During WWII Hubert Nerwin thought about a new 35mm folder. The results of his thoughts were developed after the war to Zeiss Ikon's first completely new postwar product, made since 1948 as Ikonta 522/24. As Zeiss was unable to produce sufficient Tessar lenses (due to war damage to their production facilities), this is one of the few Zeiss models ever to feature a non-Zeiss (Schneider Xenar) lens. The model was continued in 1953 as Contina, as one of the first cameras of the new Contina series of 35mm viewfinder cameras (one was a rangefinder) made in Germany by Zeiss Ikon. The first models were folders, later models were rigid. Some had linked shutter/aperture rings, using the Light-value system. The folding models had knob wind, frame counter and rewind fitted to the bottom; the later ones had top-mounted 180° lever wind, knob rewind and frame counter around the shutter release.
This is a Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex Super, a 35mm Single Lens Reflex leaf shutter camera made by Zeiss-Ikon AG in Stuttgart, West Germany between the years 1959 and 1962. It was part of the long lived Contaflex series that saw many variations between the original Contaflex I in 1953 all the way to the Contaflex S from about 1970. The Super, as it’s name implies was a rather high spec version of the camera, featuring a coupled selenium exposure meter with match needle readout in the viewfinder, and a 4-element 50mm Tessar lens with interchangeable front elements. With the use of Pro-Tessar bayonet mount lenses, the Contaflex had available wide angle and telephoto lenses.
Zeiss Ikon is a German company that was formed in 1926 by the merger of four camera makers (Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann, Goerz and Ica), and an infusion of capital by Zeiss[1]. The company formed one part of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, another part being the optical company Carl Zeiss. Logically, most of the Zeiss Ikon cameras were equipped with Carl Zeiss lenses; and the formerly independent companies, in particular Goerz, had to shut down their own lens manufacture.
The merged company was also obliged to use Compur shutters for 80% of its cameras. Thus only the simplest cameras could get cheaper shutters like the Klio. Soon AG Hahn für Optik und Mechanik, Kassel, and Goerz Photochemisches Werk GmbH, Berlin, joined the Zeiss Ikon syndicate. Both companies, Zeiss Ikon and Hahn, were also in the business of producing keys, latches an lock cylinders. This business was more and more concentrated in the former optical factories of Goerz in Berlin.
The group became one of the big companies in the photo technology capital Dresden, with plants in Stuttgart and Berlin. It continued several products of its constituents for a while, but also created new ones like the quality folder Ikonta and the medium format rangefinder camera Super Ikonta. Until WWII Zeiss Ikon was the world's market leading maker of 8mm movie cameras. In addition to cameras and lenses, Zeiss Ikon also produced some optics for medical applications.
West Germany: Zeiss Ikon AG Stuttgart
After World War II Zeiss Ikon was split into a West German and an East German part. It was reformed in West Germany, and trademark disputes followed with the part that was left in East Germany. Stuttgart became the company's domicile. Zeiss Ikon merged in the mid 1960s with Voigtländer, another important German manufacturer, and one that had been controlled by the Zeiss Foundation since 1956.
The product lines of Zeiss Ikon Stuttgart were different from the East German company's products. The Ikophot light meters were made in Stuttgart.
Zeiss Ikon ceased the production of cameras in 1972. This was a great shock for the entire German camera industry. Parts of the Zeiss Ikon product line then went to Rollei, and part of the know-how was used to revive the Contax name in collaboration with the Japanese maker Yashica.
Before reunification the whole Zeiss Ikon keys, latches & locking cylinder business was separated into a separate company.
East Germany: VEB Zeiss Ikon Dresden
Postwar production, begun early in May 1945, was soon interrupted as several factories were closed for dismantling their production machines. The machines were given as reparation to Soviet camera makers that had suffered demolition during the war. The production of the sophisticated Contax rangefinder cameras was prepared in Dresden and relaunched with new machines in Jena before all the machines were transferred to the Soviet camera maker Kiev. In 1948 the East German part of Zeiss Ikon became state owned. Production and development of Ernemann projectors and movie cameras were continued from 1949. Camera production was continued in 1947 with the Tenax and the Ikonta models. Soon the company's stock of leaf shutters was running out. In 1950 it could produce its own shutters since it took over the shutter production of Balda and the shutter factory of Mimosa. In 1952 the Tempor was Zeiss Ikon's first own leaf shutter development, followed in 1954 by the Prestor, the fastest leaf shutter at this time.
In 1948 the company could introduce its advanced SLR model, the Contax S. Since there were suits about trade mark names with the West German Zeiss Ikon AG, VEB Zeiss Ikon was renamed VEB Kinowerke Dresden in 1958. Later it became the main part of the East German combine Pentacon.
After German reunification
Today Carl Zeiss is reviving the Zeiss Ikon name. The new Zeiss Ikon camera, introduced at the 2004 Photokina show, is a rangefinder camera with Leica M-mount, developed in Germany and built by Cosina in Japan. Like the Contax G1 and G2), it has lenses made in both Japan (by Cosina) and Germany.
Manufactured from 1956 to 1958, this well-made 35mm viewfinder camera was fitted with either Novicar Anastigmat or Novar Anastigmat lenses in a Prontor SVS shutter.
The camera has an uncoupled exposure meter. Early examples have a twin range meter like this one.
You can identify it as a twin-range meter because the cover flap over the meter cell has a slot machined through it. It is normally closed for bright conditions, so it lets through less light, and you read the meter on the high scale.
In lower light conditions, you open the flap to let more light act on the selenium cell, and you make your readings on the low-light scale.
Later examples like this one below, have a single range meter. The meter flap looks much the same, but is actually a cover, and blocks all the light. The meter flap must be opened to take a reading.
There appears to be confusion as to the correct name of this camera, which identifies itself as simply Contina (on the lens bezel). Some sources say it's a Contina II, while others claim the model is a Contina IIa.
Ivor Matanle's book Collecting and Using Classic Cameras, explains that the camera is often referred to as the IIa, with the a having been added by camera buffs to differentiate this (527/24) model from an earlier folding (524/24) camera also called the Contina II. Ivor's observation is incorrect, because there were actually two 527/24 models - the II and IIa - and while their differences are acknowledged, reviewers often assume the IIa was a later version of the II, rather than a different model.
The facts are, the IIa was the first model, and Zeiss (not collectors) added an a to the name to distinguish the camera from the 524/24 folding Contina II. The 527/24 Contina II followed the IIa in 1956, with some logic to Zeiss dropping the a from its name, because production of the 524/24 folding Contina II had ceased in 1953. The II and IIa had quite a few significant differences.
Contina IIa (527/24)
1954 - 56
Look for
• small slots in meter cell flap
• dual range meter with scoop cut from outer meter dial, which reveals a scale (green for flap closed, and black for flap open)
• EV number scale in meter window
• lens mount front plate has very shallow horizontal grooves
• smaller viewfinder window with no frame around.
Contina II (527/24)
1956 - 58
Look for
• no slots in meter cell flap (its just a cover)
• single range meter
• no scale in meter window because its a match-needle system rather than a pointer
• lens mount front plate is smooth
• larger viewfinder window with surrounding frame.
There was a further Contina II from 1958, but this was also known as the Contina-matic, had a coupled exposure meter, and therefore no top-plate dials. It's clearly a different camera, and I haven't included details because the point of this table is to show the a designation pertains to one specific model.
This Contina II is a completely manual viewfinder camera and was fitted with either an f/3.5 Novar or f/2.8 Novicar Anastigmat 45mm lens with a Prontor SVS shutter. My understanding is that Novar and Novicar were names owned by Zeiss, but the lenses were not actually made by the company. My camera has the faster f/2.8 lens.
The camera has an uncoupled exposure meter. It works like a hand-held; turn the dial to match the needles, and read off the recommended aperture / shutter speed combinations for transfer to the camera lens settings.
A nice feature is that the rewind knob extends away from the camera body as it is turned - making it easier to operate.
One source reports that the camera cost £43 15s 1d new, which would be equivalent to about 3 weeks average UK wages.
Shutter: B, 1, 1/2nd, 1/4th, 1/8th, 1/15th, 1/30th, 1/60th, 1/125th and 1/300th. The shutter can be set at M or X synch. Prontor SVS five-blade leaf shutter.
Cable Release: Standard socket in shutter release button.
Meter: Uncoupled Selenium.
Exposure: Manual, read from meter scale.
Film Speed: From ASA 5 - 640.
Filter Size: 27mm screw in.
Flash: Cold shoe and PC terminal. M and X sync.
Film Advance: Long stroke lever.
Frame Counter: Set manually with auto count-up.
Rewind: Via crank and separate bottom release button.
Same as the 54/2 1938 but serrated round winding knob with leatherette center, black front trim
Double exposure interlock on the winding knob
Model 54/2:
1934-38
Film: 120 roll film
Lens: Goerz Frontar Achromat two elements
Aperture: switchable: f/11, f/16 or f/22
Shutter: single speed 1/25 +B
Focusing: switchable: 1m, 3m+, 8m+
Viewfinder: two built-in brilliant finders, one for vertical, one for horizontal image format
Esta fotografia é do exemplar que possuo. Características
Zeiss Ikon is a German company that was formed in 1926 by the merger of four camera makers (Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann, Goerz and Ica), and an infusion of capital by Zeiss. The company formed one part of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, another part being the optical company Carl Zeiss. Logically, most of the Zeiss Ikon cameras were equipped with Carl Zeiss lenses and the formerly independent companies, in particular Goerz, had to shut down their own lens manufacture. The merged company was also obliged to use Compur shutters for 80% of its cameras. Thus only the simplest cameras could get cheaper shutters like the Klio. Soon AG Hahn für Optik und Mechanik, Kassel, and Goerz Photochemisches Werk GmbH, Berlin, joined the Zeiss Ikon syndicate. The group became one of the big companies in the phototechnical capital Dresden, with plants in Stuttgart and Berlin. Until WWII Zeiss Ikon was the world's market leading maker of 8mm movie cameras.
Contessamat is a series of 35mm film viewfinder / rangefinder cameras manufactured by Zeiss Ikon AG., Stuttgart, former West Germany and produced between 1963-67.
The Contessamat series filled the market niche left by the discontined Contessamatic and Contessa 35 series. The Contessamat SBE was the top of the line in this series. It had a coupled rangefinder, a coupled exposure meter, a 50/2.8 Tessar in Prontormatic shutter and flash contacts on the top, with a flash automation system which can link the aperture setting to the distance setting. The product code was 10.0652, and it was available from 1963-67.
The next step down was the Contessamat STE. But it lacked the flash automation feature and was only sold in 1965 and was product code 10.0656.
SBE is the most sophisticated one of Contessamat series
Produced between 1963-1967
Rangefinder
Lens:Tessar 50mm f/2.8
Shutter: Prontor-Matic 500SL
For flash photography SBE has a a system to couple distance and aperture rings; when focusing the rangefinder the aperture sets simultaneously.
