name. The Zenit ET was produced by Vileiskiy Zavod Zenit, a factory just outside Minsk that came about as a joint-venture in 1969 between KMZ and MMZ (which later became BelOMO).

Unlike most SLRs, the Zenit ET uses an uncoupled selenium light meter which is located directly above the M42 lens mount. A flash sync socket can be found between the light meter cell and the Zenit badge with a self-timer just beneath it. The film rewind knob and exposure calculator can be found on the user’s left hand side of the ET’s top plate followed by the readout for the light meter and then the hot shoe. On the other side of the hot shoe is a shutter speed selector, threaded shutter button (to trigger the ET’s cloth shutter), and the film advance lever with integrated frame counter. The only things on the bottom are the tripod socket and a serial number.

My sister bought me this Zenit ET online as a Christmas gift through an eBay auction. Unbeknownst to her, however, the auction was for the camera body only and did not come with a lens. Luckily for me, I have no shortage of M42 mount lenses including the Helios-44M 58mm f/2 featured in the photos above which I borrowed from my Zenit-E Olympic.