Zeiss-Ikon Ikonta 521 model ID?

<p>Found a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521 in old stuff my Dad had. It takes 120 film, and it appears to shoot a 6x4.5cm image. If you hold the camera horizontally, with the reel ends in each hand, you get a 4.5cm wide by 6 cm tall image.</p>

<p>Photos are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48784406@N03/sets/72157624184630804/">HERE</a>.</p>

<p>It has a "Novar-Anastigmat" f/3.5 75mm lens, with a Prontor-S shutter. Speed selections range from "B" to 1/300, and aperture from 3.5 to 32. It has a PC connector, and two selections, apparently for the PC sync, one with an orange/red dot, the other with a yellow dot. There is also a lever with two settings: M and F. This stays normally in the F position, and if moved to M, when the shutter is fired, it moves back to F.</p>

<p>It basically looks to be in good shape, the shutter fires seemingly OK to about 1/50th. Slower than that, and it hangs open. The bellows seem OK, but only film will really tell that tale.</p>

<p>So anyway, I see all sorts of models for the Ikonta 521 on the 'net. I can't seem to positively identify mine, however. I see "16", "A", "B", etc, but none that look precisely like this one.</p>

<p>Any help or tips on working with this camera would be helpful. And any tips on films to try would also be great!</p>

<p>(sorry - first version said "520" in the title...)</p>

<p>Hi Larry Your Ikonta is in beautiful condition! This is a post war model 521/16. Start out with a 120 rollfilm of 100 ASA, Plus X or T-max or HP-5 or whatever you can get locally. as you can tell your shutter will be lagging, so try to guesstimate a little smaller aperture to compensate for a longer exposure. Bracket the same composition and write down your notes. this will help you evaluate the performance. Use a piece of frosted acetate or tape placed across the film gate (frosted side toward the lens), you can use this as a groundglass to see if the actual focus point agrees with the scale on the perimeter of the lens. Take some scans of your negatives and post them here, we would like to see your results. If you should ever tire of this, I would be honored to give this Ikonta a new home.</p>

<p>Paul,</p>

<p>Many thanks. In looking around the 'net, I also see that my camera may be described as an Ikonta "A" 521? From what I see the "A" designates the 6x4.5 frame, vs "B" for 6x6 & others...</p>

<p>What does the /16 indicate? Also, is there any online list for the serial numbers? </p>

<p>Will try out some film soon.</p>

<p>Larry I have two "netters" 515/16 which is a 6x6 and my 515 is a 4.5 You can go to butkus.com and look up zeiss netter also camerapedia.check the slow shutter speeds.Some times they are sticky.also look @ the glass for trash and fungus. my 515 has fuzz between the glass and showed in the roll of pics I shot so its just a wall hanger now,but my 515/16 is fine.</p>

Lucky You..that looks like a real winner! Please do as Paul mentioned.. that what we do here besides help each other!

Here's a list I know of that might help in the overview.. as you've learned already what "A" designates but this was only in the US ..I think! See http://www.wctatel.net/web/crye/z-i120.htm. I don't know the link but I think there's a Zeiss Historical society on-line that provides serial number/year built. Look for Zeiss Historical blah-blah! I have a pre-war model that's still barely in usable condition. I find my self getting landscape and porttrait confused when trying to frame a picture.

I also noted a tendency for less than horitzonal results... my arms are crooked or my internal parallax compensation is broken on one side... Still wonderful cameras capable of great results!<div></div>

<p>These are great little cameras. You get a 6 x 4.5 cm image from a 120 film camera which is no larger than many 35mm folding cameras of the same time period. Here's one from my 521/16.<br>

Chinatown, Chicago 2007.<br>

<img src="http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00W/00WYmw-247667584.JPG" alt="" /> </p>

<p>Larry, try this list: http://www.wctatel.net/web/crye/z-i120.htm#B<br>

These are wonderful little cameras. Loading film is cumbersome - at least for me - but other than that they are easy to operate. I have a pre-war 520/16 "B" (6x6) and a post-war 521/16 "B" which looks just like yours.<br>

Remember this simple trick. Always wind a new frame the last thing before pushing the shutter knob. You see, when you open up the camera the negative pressure sometimes sucks the film level convex and you loose sharpness.</p>

<p>I have a 521 also. It has the f/6.5 Novar lens and Klio shutter. Your lens and shutter combo are near top of the line for that camera. Only the Zeiss Tessar would be better, but the Novar is outstanding in its own way too.</p>

<p>A lot of Ziess models were suffixed by a number which denoted frame size, as in the 2 links mentioned above.<br>

The 6x4.5 was an exception for some reason. It was an A model but often not marked as such.<br>

I'd be interested to see a complete list. There is /2 for 6x9, /16 for 6x6, and /18 for 127.</p>

<p>Well, I shot a roll of 100TMAX last week. I have to get my kit ready to do the processing at home, and then I'll scan & post the results.</p>

<p>I took the advice of winding before taking the shot to avoid the film going convex. I still need to get used to advancing this film. I totally blew by the first frame, and getting the number centered so frames don't overlap (and give the scanner fits...) will take some practice.</p>

<p>I was shooting with it alongside my Minolta X-570, but I tried to use the "sunny 16" rule for exposures.</p>

<p>I can't wait to see the results!</p>

<p>I need help on making decision. I have both Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521 and Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521/16 with Tessa lens. Both are in good shape and working. I love taking photo with them but they are pretty much a like. I want to sale one and get money for other camera. I dont' know which one I should keep. If anybody has experience on this cameras please give me some opinion :-). Thanks<br>

Here is my Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521/16 <br>