Zeiss Ikon Contessa pics

<p>Here are some pics I took yesterday with my 55 yr old Zeiss Ikon Contessa. I just scanned the pics, and just did some cropping. No other adjustment. I used Kodak 400UC film. </p>

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<p>My son</p><div></div>

<p>My daughter</p><div></div>

<p>Wow, these are great! I just got a Contessa, and I still have the first test roll in it. I hope the lens is as good as yours.</p>

<p>The camera rocks. Very nice IQ. My meter quit working, so I just use the f/16 rule. You will enjoy it for sure. Really nice with BW film. </p>

<p>Great pics Joe, contessa is a great camera. Had a couple slip through my fingers. Will keep at it until I get one. Regards</p>

I absolutely love my dad's Contessa. It will compete against anything I own. I carry one with me almost everywhere and they are a total joy to use. Thanks for posting!

 

A question for all you users though... I'm getting old enough my memory is going. How do YOU remember whether the camera is cocked and ready for a shot, or uncocked, unfired, whatever? I think I shoot and leave it uncocked and unwound. What's YOUR strategy for not double exposing?

<p>Lovely Pics, Joe. Nothing like snow to create a clean and natural high-key look, and that's a great lens. I'm watching a Contessa at the moment on our local auction, but they generally go for bigger money that I'm prepared to spend. Perhaps I'll get lucky...</p>

<p>Nice Photos.. Beautiful Children, Snow is such fun. This is one of my first classics. I bought mine circa<br>

1989 in Stuttgart. It wasn't especially cheap (135,00DM) I thought, because it was used, I could haggle a bit. I couldn't speak German and when I offered a lower price I was reminded " but the marked price is.. " I bought it anyway and never regretted it. Lately I've noticed a tendency towards the end of the/a roll.The film seems to disengage from gear at the top that cocks the shutter. Then of course the shutter can't fire. I love the clockwork feel and I do have the ready case with the winder. Mine is not optically ideal with some of the name Contessa wearing off, the meter seems to work correctly but I've always been unsure how to read that scale. Back then I wasn't even sure how to use the flip up meter, was it just for low-light etc? I found this a really fine camera to shoot slides. I recently pushed through some 125 B&W very crisp highlights. Wonderful little lens! This one is a keeper. One for my heirs!</p>

<p>I'm trying to revive an Contina (Ikonta 35) with a 45mm Opton Tessar. The lens appears to be in good condition but there are problems with the Synchro Compur shutter. Your pictures encourage me to follow through with this project.</p>

<p>Great clear sharp shots. I have a Contina with a Zeiss Tessar 45 lens that I've never tried. Maybe it's time I did that.</p>

<p>I love the pics too. I have two Contina IIa's and they are great favorites of mine. Absurdly well engineered.</p>

<p>Good exposures and composition. Snow is a tough shooting condition as it can easily fool your meter and the people end up too dark. Using you brain and "Snowy 16" probably was the best thing. IN my opinion German lenses render the best skin tones of any lens. And did I read Kodak no longer makes UC400? That's a shame if true. Just bought two over priced rolls from my local camera shop this weekend.</p>

<p>They no longer make it in 120.<br>

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"And did I read Kodak no longer makes UC400?"</p>

<p>Correct, UC400 is going, suggested replacement is Portra 400VC.<br>

UC100 is also going, suggest replacement is the new Ektar 100, which is impressive film.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone. It is a delight to use. I am happy to share.<br>

To answer some questions:<br>

-I leave the camera advanced, but the shutter not cocked, unless I know I may take a quick pic.<br>

-You put the meter lid up to measure low light, and then you use the black scale. <br>

-My dad bought this one in 1953 in Seoul Korea for $83 brand new. <br>

-He did have the case for it too, but it fell apart after years of use. <br>

-Walmart was clearancing the UC 400 a few years ago, so i bought as much as I could afford at different stores. <br>

-I own a couple of Canon A models, a T90, Canon 40D, and this Zeiss. I agree, it is a beauty to use and so simple to operate. <br>

I will try and run some BW thru it now it is winter. Gene has inspired me to take some shots in BW with it, I will post as I do.<br>

Thanks for the comments again.</p>

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<p>Joe, those are <em>really</em> nice pictures. It looks like that Contessa lens is certainly a nice one and renders great color and sharpness. I would like to own a Contessa but like Rick, I'm not prepared to fork out the money required at the end of every auction I've watched. I'm sure that sometime soon I'll bite the bullet and get one anyway, and these pictures have inspired me more to do so.</p>

<p>Michael,<br>

The contessa has a double exposure prevention interlock. If you shoot, but don't wind the film on, you cannot fire the shutter again. This is even though you can cock the shutter through its own little cocking lever. The clever German engineers thought of everything for you in this little wonder camera.</p>