Zenit-ES Flat bottom

Quick question: did Zenit-ES exist outside the FS-3 kit and was there ever a model without the secondary trigger nut on the bottom? I've seen some pictures that somewhat hint at that but cannot be sure without seeing actual bottom of the camera...

Thanks,
Vlad

hmmmm....never saw (apart hand made "bitza" assembly zenit ES+zenitE bottom)
ask Zoom opinion ???

Thank you Alain! I would also assume "S" in "ES" stands for "Sniper" so probably it wouldn't make any sense having this camera outside of the kit because it would be just an "E" then..... but just curious. Like this picture, what do you think? It's very hard to tell but it seems like it's standing flat.

like this one: http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~tobiko/zenites.html but he does say it's part of the kit..

hmmmmm....small website whith brown fake FED 5....
It is not the first time I see a zenit ES whith exchanged bottom plate, (or may be a hole in the white paper, to stand flat this camera )

Ha! That's what I thought too about the hole in the white paper ..

Vlad

Not seen one like that before but looks to be as Alain says, a rebuild or repair with different parts, nice condition though

Samsung GX-10,too many Russian Lenses, A lot of Zenits, an Almaz 103 a few Yashica,and finally a Minox35GT

Alain,

I don't think that the brown FED 5 is a fake. As I know they were special built for Foto Brenner, who sold them knew until some years ago. I've had one of it with the box and as I remember the color was marked on the box. But I don't have it anymore.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

thanks for information Ulrich . I know Brenner Foto in the past and I can , now, confirm (I forgot their catalog )

Back to Zenit-ES Flat bottom. I think I can say with fair certainty these cameras existed by themselves. The two examples below I've purchased in last couple of weeks. They both came in the standard Zenit-E leather case. These cameras are:

Zenit-ES - domestic (Cyrillic logo) flat bottom. Unmarked bottom place (matches domestic type) - comes from Israel, seller says bought the camera only
Zenit-ES - export (Latin logo) flat bottom, bottom plate matches the export type - that is says "Made in USSR" in English. seller says bought at estate sale in USA.

I took off the bottom plate, the cameras are in fact same as come in FS-2 kit - that is both ES's have the little pedal on the bottom for the shutter release. Photos below. My guess is, KMZ made more cameras than they had the TAIR-3 lens and the kits so it was very simple to put the flat bottom on it and sell separately.






















Your thoughts?
Vlad

Correction - I meant FS-3, not FS-2 (I WISH ) in the comparison picture.

Sounds entirely possible Vlad and makes a lot of sense to me. This reminds of the story about the Triumph motor bikes with both imperial and metric bearings in the engine- again to use up the parts! Needless to say their engine life was not so long

Samsung GX-10,too many Russian Lenses, A lot of Zenits, an Almaz 103 a few Yashica,and finally a Minox35GT

Thanks for the input Richard, I'd like to hear a few more opinions and if everyone concurs I'd like to create a wiki entry for this model since it's not really a "Sniper" anymore but a stand-alone camera.. any other thoughts/objections? I think substitutions and part re-usage was a fairly common trend in Soviet camera history..

Thanks,
Vlad

Also it seems to be that this camera is fairly rare, I think I got lucky getting both variations in the span of a week, I've never seen it for sale before with flat bottom.. always with a "Sniper" bottom plate...

Vlad.

I would agree that it should have a wiki entry. I think given the new finds it is probably a rare but factory made variation, and after all if they are found to be rebuilds, or repairs it can be deleted. Nice find Vlad

Samsung GX-10,too many Russian Lenses, A lot of Zenits, an Almaz 103 a few Yashica,and finally a Minox35GT