ZENIT 12 XP User Manual

The illustration/description of equipment and accessories throughout this book is for
information only and should by no means be considered an offer of sale.

To get the best results from your Zenith study these instructions thoroughly to make sure you
are familiar with the essential features of the camera before you start taking pictures. It is

suggested that before loading the first film you sit down with the instructions in front of you
and try out all the controls to generally 'get the feel' of the camera. It is also recommended
that a 'test' film be shot and the results examined before taking further pictures. This will
enable any early operator errors to be corrected and will give you confidence for the future.4www.butkus.org

As a 'system' camera your Zenith will accept a large number of different lenses and additional
accessories; we particularly recommend as most suitable those from the Hellos range which
will enable you to cope with almost any photographic situation.

Your Zenith is sturdily built to work happily under widely varying conditions but it should
always be remembered that as a precision optical instrument it must at all times be treated
with due care and consideration and protected from shock, damp, dust, sand and sudden
changes of temperature. With care it will give many years of reliable service - and ;

brilliant

pictures.

This booklet has been provided to enable you to get the best results as quickly as possible and
is not intended to be a comprehensive manual of photography. There are many good
inexpensive books on photographic technique available and your dealer will be pleased to
recommend one suitable for your particular need.

Format: 24 x 36mm;using standard 35mm cassettes of 12, 20, 24 or 36 exposure color or
black and white film.

Shutter: Horizontal traveling Focal Plane type, speeded 1/30,1/60,1/125, 1/250 and 1/500th
second plus B (brief time). Linked to self-timer giving approximately 7 seconds delay.

Flash Synchronization: Electronic flash at 1/30th sec. through 'Hot-shoe' or standard 3mm co­axial socket

Viewing/Focusing system: Eye-level pentaprism/instant return mirror shows upright laterally
correct image. Bright Fresnel focusing screen with central microprism spot.

4www.butkus.o rg

Exposure meter: Zenith 12. Built-in CdS cell with L.E.D. indicators in the viewfinder.

Power source: two Mallory D386 cells. (These should be replaced once a year.) Zenith 11
Selenium cell with match-needle read out. Both meters calibrated for 16-500 ASA/13-28
DIN.

4www.butkus.o rg

Frame counter: Additive 0-36 manual resetting type

Standard Lens: Helio 44M-4, 58mm focal length

Construction: 6 elements in 4 groups

Diaphragm type: Fully automatic instantly re-open.

Aperture range F2-F16 with click stops at full and half apertures (except between F11 and
F16)

Distance scale: 0.5 to infinity

Filter size: 52mm screw

Lens mount: 42mm thread, accepts standard single pin automatic lenses and accessories

Loading the Camera - Step by step instructions

Depress Shutter
Release Button [3] ­if shutter does not
fire advance
Transport Lever [2]
in short strokes until
it stops and press
Shutter Release
Button [3] again.

Always load the
camera in subdued
light; if outdoors
shield from direct
sunlight.

Make sure that the
indicator on the
Shutter Release
Button [3] is facing
towards the front of
the camera.

Lift Rewind Knob
[16] to open back.

Insert film cassette
into Film Chamber
[21] projection of
cassette to bottom.
Push Rewind Knob
[16] down turning
slightly to seat into
cassette.
Draw out enough film
to insert tip of leader
into any of Take-up
Spool's

[22] slots ensuring
that the second hole
engages with a tooth
on the spool. Ease
film forward by swat
strokes of Transport
Lever [2] until it
stops. The lower
Sprocket Teeth [26]
should be properly
engaged.

Fire shutter. Advance film by
short strokes of transport
lever until both top and
bottom sprockets are
engaged. If necessary tighten
film on Take-up Spool [22]
by turning the flange at the
base of the spool anti­clockwise with the finger and
in the cassette by gently
turning the Rewind Knob
[16] in the direction of

the arrow on the lever until
resistance is felt. This is
especially necessary with
twelve exposure films.

Close the back of the camera
until it clicks shut. Complete
wind-on if necessary until
Transport Lever [2] stops.

Fire shutter. Advance film
Transport Lever [2] using
short strokes until it stops.
The Rewind Knob [16]
should revolve while this is
being done.

Fire shutter and advance film
again. Set Frame Counter [4]
to zero.

Set Film Speed Selector Dial
[15] against Indicator [17]
appropriate to the speed of
the film to be used. There are
two scales for films rated in
ASA and DIN. Only click­stopped numbered or
intermediate positions may be
used. Intermediate positions
are proportional. If using
1000 ASA film set the

selector to 500 ASA but use
the next faster shutter speed
than indicated by the meter or
close the aperture ring by one
full stop.

Zenith 11 owners see Page 15
for how to set exposure meter.

The camera is now ready for
use.

Using the Camera

b

Set the Speed Dial [1 ] appropriately
according to the subject. The dial is marked in
figures that represent fractions of a second-i.e.
"60" is 1/60th second. It may be turned in
either direction but not between "500" and
"B" and must not be between marked speeds.

Initially we suggest that outdoors the speed
set should not be less than 1/125th sec.

4www.butkus.o rg

Focusing. Look through the
Viewfinder [27] and roughly
decide what you wish to take
remembering you are actually
looking through the lens. Focus by
turning the Focusing Ring [11]
clockwise for close and anti­clockwise for far distance until the
subject is sharp and clear on the
large viewing screen.

For critical focusing using
the inner of the two rings in
the center and adjust until
the image is clear and
undistorted. Since you are
viewing and focusing
through the actual lens that
takes the finished picture
you can feel safe in the
knowledge that there will

e no parallax problems (no
more cut-off heads in close­up

portraits and the like).
There's a built-in safety
margin of course, in
common with many other
modern single lens reflex
cameras, the viewfinder
showing an overall area
somewhat smaller than the
total film area. this ensures
that everything you see in
the viewfinder appears in the
finished picture despite the
fact that slide mounts and
masks in printing equipment
cover part of the film's
image.4www.butkus.or g

Depth of Field

Depth of Field is also greater with a more
distant subject that a nearby subject and
increases nearly twice as much beyond the
subject than in front of it.

The lens is also provided with a scale
calibrated in meters but it will seldom be
necessary to refer to this.
This is the depth of field scale [13] and works
the following way:
All lenses when focused on a given subject
will show some objects in front of and behind
that subject sharply in focus. This range is
called "Depth of Field" and varies with
different lenses. With any lens you will find
that "Depth of Field" is always great as small
apertures such as F/16 and less at large
apertures such as F2.

Using the Meter

To use the depth of field scale, first focus on
your subject then determine how great a
Depth of Field a given aperture will give by
reading distances against the two marks for
that aperture. The figure on the left will be
the nearest point in focus and that to the right
the furthest, thus enabling you to select that
aperture which will give the desired Depth of
Field.

Having focused on the

If it is the upper one this

-

If it is not possible to get