Hi Everyone ! Newbie there !

Hello everybody !
Thanks Vlad for this so well made website...
Thanks Mermoz37 for introducing it to me...

As the rules said, for my first post,
let's talk a little about myself ! (sorry for my poor english !)

I'm a professional photographer living in Paris, France.
I use several camera's systems including some soviet stuff...
It can be by mounting lenses with adapters on japanese's cameras,
or using with great pleasure my Zenit boxes or Smena compacts...
I'm definitly not a collector, but a user !
The most important at my eyes is to produce a different picture render by using these alternativ materials and in a cheaper way with great pleasure !

My babes :
Zenit B, Zenit E, 2 kinds of Zenit 19, Smena 1, Cosmic Symbol...
Peleng 8mm, Peleng 17mm, Mir 20, Zenitar M, Helios 44-2/44-3/44M, Industar 50, Industar 61 lz, Helios 40, Jupiter 6, Rubinar 500/5.6, MTO 11CA...

Hope to learn more here, share some fun, and many thanks by advance for your approval !!![:)]
Peace.

Hello Peace!
Welcome to the forum! My respect if you still use Smena-1 camera for your professional needs ... [:)]

Best Regards,
Aidas

Great to see new faces!!!

Welcome to the forum! Always a pleasure to get a new member. I see you're a Zenit-19 guy, for some reason it's quite popular with a lot of photographers, can you tell us why? As collectors we don't quite get to use these cameras often.

Vlad.

Dear Seka,

Welcome to this forum. Your website has many exciting photographs. Good work and welcome!

Regards, Bill

Whoa! I just looked at your site too!
Magnifique! [:)]

salut l'ami..ravi de te voir ici !
Hi, old friend, glad to see you here ![:)]

Hello all, many thanks for your friendly replies !
And thanks for your words about my work you saw on my (very old and non-exhaustive) website !

I agree, Aidas ! I don't use often the Smena for pro needs, but it could be...This little camera take really good quality shots !
(Of course : i get it from my friend Mermoz37 !!!lol) Will show you some as soon i'll find those pix in my computer.

Vlad, Zenit 19 is a complete machine with slow and high speeds and a good light metering. That's i believe the reason of its "succes" for users... The only disadvantage at my opinion : the viewfinder is not really sharp (fresnel type) beside Zenit E or B, and look a bit green across. But overall, Z19 is a very good camera, fiting well in hands, with all "modern" possibilities...
In fact, "the" Zenit i love, is the B (V) model ! All mechanical (can be fixed in the desert with a knife !), precise viewfinder, cool noise, build as a tank, etc...!!!
But i'm really far to know all of Zenit products...

Best regards.

Seka, thanks very interesting, I have a nice condition Zenit 19 in my own collection I will take it for a spin someday weather permitting, it's absolutely horrific outside today in Chicago, freezing rain and ice on the road... cannot wait for spring to start for taking some more photos. Lately I've been mostly collecting and researching cameras, not quite using them... I should start to do both.

Vlad

Yes sure ! Cameras were made for taking photos !!! Am i wrong ?

Here in Finland I am waiting for some snow, so I can freeze you...
And I do have that mint 19 that I bought in Prague last summer, it needs film testing. But no way I would get any female to carry it as beautifully here in this time of the year!

http://www.cedricfan.sivut.ws/Juhani's%20website%20ORIGINAALIT/

Also for collecting.. as Okynek also said once - I like the way they feel when I hold them but not necessarily use them. I like how they look on my shelf, I like to pick one up periodically an have a story behind it... [:)]

Of course Vlad, i understand, love and respect that as well !!!
You should see my child eyes turning round when i look great collections and rare historical items...

Cedricfan, when weather's freezing, don't forget to keep Z19 batteries in a warm place !!!

Hello Peace,

Welcome. I know there is a guy in your country who bought almost all rare Russian cameras. I wish I know where his house is.:-) And I want to freeze him.;-) I am always fascinated with beautiful precision instruments for use and owning.

Cheers.

Hi Zhang,
I guess the guy you talking about is the one who push me here ! Many thanks to him... and to you !

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by seka</i>
<br />Cedricfan, when weather's freezing, don't forget to keep Z19 batteries in a warm place !!!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Old method is to store the camera under winterjacket, next to body heat. Good for the camera but not to your chest [V]

http://www.cedricfan.sivut.ws/Juhani's%20website%20ORIGINAALIT/

Hi seka,

Do you mean Mr.J.L .Princelle? Do you know him in person? Sorry, I do not want to freeze him.[;)]I have great respect to him.

Kind regards

Zhang

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by seka</i>
<br />Hi Zhang,
I guess the guy you talking about is the one who push me here ! Many thanks to him... and to you !
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Old method is to store the camera under winterjacket, next to body heat.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

For sure ! That's what we done with Luna... as you might saw !


<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Do you mean Mr.J.L .Princelle?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh, sorry, that's not the guy i was talking about, but i could say : a kind of "right arm" for him... (So i let you guess again !)
However i met Mr Princelle time to time in some photographic fairs where he sells his books frequently, but i could not say that he is a close friend of mine... for yet ! Of course, as you wrote, he's well know and fully respected by people...

Best regards.

Oh? not a friend yet? Then I want to freeze him again.[:D][;)]Unless he writes a good book about Chinese cameras and lenses of course.

Cheers,

Zhang

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Do you mean Mr.J.L .Princelle?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh, sorry, that's not the guy.... but i could not say that he is a close friend of mine... for yet ! Of course, as you wrote, he's well know and fully respected by people...

Best regards.
[/quote]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Then I want to freeze him again.[:D][;)]<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hehe, could be not an easy thing ![xx(]
But as we say here : Impossible is not a french word !!![:D]