Ikonta 35 - Contina I

One of the first cameras I was running around with (not really my first but pretty close) was the Zeiss Ikonta 35 Contina I. It started out as Ikonta 35 but was later renamed Contina I and followed by... well not really rocket science the Contina II.

I got this one as a gift from family so I am pretty lucky with this one. Not that it's worth a fortune since a lot of them were produced. But lucky because it takes some very nice photos in a good quality.

A little tech on the one I have: Zeiss model number 522/24, Model 35 manufactured in 1952. The camera is equipped with a 45 mm Novar f3.4 lens and a Prontor-SV shutter.
More info here.

Here is a photo of the set with the camera folded:


And one with the camera ready for action (well if there were film in it):


As you may have noticed the carrying case is the original Zeiss eveready case model number 1213/24 which is very functional and gives instant access to the camera when needed and protects it pretty good.

Another little gem is the Zeiss Ikophot exposure meter. This meter is an early model operating on selenium and as such doesn't require batteries. So it is working as good today as when it was produced. Which btw. is pretty darn good. It matches my newer meter in precision so they sure did something right when engineering it. I am not really sure that my new meter will work at all in 50 years from now.

Some more techi stuff on the Ikonta 35.

The camera is a compact folding camera manufactured by Zeiss Ikon of Stuttgart Germany. It is designed for general amateur photography and snapshot photos. The first Ikonta 35 was manufactured in 1948 and renamed to Contina I in 1953 even though the design didn't change. The Ikonta 35 was made available with a variety of lens and shutter combinations. Other than the Novar f/3.5 found on mine it was also sold with a Xenar f/2.8 and Tessar f/2.8 lenses and either a prontor or compur shutter.

The camera is using standard 35 mm film. I used black and white ilford fp4 with great success. I developed negatives as well as positives and it seems like with this camera my hit rate would increase significantly.
It seems like all photos come out nice and sharp and in the rare occasion of a blurry photo it would be my doing due to camera shake or tilting.

Dimensions:
(D x H x L) are 41 x 72 x 118 mm and it weighs 454 g.

I used a few accessories with the camera. I got the lens hood (Zeiss no 1110) and a yellow filter which is very good for increasing contrast when shooting black and white film.

Going through the features and thinking about how many times I have used the camera in the past kind of makes me want to get a hold of a load of film and start using it again. There is just that something about developing the negatives and going into the darkroom to create the photos. Or maybe it's just the red light and fumes getting to your head ;-).

Comments

Anonymous said…
I use the ikon ikonta 522/24 for a while. In fact, I only use this camera. Here are my photos:
http://flickr.com/photos/notcrumb
I would really like to see pictures taken by someone else.
Pdyrholm said…
notcrumb: Those are great photos. The ikon may be old but still does great. One can make some great shots with it and sometimes I wonder if the modern digital cameras that cost a small fortune will actually last that long.
I unfortunately have no clue as to where I have photos take with this camera and right now everything is in moving boxes...
Unknown said…
Hi Peter, I just saw your blog about the Ikonta 35. A few years ago I got one from a neighbour. I forgot about and just discovered it again. The problem is that it is opened and I can't find a way to close it. Do you you if there is a manual available from this camera?
Thanks, Anne-Marie
Pdyrholm said…
The locking mechanism is on the side and is a sliding mechanism. This can get bent and make it hard to close.
I'm not sure if there is a manual out there somewhere... but there should be.
You could try and snap a picture of the issue and I would be happy to try and help :-)
Anne-Marie said…
Hi Peter, sorry for this late reply, I answered already 2 days ago but it looks like I did something wrong.

Thanks for your advice. I guess I wasn't clear about it. What is open is the lens and I can't find a way to push it into the body and to close the front.

Thanks, Anne-Marie
Pdyrholm said…
on both sides of the lens there are an arm that should bend to allow the lens to go into the body. This may stick a little bit and not bend the right way.
It could also be the black "wings" at the bottom that goes out to the side a bit too much which prevents the door to close/move.
Anne-Marie said…
Thanks a lot Peter. It looks like these black "wings" on the side of the lens are the locking mechanism. If I push the one on the right (facing the lense) I can push the lens in.
Anne-Marie
Sarah E. said…
Hi, just found your blog. I purchased this camera for my husband for christmas. He is the one with all the camera knowledge, and I am trying to surprise him so I can't ask him for help. You mentioned a type of film you used, but when I look for that it comes in all different sizes. Could you point me in the right direction? Thank you
Pdyrholm said…
If it's the same model as here you will need standard 35 mm film. When I do find the time I get the bulk film and roll up film myself. Many places online have film ready for use.
Pdyrholm said…
I have used freestyle photographic supplier. They have great choices and prices :-)
Sarah E. said…
Great, thanks for your help!
Anonymous said…
Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me the approximate value of this camera and case. Found it at a garage sale for $5 and it looks exactly like the picture above. I have not checked to see if it still works, but it seems to be in great condition.

Popular posts from this blog

Spartus Vanguard