C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Zenit-21XS is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera produced by KMZ (Krasnogorsky Mekhanichesky Zavod) from approximately 1986. It represents a refinement of the Zenit-19 platform, retaining the electronically-governed horizontal-travel cloth shutter (8s to 1/1000s), TTL center-weighted silicon metering, and aperture-priority automatic exposure mode, while addressing various ergonomic and finish complaints from the Zenit-19. The body construction is heavy aluminum alloy with a robust feel. Like all cameras in the late Zenit M42 line, it accepts the full range of Soviet, East German, and Japanese M42 screw-mount lenses. The 21XS was produced in the final years of Soviet-era KMZ production and is among the last cameras to carry the M42 mount in the Zenit family before the line moved toward Nikon F-compatible mounts.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
KMZ's refined late-Soviet flagship: the Zenit-19 chassis improved with a silicon TTL meter and aperture-priority auto.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 screw |
| Years | ~1986 - ~1991 |
| Shutter | Electronic rubberized-cloth horizontal, 8s - 1/1000s |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted, silicon cell |
| Modes | Aperture-priority auto, manual |
| Battery | 4x AA (~6V) |
| Mechanical fallback | None |
| Focus | Manual |
| Focus aids | Split-prism, microprism ring, matte field |
| Weight | ~900 g |
KMZ's attempt to build a professional-grade Soviet SLR can be traced from the Zenit-16 through the Zenit-19 and into the 21XS. The Zenit-19, introduced around 1979, was the first in the line to offer aperture-priority automatic exposure and an electronically-controlled shutter. The 21XS followed in the mid-1980s as a revised version addressing known weaknesses: the metering circuit was updated, the shutter mechanism refined, and cosmetic details improved. The "XS" suffix in Soviet Zenit naming conventions typically denoted an export-oriented or improved variant.
Production of the Zenit-21XS overlapped with the USSR's glasnost period and continued until the Soviet Union's dissolution created severe disruptions at KMZ. The camera never achieved the export volumes of the mass-market Zenit-122; it was positioned at the upper end of the Zenit domestic and export market. The M42 mount was retained throughout despite the industry-wide shift toward bayonet mounts; KMZ would not adopt a Nikon-compatible bayonet until the Zenit-412 variants of the early 1990s.
The Zenit-21XS is historically significant as one of the last fully-developed M42 SLRs produced under the Soviet system. The combination of an 8-second electronically-controlled shutter, aperture-priority automation, and TTL center-weighted metering placed it at a competitive specification with mid-tier Japanese cameras of the era on paper. The M42 lens ecosystem available to it is large and well-regarded: Helios-44 variants, Jupiter telephotos, Mir wide-angles, and the full range of Zeiss Jena and Pentax Takumar optics all mount directly.
In practice, the lack of a mechanical fallback speed is the principal operational limitation. The camera is entirely dependent on its battery; a dead or corroded power supply leaves the shutter inoperative at all speeds. This contrasts unfavorably with the all-mechanical Zenit-E and Zenit-EM, which function regardless of battery state. For contemporary users, the 21XS represents the peak of what KMZ built within the M42 SLR format.
Mount: M42 screw (Pentax thread, 42mm x 1mm pitch). The Zenit-21XS uses stop-down TTL metering, so any M42 lens works with the meter regardless of auto-aperture coupling pins.
Standard and common M42 lenses for this body:
Flash accessory via hot shoe and PC sync socket at 1/60s.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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