zeiss ikonta C , or not?

I have just been given a zeiss ikonta folding MF camera by a charity

shop to give them an idea as to its worth. It is in fair condition

cosmetically, nothing a cood clean would not sort out, but the

important bits are pretty good I'd say.

Not knowing anything about these cameras I did some research and am

now even more perplexed. Here's the spec that I have gleaned from the

camera:

Zeiss Ikonta with a Tessar 3.5 105mm opton lens [817734] set in a

Synchro compur mx shutter unit [7627172]. everything seems to work,

and I believe the lens to be free of nasties.

 

Now the confusing bit. Following your excellent links I would

conclude that this is a Super Ikonta C MX. however all the photos I

have seen of this show it as a rangefinder and it certainly is not

that.

 

Can someone out there pin this down for me, and provide some pointers

as to it's usefulness, value, desirability, age and so on.

 

tony

If it is not a rangefinder, what is it? Anyone else hear about non-rangefinder models of this type?

The model number is usually stamped into the back of the camera (for example 531/2 would be a 1937 and later model Super Ikonta C). The MX and SynchroCompur shutter would indicate a 1950's manufacture date and the cameras were discontinued in 1955 so that narrows it down a bit.

Oh! Do you mean that there is no coupled rangefinder to aid focussing? In that case it must be a "guess focussing" variety. 105mm means its a 6x9 format camera. I can't imagine how a camera which is new enough to use an "Opton" does not have a coupled rangefinder! Also you mention "Tessar" AND "Opton" regarding the lens. Usually it would just say "Zeiss Opton" and nothing about "Tessar". The aperture of 3.5 ties up with that. If that was true, recent e-bay deals would indicate a value in the $300-400 range.

 

Cheers

OK an update: I found a number, that I had'nt noticed before, doh. 523/2.

 

And yes it is a Tessar-Zeiss-Opton lens

 

tony

Zeiss-Opton only refers to the place of manufacturing: the Zeiss works in Oberkochen/West Germany which starts after WWII. This makes shure that the lens is coated. The lens name Tessar is independent from where it comes: Jena or Oberkochen. Obvious, Oberkochen lens are worth more, regardless of the qulity in reality. The lens could have been swabbed to an older body: this is very unlikely but can happen. Look at the body, if marked Germany (West) it is Post-War and fits to the lens.

The Ikonta series came three ways: without rangefinder focus, and with a rangefinder but not coupled, and with a coupled-to-lens-focus rangefinder (these were the super ikontas). To me, these better quality old folders are fun for doing landscapes, but are clumsy to operate for any kind of quick shooting (like candid portraits). The finders are awful compared to any modern cameras. They do best at infinity setting--that is IF they are still in calibration (a big IF I might add) and if the front end is still rigid and in line with the film plane. And if the lens is free of fog, fungus, seperation, and if the bellows don't have any pin holes...well, you get the point. They are now very old cameras.

Tony

 

It IS an Ikonta C of the later type. Not a Super Ikonta.

 

It is all described in McKeown's. No question about it.

 

Jerry

The "Camera Quest" website has a page on the

Super Ikonta C

As folders go, it's at the higher end of desirability and utility. If you troll ebay with it - maybe $150. The only reason I mention them is that, given some abberation, it's easier to find the right group of buyers to escalate the price rather than let the camera sit in a small (my assumption) shop and go stale.

Generally, the Super Ikonta C cameras that have the coated Zeiss-Opton Tessars fetch a very high price, starting at $250 and running up to $450, depending on the condition of the body.

 

Because this is the zone-focus Ikonta C (rather than the Super Ikonta with coupled rangefinder), you won't get quite as much -- possibly $75 to $100 less.

 

Provided that the camera hasn't been damaged and the struts lock into position, it should take excellent photos. The Tessar was/is a great lens.

 

I can't recall the exact age of this camera, but the Zeiss-Opton lens means that it's post-World War II. I think Zeiss-Ikon pulled its folding camera off the market in the late 1950s, so it's probably about 50 years old -- give or take seven years.

 

By the way, when you open the camera, ease the lens bed into position. This will help prevent the bellows from snapping too much.

 

These still take wonderful photos, although it's certainly a niche market, as far as users.