Taxona - 2. Teil

<h1>Taxona - noch einmal</h1>

<p><br /><br />It's not that I don't have a number of cameras that I haven't posted on before, but one thing or another has led me back to classics that I like.<br /><br />I had previously (2008) posted a brief account of the Taxona ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00R6tH ) but hadn't yet reached the present "form" of my reporting. Just the other day I posted this one in a "Someday" post here on CMC, and that was what stimulated me to go out with it this last weekend.<br /><br />So.<br />Here is the 1952-3 VEB Zeiss Ikon Taxona<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>First, some background on the camera. <br /><br />It was an East German-made camera which was originally a continuation of the pre-WWII Tenax I camera of 1939 ( http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Tenax_I [i suspect that the picture on the Wikipedia entry under Tenax I - with a built in viewfinder rather than one that folds up - is actually a later Taxona] ).<br /><br />In turn, that one was introduced after the Tenax II ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenax_II ), a much more sophisticated camera with a rangefinder and interchangeable lenses, but also using a 24x24mm image size.<br /><br />Both versions of the Tenax were apparently originally designed by the legendary Hubert Nerwin of Zeiss.<br /><br />In 1953, according to Camerapedia, the built-in viewfinder shown here was introduced by VEB Zeiss Ikon. Kadlubeks Kamera-Katalog suggests 1952.<br />Here is an East German catalog listing (<em>Reiche Auswahl</em>) from around 1956.</p><div></div>

<p>The rough meaning of the German text (so's not to trouble certain helpful others) is that</p>

<blockquote>

<p>This is one of the smallest and quickest 35mm cameras. It has a push-lever advance "ruck-zuck" that allows quick photo series. The short focal length means great depth of field. With a normal roll of film, you get 50 snaps. The viewfinder is built in, as is flash synchronization. <br />It comes with two lenses, <br />the Novonar 35mm f/3,5 and the <br />Zeiss Tessar 37,5mm f/3,5 - <br />both with a Tempor shutter 1-1/100 sec. and B.</p>

</blockquote>

<p><br />It is listed in Kadlubeks Kamera-Katalog as ZIK5471 with either lens.<br /><br />The renaming, as was often the case in the East/West Divide, was almost certainly a by-product of the conflict over trademarks between Zeiss Ikon in Stuttgart and Zeiss Ikon in the newly established Deutsche Demokratishes Republik (DDR, known in the West as the Sowjetische Besatzungs-Zone Deutschlands). Since VEB Zeiss Ikon wanted to sell in the West generally, and even in the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD, was it also known in the East as the Amerikanische Besatzungs-Zone Deutschlands? ? ;), they went along and rebranded many of their cameras and lenses, even though for a time they did keep many older names in the East.<br /><br />Here is the logo, combined with the Ernemann Tower logo used in the DDR right through into the VEB Pentacon days [ the Ernemann Tower ( http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Ernemann )] pressed into the back of the Taxona:</p><div></div>

<p>It's a very nice little camera to shoot. If it weren't for the extra work in getting scans out of the odd format, I'd shoot it far more often than I do. Scale focusing isn't always easy but the short focal length and fast films give a lot of depth of field.<br />Where did I choose to take this offspring of the 50s to photograph?<br /><br />Why, to the <br /><br /></p>

<h2>Vulture Fest</h2>

<p><br /><br />In the early 1960s, the Carbondale (and SIU) area was an entrepôt for a wide-spread trade in certain recreational substances. <br /> <br />Moreover, like so many of us, the Illinoisan Glacier got as far as Carbondale and stopped moving. The result is that much of Southern Illinois is unglaciated hilly country with many isolated glens and dales. Given the cheapness of land and housing, many groups seeking communal regeneration of society as well as commercial activities in small-scale horticulture settled in these isolated areas. <br /><br />Many of them are still here today, engaging in productive craftwork like beads, jewelry, tie-dye articles, and the like. It, like some Native American groups in the Wabash Valley nearby, is a sort of unofficial "reservation".<br /><br />Of course, they have aged (at least the lucky ones). But once a year, the small town of Makanda, once a thriving shipment point for fruit for Chicago on the IC RR, has a Vulture Fest celebrating the return of migratory scavengers to the area--the birds that is.<br /><br />In this last weekend, I had already been respectively to the Threshermans' fall meeting at Pinkneyville (north on the till plain) and the fall encampment of the "French and Indian War" re-enactors at Fort Massac. So when Sunday dawned bright and cool, I loaded my Taxona with Fujicolor 200 and drove south down Springer's Ridge Road to Makanda.<br /><br />The last time I used this camera, I still had my Canoscan 9950F scanner up and running, but this time, I had a newer Canoscan 9000. Somehow, things worked out better with the older machine. I need to dig it out and use it more. The new scanner does do better at platen scans, and is much faster, however.<br /><br />As you can imagine, scanning 24x24mm images is not easy, since the scanners are set up for 24x36mm. This time, I just ended up scanning in a whole strip of 8 or so at a time at 2400 ppi, and then breaking them down in Photoshop. <br /><br />So here are grey hippies (nowadays more like Gandalf than Frodo), and their art, fair and such.<br /><br />The scene draws in a big crowd, here is the glen itself with parking. Note that there is almost no foliage color change this year at the end of October.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Many nearly lost arts are still practiced hereabouts.</p><div></div>

<p>Here, inside one of the buildings, is an indigenous metal workshop:</p><div></div>

<p>So's no one would be disappointed here are the vultures.<br>

<br />Like many other migratory avifauna their normal arrival has become much delayed year-by-year. So the wildlife rescue people brought these.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>There was a band playing the music of the 50s to the 1970s, but I think not a single member of the band would have been born at the time, but this is part of their aural tradition, passed down across the generations.</p>

<p>[Do you miss the 60 and 70 years yourself? I personally missed some of them.]<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Finally, the main downtown of Makanda, the famous "boardwalk".</p><div></div>

<p>It was plenty fun, although all I got out of it was a very decent BBQ sandwich, and these pictures. I think the general fuzziness here is a fault with the scanner, not the lens.<br /><br />Is it "re-enactment" when you were there in person the first time round?<br />As Marx said (18th Brumaire), "all history repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce."</p>

<p>Born in 49 I was a little too young for the early 60's to have much influence on me. Grew up in the Ohio valley area next door in Indiana. Never a rebel or much of a risk taker I avoided all of the drug scene so it's hard to relate to some of my peers life experience. Neat history lesson though. Hope you can sort out the scanner issues. </p>

<p>Interestingly my father in law lives on an island in the waterway between Vancouver island and the Canadian mainland. Hornby island has quite a few American expats living there, some from the 60's who moved north to Canada. A lot of them have become artist's with pottery one of the main expressions. Unfortunatly ever rising land prices, and the taxes to go with them along with expensive BC Ferries service is eroding their once simple lifestyle. </p>

<p>It's an interesting little camera. Too bad they didn't build it so it also had a waist level finder.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>This is the smallest and the fastest among the 35mm cameras since with pressing the advance lever the film is advanced and the shutter is cocked (remember that advance levers were hard to find back then WB). Cock it and shoot - so you can make candid photos as well as serial photos with the Taxona in next-to-no-time. Due to the short focal length there is a wide depth of field which yields razor-sharp images. On a film length of 1,60m (roughly 5 feet) it is possible to make 50 shots. The viewfinder is integrated in the top cover. The number of shots can be seen on the film counter. An adaptor for a cable release is available. A sync contact is integrated. </p>

Wonderful history lesson, JDM. As you know, I was an Air Force Gypsy for 22 years and got to live in many climes. I

had two 2-year tours at. Scott AFB, opposite St. Louis, but didn't venture south of there, much to my current regret. I was

born in 1936, which I now feel was exquisite timing. I got to experience the US at its peak, and now regret its seemingly

irreversible decline.

 

My wife rules the roost on TV, but on Wednesdays, sometimes allow me to show a blast from the past. Tonight, we

viewed "Annie, Get Your Gun", starring Betty Hutton and the always wonderful Howard Keel, in a film made in 1950.

Your post matched our theme very well.

 

Thank You.

<p>Great dissertation, <strong>JDM</strong>, on a camera I previously knew very little about. The later Agimatic worked on a similar principle, combining film advance, shutter cocking and release in the same lever. I find the square format rather refreshing; it seems to open up a whole new realm of possible compositions. Nice choice of subject matter; we have frequent "alternative lifestyle" festivals down here in NZ and everything, including the people, look much the same. I don't know about the "barbecue sandwich", though; it's more likely to be something challenging made from chick peas.</p>

<p>There were non-meat foods available too, of course, but BBQ is close to a way of life here.<br>

As I said, I felt right at home. At least a few of these people were students of mine in the day.</p>

<p>Thanks, Winfried, for the improved translation.</p>

<p>Wow JDM, you guy's have everything...Vultures and Hippies! One would imagine that meat would de riguer at a Buzzard, er, Vulture festival.<br>

That camera looks really neat, and as Rick has said, quite unusual in the Antipodes. I too, like the square format so I must look out for one of these. I do have one of the early Agfa Karats in square format, but it is quite deceased so a Taxona or even an early Robot would be nice!</p>

I know of this beast but not too interested in the format. The Tenax was supposed to have been the kickoff for serious square format . The Taxona seems a bit like the Volswagen version in comparison to the spiffy Tenax with RF and cool lenses. It's features are true to boast. They are not hard to come by buy..umm by here.. mmmhh

The festival seems like fun with dancing amn Hiippie art ...and you're sure the BBQ isn'T the Vultures leftovers??

<p>Hi, just joined the group.<br>

I had a Tenax with a Tessar lens in the 1950s. I have recently acquired a very similar camera, in fact it is identical except for the name Taxona. it is in remarkable condition seeing it was made in 1954 (Zeiss gave me the date of the Tessar lens) Without a film in the camera the film advance and shutter cocking and release worked OK. The Advance lever was a bit stiff but it did what is was supposed to do. But with the film loaded there was a problem. the Advance lever became harder and harder to use and now the advance lever is stuck almost at the end of its travel and will not move up or down.<br>

Do you, or anyone you know, have a remedy that I can try to free up this problem?<br>

I still have a few colour slides taken in Venice in 1957!</p>