[surfar]

A rangefinder FF collaboration 35mm f1.0

[stevebrot]

This?

Photokina 2018: Zenit and Leica collaborate on new 'M': Digital Photography Review


Steve

[reh321]

A rangefinder FF collaboration 35mm f1.0

I had lost track of Zenit - didn't realize they still exist.

[IgorZ]

Hmm. In the past the Germans designed and the Russians built...

[surfar]

This?

Yes Steve,thats what I saw but on another site.

[disconnekt]

The rumoured price is to be somewhere between €4000 to €5000 Euros (~$4,700 to $5,875 USD) for the body & lens (rumour source: I am confused: the new Zenit M digital rangefinder camera is designed in Russia, made in... Germany? - Leica Rumors)

[RobA_Oz]

I had lost track of Zenit - didn't realize they still exist.

They existed only as a brand name for some time, I believe.

[ogl]

The MAIN THING that we need to know. I've read in Russian news.
ZENIT M + ZENITAR 35/1.0 will be LIMITED edition camera in 500 pcs. with individual number for each copy for selling only in Russia and Europe. The price will be from 5000 till 6000 EURO. From interview of representative of Krasnogorsky Optical Mechanical Plant (KMZ) ? ?????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????? ????????????? "?????" - ??? ???????, 26.09.2018

[BigMackCam]

They existed only as a brand name for some time, I believe.

To be fair, that was always the case. Zenit was (is), like Zorki, just a brand name used for Russian cameras manufactured by state owned plants, such as KMZ in Krasnagorsk, near Moscow. The KMZ (Krasnogorskiy Mechanicheskiy Zavod) plant still exists, manufacturing lenses and other products. I have a few very-recently manufactured lenses in my collection. I don't know if the plant is still state owned... I suspect not.

[Kim Coxon]

The silver version appears very reminiscent of the Zeiss Ikon.

[dsmithhfx]

I don't know if the plant is still state owned

Probly kleptocrat-owned.

[stevebrot]

They existed only as a brand name for some time, I believe.

KMZ's factories never disappeared and optical products other than cameras* continued in production. Zenit has always been and remains a KMZ brand/mark** and the new camera is a KMZ product, though the company is now owned by a larger conglomerate. A new Zenit camera has been rumored for several years, though the partnership with Leica is entirely unexpected. Some members here thought it might have been in partnership with Ricoh/Pentax.


Steve

* The last Zenit SLR (a KM Plus model) was made in 2005.

** Some later Zenit-labeled models were made under license by BeLomo.

[stevebrot]

I don't know if the plant is still state owned... I suspect not.

KMZ is part of Shvabe (along with LZOS and other optical entities), which is part of Rostec, which is Russian state-owned. Rostec has rumored that Shvabe will go public in the near future.


Steve

(...real fan of the Wikipedia...)

[BigMackCam]

KMZ is part of Shvabe (along with LZOS and other optical entities), which is part of Rostec, which is Russian state-owned. Rostec has rumored that Shvabe will go public in the near future.

Wow. Thanks, Steve - that's great information!

[Kuzma]

They existed only as a brand name for some time, I believe.

Production of cameras was canceled in early 2000s. Factory however continued producing optics for military etc. and some lenses for cameras (M42, Canon and Nikon). Some years ago they decided to relaunch camera production in cooperation with a huge company (as we know now - it was Leica).