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ZeissIkon Super Ikonta

Lynn,

Just wanted to say I'm impressed by your forays into camera classics. In the '70s, I cut my teeth on a 6x6 folder (marked 1946, W Germany US Zone). Now, you and Luis are inspiring me to revisit this realm.

Ebay is a valuable source, but even more important is finding a professional to keep the equipment running! In my case, the camera catching my eye is the Contax IIa and the professional is Henry Scherer. From the fellow's web site, the matter of tearing the camera apart, cleaning each piece, and then reassembling everything is a significant chore.

Once done, these old cameras are ready to perform like new (or better), and the whole process can be repeated for the next hundred years. I don't believe my DSLR will get the same lease on life!
 
Hi Lynn,

I have many SIs and have many years of experience with them...

> Is this fungus?

If it looks like spiderweb/snowflake, then yes, it more than likely is. Haze is not necessarily fungus, though.

> (2) The shutter speed ring turns very hard and feels like it could > take the skin off my fingers it moves so hard.

It should be stiff, but not hard. Only the highest shutter speed should be quite stiff selecting.

> (3) The aperature ring won't move at all.

It should freely move...but are you sure you are trying to turn the aperture ring?

> HOWEVER, st&ed into the > metal of the door- back, on the inside of the camera, it says Zeiss > Ikon Film B2 - 6x9 * 2-1/4" x 3-1/4" * Is this normal???

Yes, that is simply what the film is called, and has nothing to do with the actual format of the camera. Obviously, it is a 6x6.

> (6) Just a few minutes ago, the wind mechanism for the film advance > suddenly decided not to stop at all... you can continually wind it.. > but that doesnt' allow me to fire the shutter any longer! (Earlier it > was working)

You need the manual ;-) I'll see if I have one already scanned (or you can check on-line)

> (7) I almost forgot to mention, the focus wheel turns somewhat hard, > but gets very stiff at one point around 20 feet (before infinity) then > loosens up a little as it reaches infinity.

That's not good.

I'd send it back to the seller and have him either fix it, or simply give you your money back. The problem I'd have with him fixing it, is he thought it was perfect to begin with, so he's obviously not very good with testing/using/understanding how these cameras work. What was the auction number, BTW?

Regards,

Austin
 
Hi Paul,

> If it was advertised as working perfectly then it should do so. Look > into complaining through ebay, they likely have some way of dealing > with this, and contact the seller and inform them of your > dissatisfaction. Check the sellers ad and see if they have a return > policy or if they sold it 'as is'.

"as-is" does NOT give the seller permission to misrepresent the item, and you be stuck with it. If a seller makes a claim, that is all you have to go by, and it should be a true claim. If that claim is simply not true, you should not be responsible for a seller's misrepresentation, intentional or not. I, personally, do NOT accept a seller stating "as is" as allowing them to be fraudulent.

Unfortunately, sellers who aren't responsible for their misrepresented condition, to me, means they knew about it in the first place, and are simply trying to pawn off their junk on me...and they therefore will be very difficult to deal with. Here is one ex&le:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2938715007

The seals were goo, the shutter binds, the shutter release is intermittent and the film sprocket is broken. Note, the seller said "movement is precise and the mirror seals are good" and later says "fully functional". Well, he was wrong. Read the feedback I left him, and his absurd retaliatory feedback he left me (I didn't buy this camera for someone else, nor could he have possibly known if I did).

So, I took the rath (in the form of retaliatory feedback) from this schmuck seller, but I did file a fraud report/insurance claim and should be getting $170 minus $25 back from eBay for this. I am trying to get the negative feedback removed using SquareTrade, because it's simply false, and obviously retaliatory. It'll cost me $20 if they get it removed...

Regards,

Austin
 
Rico, Henry Scherer does a fabulous job with the Contax equipment -- one of the finest technicians that I have ever come across. Has he done any work for you yet? If not, you will be delighted once he does. His lens work and camera work are both superb.

Doug
 
Rico - thanks very much for the kind words. If it were not for the support of fellow classic users I wouldn't know what I was doing
happy.gif
There are so many people from this board who kindly sent me lengthy emails in private about how to choose and use classics. I'm still learning, but it is mostly a lot of fun! (except for certain days when I mutter unfriendly remarks at a quirky camera) I also dream yet about a Contax IIa too, but I can't quite justify it right now, it has taken a back-seat to the Contaflex and the Super Ikonta lust that I seem to currently have. When those don't seem so new to me anymore, then I will probably hunt down a Contax or Kiev as well. This is a very addicting hobby! Warning to those who haven't ventured into the classics, stay out, you will be over taken by desires to have loads of neat old gear. You raise an excellent point about Henry Scherer. His reputation is sterling. He is the one who pointed me to Mr. Umbach for my Contaflex restoration. (Henry doesn't "do" Contaflex yet)

Austin - thanks for the further pointers! You hit the nail on the head when you said you wondered about whether to allow the seller to fix his mistakes. I've been mulling that over. If this was supposed to be perfect already - what would I get next? And how much postage back and forth do I want to pay until it is right? I have not answered the seller yet. But if my friend does say that the "ugly snowflake" I am seeing is fungus, then I will ask for a refund instead of repair. I also see some anomoly (sp?) in the coating of the lens, it looks like a slightly brighter spot or two, with hard edges. I don't feel comfortable parting with $245 +$12 with a dodgy lens. The point is to have the best lens possible, which is why I wanted the Opton Tessar anyway.

There is something I didn't mention, and that is that there is all sort of fuzz and dust inside the bottom of the camera under the bellows. I mean, when the front door is open and you look under the struts, there is some sort of substance on the struts that this fuzzy looking dust attached itself to. When I asked the seller, he said it was cotton from q-tip swabs from cleaning. Well, it's not very clean and it is the darkest looking cotton I have ever seen.

About the aperature wheel - it is a toothed silver metal wheel, just behind the shutter speed wheel right? I've tried to budge it, but it won't. He says he tightened the lens too much (?!).

Thanks about the manual, I found one online. It was very helpful.

If you want to know the auction, I'll send it to you privately, but I don't feel comfortable posting the guy's name etc in public discussion. I'm not out to hurt the guy - I just want a fair camera for my money - and the more I think about it, I don't think this is it. Anyone is welcome to email me at Lynn at turnkeydesign dot net. This deal hasn't finished negotiation, so I don't know yet what sort of feedback this will entail.

Thanks all, -Lynn L.
 
Doug,

Glad to get the Scherer recommend. I tripped over his web site just yesterday, so no experiences to report yet. I can either buy the IIa off Ebay and request the über CLA, or request he build the camera from his stock. Decisions, decisions.

I also have a couple of (W German) C/Y lenses that need clearing of haze and recalibration of focus. He sounds willing to work on such lenses (but not bodies of the RTS class). My original plan had been to ship the lenses to CZ Oberkochen, bypassing the black hole of Contax New Jersey.
 
Hi Lynn,

BTW, where are you located?

I assume that this is a SynchroCompur shutter, and has a flash sync? If so, it will have a chrome front (the metal cover that is around the lense and rangefinder wedges), instead of a black one...and if so, that's the most desireable model...and if so, the price you got it for, if it was in fact in perfect operational condition, was a reasonably good price.

I have had trouble finding a repair person who will handle these cameras. I have been doing most of the work my self, and some of it is quite tricky. One thing to be VERY careful of with the Super Ikontas, is that if someone disassembled the lense, the focus is probably wrong. It is very difficult to get them to focus spot on...and once disassembled, unless the person reassembling the lense knows how to do it right, the odds are the focus is off. You can check that with a ground glass on the film gate, if you have one...

If you want more information on the film winding, you can give me a call, and I'm happy to walk you through it, or as I offered, I can simply PDF the manual...if I can find it.

Regards,

Austin
 
Hi Austin, No, not the synchro compur. It is the compur rapid. Around the lens, where it says "compur rapid" and shows the depth of field scale, plus around the rangefinder wedge, it is mostly black, but edged in chrome. (I couldn't find any synchro compurs up for sale) There is a socket/connector on the side of the lens, just next to the rangefinder wedge. I don't know enough about it to say which sort of connection it provides.

I've checked the focus with tracing paper in place of a ground glass. It seems to be right on at 6 feet and as far as I can see it is correct at 7 and 9 feet too. Would I need to check other distances to be certain, or is this good?

Oh, I'm in Wisconsin where the trees are turning yellow, gold and red right now. I'd be glad to talk this over on the phone if you have time. Just let me know where to call and what time might be convenient.

Thanks again -Lynn
 
Hi Lynn,

> Hi Austin, No, not the synchro compur. It is the compur rapid.

Then it has a black shroud. What does the lettering on the lense say? Is there a red "T" or a "." or an upside down "L"?

> There is a socket/connector on the side of the lens, just next to the > rangefinder wedge.

That sync won't work with an electronic strobe...it's for flash bulbs...

> I've checked the focus with tracing paper in place of a ground glass. > It seems to be right on at 6 feet and as far as I can see it is > correct at 7 and 9 feet too. Would I need to check other distances to > be certain, or is this good?

One distance is good enough...typically, infinity.

> Oh, I'm in Wisconsin where the trees are turning yellow, gold and red > right now.

I'm in MA...if you were local, I'd offer to take a look at the camera for you. The one you have, if it's an "Opton Tessar" and is coated (the red "T" or some other marking), is, IMO, the prettiest of all the SI Bs, and a favorite of mine...though the SynchroCompur is more valuable, and a bit more functional (1/500 plus XM flash).

> I'd be glad to talk this over on the phone if you have > time. Just let me know where to call and what time might be > convenient.

Let me find the manual and send you a link to the scan...

Regards,

Austin
 
> Then it has a black shroud. What does the lettering on the lense say? > Is there a red "T" or a "." or an upside down "L"?

It has a very faded, barely red "T" It says: Tessar 1:2,8 f=80mm T Zeiss Opton Nr563640

> > That sync won't work with an electronic strobe...it's for flash > bulbs...

That is okay with me. I don't plan to use it with a flash anyway.

> One distance is good enough...typically, infinity.

Rechecked at Infinity - that's fine too, as expected.

Even though I'm not local, thanks for the offer to look it over, it was a nice thought. You are right that this is a nice version of the Super Ikonta. I researched quite a long time before deciding on this one.

The one part that worries me most is the lens. If it is fungus, what would you do with it?

On the positive side, all the shutter speeds appear to be firing fine and at the right timing, as far as I can see by looking through the back (open) as it fires.

Sorry if I'm boring anyone with this thread. I don't mean to - I'm just a little puzzled yet.

-Lynn L.
 
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