zeiss Ikonta 520/15

I have just received as a gift this beauty Zeiss Ikonta 520/15. The

shutter is broken. My friend that ows a repairing cameras shop he

said he will try his best. Though I heard that is very to find this

format 6 1/2 X 11. I would be very happy to have some advices on how

this camera works or other details. Thank you very much.

Your camera, takes eight 4 1/4 x 2 /12 size pictures on a 116 roll film. The lens must be a 120mm Novar (f6.3, f4.5) or the most expensive Tessar(f4.5 only). They were made with only one window or double on the back. The latter, using a mask at the film gate takes 16 divided pictures 2 1/2 x 2 1/8. Three types of shutter: Derval, Telma, and Compur Normal # 0

Don'tcha be getting rid of that camera. J&C is supposedly going to handle B&W 116 film next year.

 

Of course if you have a Novar lens with a Derval shutter, it might do best sitting on the shelf. I have a 515/2 6x9 that takes absolutely the worst pictures of any camera in my fleet.

 

If you have a Tessar with a Compur shutter, you probably have a real gem.

 

tim in san jose

There are many different opinions about the Novar lenses. I recently bought two 6x4.5 folders, one with a pre-war Xenar and one with a pre-war Novar lens. The Xenar offered 1/2 stop more (f/3.5 vs. f/4.5) but this was useless - it was much softer in the edges than the Novar wide-open. At f/4 it performed similar to the Novar at f/4.5. (Both were re-adjusted and quite sharp in the center, but the sharpness droop of the Xenar was more drastical than that of the Novar.)

 

Many of the older folder cameras need a realignment of the lens (and sometimes of the standard, too). Usually you'll have to take apart the lens to clean it (I haven't seen any pre-war lens without any haze or fungus yet), this is a good opportunity to check their adjustment.

Thank you very much for your answers. My friend fixed the camera and yesterday we took a 120 roll and shoot some pics. The lens are Novar 1:6.3 and the shutter is Telma. Actually the camera came with some kind of adapters and I can shoot 120 films. I am no sure about the quality of the pictures but having the cosmetics done the camera is a beauty! ... My friend told me that the camera is worth arround 350-450 USD. As I am short of money do you think would be a good deal to trade it for a Nikon FM2? ... Just asking<div></div>

The photo is NOT a super Ikonta A. The lens is 120mm Novar. The Super Ikonta A has a 75mm Tessar (in some cases Novar of Schneider Xenar) but never in a Telma shutter. The super ikontas all used compur shutters regardless of lens. The 120 mm lens is correct for the D cameras which used 116 or 616 film (Ikonta D's were made for both films which are identical in size but used different spools). There is no evidence of a rangefinder (the small window to the upper right of the lens is the "brilliant finder" used on the ikontas but not super ikontas. I own all versions of the Super Ikontas and Ikontas and the camera shown is clearly an Ikonta D. With the cheaper lens and shutter, the value is in the $50 range at best.

 

Ron Gratz

<p>I own such Ikonta 520/15 with Telma shutter and Novar anastigmat f6.3 lens.<br>

I just clean the back element of the lens both sides, i open the shutter and clean the glass element behind the shutter and of course the front lens element.<br>

I don't know how this lens is built, neither the procedure to remove the from element and putting it back without misaligning the lens, if someone can explain me how to do it.<br>

I took some pictures with this camera, using provia 100F 120 film, the image in the center is very sharp, the color rendition very good, howwhever the image at the far left of the image (over aproximatly 1.5 cm from the edge toward the center) and the far right is less sharp, showing like a "moved" picture, the image seems "duplicated" not only lacking of sharpness.<br>

I use the camera on a tripod.<br>

It seems this pb is attenuated stopping the the lens, but in day light it's not easy to stop down beyond f22 with the only 1/25, 1/50 1/ 100 shutter.<br>

I will try to do a double exposure at 1/25 and stop down to f32<br>

I don't know if this is the original behavior of the lense, or if it need some slight adjustment.<br>

Using 120 film the size of the exact size of the mage is 58x107mm the center (so 58x75mm) is amazing good.<br>

C.Lopes</p>

<p> </p>