There’s something deeply meditative about shooting with a Zenit B camera. Built like a tank in the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 70s, the Zenit B is an all-manual, no-frills 35mm SLR that forces you to slow down, think, and appreciate photography in its rawest form.
The Difficulties
Let’s not romanticise everything. The Zenit B can be a brutal teacher. It has no built-in light meter, so you’re either relying on external meters or learning the delicate dance of the “Sunny 16” rule. Its shutter release is clunky, the film advance is stiff, and the mirror slap sounds like a small door slamming shut. Focus is purely manual through a dim viewfinder, and the M42 screw mount makes lens changes a slow process—especially compared to modern bayonet mounts.
Then there’s the weight. This is not a casual camera to sling around your neck all day. It’s heavy, often out-of-alignment from age, and spare parts can be elusive.
The Rewards
But here’s the magic: the Zenit B makes you earn every photo.
When everything aligns—your focus is crisp, your exposure guessed just right—you get images with a kind of honesty and depth that digital filters can’t fake. Paired with an Industar 50-2 lens, the Zenit B delivers sharp, contrasty images with a uniquely vintage character. The Industar, a Tessar-type design, may not have the dramatic bokeh of its Helios sibling, but it offers razor-sharp results and a pleasing rendering that rewards precision and patience.
Shooting with the Zenit B isn’t just about the final image. It’s about the process: the tactile joy of turning dials, the quiet satisfaction of advancing the film, and the deep focus required to create something by hand in a world of automation.
For those willing to embrace its quirks, the Zenit B offers more than nostalgia—it offers a rediscovery of photography as craft.
The photographs below were taken by my wife and myself whilst on a holiday in the Lake District. My very first outing with the Zenit B as this is my wife’s camera, bought back in 1970 for her college course. The camera has many drawbacks but the slow shooting experience, particularly with the Industar lens more than make up for them.
The HP5+ comes out with a little too much grain for my taste and my scanner is not the best but they give an idea of what this camera/lens is capable of.
Walking to Grasmere. Zenit B, Industar lens, Ilford HP5+
