How To Load and Rewind Film in a Zenit E

How To Load and Rewind Film in a Zenit E

The Zenit E is a very common Russian SLR camera from the 1970's. It can be used for most various amateur shooting and a number of special shootings. Some film photographers love this vintage camera because it combines with Helios lenses to bring soft and extraordinary colors for their images. Like other vintage cameras, Zenit E is easy to use with common parameters but it has some different things harder for someone who's just new with this camera to load and, especially rewind film. Here's a guide showing you step by step for how to loading and rewinding film in a Zenit E camera.

Loading

The camera is loaded at usual lighting. To load the camera:

1. Open the back cover of the camera, pulling the latch of the lock upwards.
2. Fix the end of the film under the take-up spool spring and hook a sprocket hole on the spool protrusion. See that the film be placed correctly between the film channel slides.
3. Place the cassette into its seat, having pulled the film rewind knob upwards.
4. Return the rewind knob to its initial position and fix it in this position by turning it in the arrow direction.
5. Close the back cover and press down the lock latch.
6. Cock the shutter, turning the shutter setting lever to the stop, then press the release button.
As the lever turns, the film moves by one shot.
To transport nonexposed film to the film gate, cock the shutter three times pressing the release button after each cocking.
Note. While cocking the shutter, see if the film rewind knob rotates. If not check whether the camera is correctly loaded with film.
7. Turning the exposure counter dial in any direction set the figure "0" against the index dot on the ring.
Set the exposure counter when the shutter is cocked.

Rewinding

When the exposure counter dial shows figure 36, it means that the exposed film should be rewound into the cassette. The procedure is the following:

1. Press the film rewind knob and rotate it contrary to the direction shown by the indicating pointer.
2. Disengage the shutter mechanism. For this aim press the film rewind release button and, holding it in this position, rotate the film rewind knob in the direction, shown by the indicating pointer, until you feel by the applied force that the end of the film left the spring of the take-up spool. Unloading camera
3. Open the back cover of the camera.
4. Pull the film rewind knob upwards and remove the film cassette out of the camera.
Note. For further photographing cock the shutter and, holding the sprocket, make sure that it rotates.