C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Zenit-122 is a 35mm SLR produced by KMZ (Krasnogorsky Mekhanichesky Zavod) from approximately 1990, representing one of the last major iterations of the Zenit M42 body design. It shares the vertical metal focal-plane shutter and TTL center-weighted metering introduced on later Zenit variants, but distinguishes itself with a plastic top plate that visually departs from the all-metal construction of the Zenit E and earlier bodies. The M42 screw mount is retained throughout, preserving access to the full range of Soviet, East German, and Japanese M42 lenses. The Zenit-122 was produced well into the post-Soviet period and sold in export markets at budget prices, making it one of the more commonly found late Zenit variants in Western collections.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
KMZ's late-production M42 SLR with plastic top plate, TTL meter, and vertical metal shutter - the accessible endpoint of the Soviet Zenit line.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 universal screw |
| Years | ~1990 – ~2005 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/500s + B, vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | Center-weighted TTL |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | ~620 g |
| Battery | 2x LR44 / SR44 |
| Focus aids | Split-prism, microprism |
The Zenit-122 sits near the end of a lineage stretching back to the original Zenit (1952), a body derived from the Zorki rangefinder platform adapted for SLR use. Through the 1960s and 1970s the Zenit E became KMZ's volume export body, shipped widely through Eastern Europe and sold in Western markets at aggressive price points. By the 1980s the Zenit 12xp had updated the body with TTL metering and accessory shoe provisions; the Zenit-122 continued this progression with the vertical metal shutter and a restyled body shell featuring a plastic top plate in place of the traditional machined aluminum.
KMZ continued Zenit production after the Soviet collapse in 1991, exporting budget cameras primarily to developing markets and sustaining domestic sales. The Zenit-122 was among the models that carried on through this period. Its low price point in both new and used markets reflects the mass-production economics of the late KMZ era rather than any deficiency relative to earlier Zenit variants.
The Zenit-122 offers the practical improvements of the later Zenit platform - vertical metal shutter with 1/125s flash sync, in-viewfinder TTL metering, and a full 1s to 1/500s speed range - at the lowest entry price of any M42 SLR system. For photographers interested in the Soviet M42 ecosystem, it provides full access to the Helios-44 58mm f/2 and Industar series lenses without the premium commanded by Zenit E bodies in better cosmetic condition.
The plastic top plate is sometimes cited as a quality-regression indicator, but it functions identically to the metal versions and adds no operational liability. The Zenit-122 is the practical choice for a working M42 body rather than a collector's piece; its availability and low prices make it useful as a starter body or a sacrificial body for experimental M42 work.
Mount: M42 universal screw (42mm x 1mm pitch). Full Soviet and international M42 ecosystem:
Standard M42 accessories apply: cable releases, lens hoods, extension tubes.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Zenit / KMZ 122
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