Data Sheet: MIR-1 (37mm f/2.8)

Pekka Buttler, 12/2024 (Updated 01/2026)

Specifications (Zenit Z39)

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	MIR	Lens name	1
Focal length(s) 1	37 mm	Angle-of-view 2	60 °
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	1954-20033 (all versions) 1954–19724 (Z39 versions)
Lens mount (this lens)	Z39	Other lens mounts	M42, Kiev Automat, Soviet-DKL
Length 5	47,9 mm	Diameter 6	59,0 mm
Filter ring diameter	49 mm	Weight	200 grams
Lens element count	6	Lens group count	5
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 7	10 S	Focus throw	280 °
Minimum focusing distance (indicated)	70 cms	Maximum magnification (calculated)	1:17
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture ring type	Preset	Aperture click stops 8	2.8-4–5.6–8-11-16

Specifications (Kiev Automat)

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	MIR	Lens name	1 AUTOMAT
Focal length(s) 1	37 mm	Angle-of-view 2	60 °
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	1954–2003 (all versions) 1964–1982 (automat versions)
Lens mount (this lens)	Kiev Automat	Other lens mounts	M42, Z39, Soviet-DKL
Length 5	49,2 mm	Diameter 6	55,3 mm
Filter ring diameter	55 mm	Weight	220 grams
Lens element count	6	Lens group count	5
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 7	5 S (Automat version)	Focus throw	280 °
Minimum focusing distance	24 cms	Maximum magnification	1:3,9
Has manual aperture ring	NO (Automat version)	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture ring type	N/A (Automat version)	Aperture click stops 8	N/A

Further technical notes:

• Originally designed in 1954 (“on the basis of the East German Flektogon”), the MIR-1 was the stereotypical Soviet moderate wide-angle which outlasted the Soviet Union itself (the last samples I’ve seen were manufactured in the early 00s)
• The lens’ focal length is a bit narrower than the standard 35 mm focal length and documentation systematically refers to the angle-of-view as 60°
• At the World Exhibition in Brussels in 1958, a set of lenses, which included Mir-1, was awarded the highest award – the “Grand Prix”. This pedigree was touted on MIR-1 copies far into the 1970s.

• The original (Z39) and subsequent thread mount models (M42) offer a minimum focusing distance of 0,7 metres, which is rather limiting. Some versions (Kiev Automat and A-variants) of the lens offers a rather short minimum focusing distance (at only 24 centimetres) which widens the lens’ use cases by a bit.

• The name ‘MIR’ is not a brand, nor a manufacturing organisation. Instead, ‘MIR’ identifies the lens as a retro-focus wide-angle lens. The Soviet logic was different, and in very many ways. Read more here.
• There are several variants of the (see below) that have been manufactured all around the former Soviet Union, including GOMZ (St. Petersburg, Russia), KMZ (Krasnogorsk, Russia), VOMZ (Vologda, Russia), ZOMZ (Sergiev Posad, Russia), Optical and Mechanical Plant “Jupiter” (Valdai, Russia) and Arsenal (Kiev, Ukraine).
• Reportedly, all versions follow the same optical design.

Versions

In its almost 40-year manufacturing run, the MIR-1 was cosmetically modernised several times. Even so, there are some major versions to be identified:

MIR-1 – The original version intended for the Zenit SLR, using the early Zenit’s Z39, later also M42 lens mount. Manufactured at least into the mid 70s. Preset aperture, no multicoating. Early prototypes manufactured at KMZ, later versions at ZOMZ (Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant)

MIR-1A – A version with an adapter ring.

MIR-1B – A variant for the M42 mount, named ‘B’ (which is Cyrillic for ‘V’) to indicate manufacture at VOMZ (Vologda Optical and Mechanical Plant). M42 mount. Preset aperture, no multicoating. Manufactured at least from 1984, and after a redesign in 1991 until 2003.

MIR-1C – Rare variant for Zenit 4-5-6–series of leaf shutter SLR cameras (Soviet-DKL)

MIR-1W – A ‘School’ version (unclear what that means). M42, outwardly similar to MIR-1B and also manufactured at VOMZ.

MIR-1 AUTOMAT – version for the Kiev Automat (Kiev 10/15) series of cameras. Manufactured at least¹⁵ 1971–1984 at Arsenal plant in Kiev (Ukraine)

Another noteworthy aspect is that export-oriented production batches typically use Latin letters, whereas batches intended for domestic use used Cyrillic print.

Adapting

This chapter will discuss adapting the Z39, M42 and Kiev Automat versions of the lens.

Adapting Z39 version

If you want to adapt a Z39 mount version of this lens, you have two options:

The easiest approach is to buy a Z39->M42 adapter ring and then treating the lens as if it was a M42 mount lens. While simple, and — theoretically – opening the door to adapting the lens also to some dSLR mounts (Canon EF, Pentax K), there is a possible problem in that the flange focal distance of the Z39 mount (45,2 mm) is ever so slightly shorter than that of the M42 mount (45,46 mm). This might therefore lead to your lens’ depth of field not quite reaching infinity unless you stop down a bit.

The other approach is to use a 16,4 mm long M39-thread extension tube to bridge the gap from Z39 to the Leica thread mount (LTM; 28,8mm) and then going from there to your mirrorless mount. While this does not allow adapting to SLRs, it is rather elegant. Eh?
Where – you might wonder – is one to find such a specific extension tube? Due to the fact that the Soviet lens industry was manufacturing both Leica thread mount cameras (FEDs and Zorkis) and Z39 SLRs (early Zenits), pretty much every soviet LTM/Z39 extension tube set contains an extension tube of that precise length 😉

Adapting M42 version

If you want to natively mount an M42 lens you need to find a functioning M42 mount film camera. Luckily that should be relatively easy as M42 bodies were produced in their millions and most of them lack features that are especially likely to have deteriorated to the point of making the entire camera inoperable. If your sample of this lens offers a switch to choose between auto- and manual aperture, I recommend using the lens on a body that is capable of stopping down the lens automatically and offers stop-down metering.

Adapting this lens to a mirrorless, full-frame digital camera is a breeze thanks to the lens having full manual controls (aperture ring, focus ring). You simply need a dumb adapter from M42 to your mirrorless system.

Due to the medium flange focal distance used by the M42 mount (45,46 mm), whether you can adapt this lens to dSLR/SLR mounts depends on which dSLR mount: Canon EF, Four Thirds, Minolta/Sony A and Pentax K can mount m42 lenses using a simple adapter ring. Nikon F on the other hand is not as problem-free, and – to retain anything near infinity focus – the adapter will necessitate corrective optics. In all cases, your camera will work only in stop-down metering.

Adapting Kiev Automat version

Should you want to use your Kiev Automat lens in its original environment, you need a functioning Kiev 10/15 series SLR body. This will not be easy as a) the Kiev 10/15 cameras were never manufactured in high numbers; b) most bodies have suffered substandard maintenance.

You can adapt Kiev Automat lenses to all mirrorless cameras assuming you can procure (or make) an adapter. Such adapters can either be based on parts from a Kiev 10/15 camera body, or 3D-printed. Cottage industry 3D printed adapters can be found on online sales platforms for many mirrorless mounts.

Using Kiev Automat lenses on SLRs and dSLRs is troublesome. Technically there are only a few SLR mounts that have both a shorter Flange focal distance than that of the Kiev Automat mount and a throat diameter sufficient for the mechanics an adapter would necessitate, namely Canon FD and Konica AR. Of these The Canon FD-approach is proven to be workable.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. 2003 is the year of the newest Mir-1 I have seen. ↩︎
4. The newest Z39 MIR-1 I have seen has a aserial number indicating 1972 as date of manufacture. ↩︎
5. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
6. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
7. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
8. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎
9. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
10. Picture angle is given in degrees and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
    > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
    70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
    50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
    40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
    20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
    10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
    5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
    < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
11. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
12. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
13. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎
14. Numbers equal aperture values on aperture ring; • intermediate click; – no intermediate click. ↩︎
15. This is based on the serial numbers of online samples. ↩︎