Zeiss Nettar 515

I recently found a Zeiss Nettar 515 at a flea market in Germany. The

lens was grimy, but I know a resourceful and reliable repairman, so I

bought the camera. It just came back--the lens is clean, the shutter

is clean, and it seems to be working exceptionally well. A few rolls

of film will go through it this weekend.

 

Questions: If this camera is indeed in working order, how much is it

worth? How can I learn more about the camera (i.e. resources online

about the Nettar)? Is anyone else still using this type of camera?

 

Thanks in advance,

<p>Try <a href="http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/zeissnettar.html">http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/zeissnettar.html</a>.</p>

 

<p>Google'ing will find many more.</p>

A few years ago, I picked up a 515 at a garage sale for 5 bucks. It has the Nettar anastigmat f/4.5 7.5 cm lens with the Kilo Shutter. My model has two ruby windows for 6x4.5 format.It was in fairly good shape, but the shutter was sluggish on the slower speeds, but it loosened up with exercise. I researched the camera, and had a hard time finding my EXACT model listed, as there are so many variations. In any event, they are not too dear, and they ranged from 15 to 40 bucks if in top condition and appearance.

Dan,

 

According to my book, Zeiss-Ikon produced the Nettar as a lower-priced alternative to its Ikonta and Super Ikonta. Judging from the number that are offered online, it appears that Zeiss-Ikon sold quite a few of them.

 

The Nettar is a well-made camera, as are most of Zeiss-Ikon cameras. They first appeared on the market in 1934, and manufacturing continued through 1939.

 

These cameras came with a Nettar Anastigmat lens in a Telma or Derval shutter, although Zeiss-Ikon also fitted some Nettars with a Tessar mated to a Compur shutter.

 

Post-WWII, the Nettar I and II and Signal Nettar were available from 1941-1957 and only with Novar lenses in a Pronto® or Vario shutter.

 

The Tessar-equipped Nettar will bring more money than the Novar. There were several models. Is your camera a 6x6 (square image)? Or is it 6x4.5 or 6x9?

 

Most of the Nettars seem to be worth between $25-$75. As with most cameras, the overall condition of the camera is a big factor in its value.

 

Yahoo operates a Zeiss-Ikon user group. You probably can get in touch with some Nettar users there.

... actually, I meant to say that there is a Zeiss-Ikon Users Group on Yahoo. Yahoo doesn't really operate the group ...

I bought a 520 Ikonta with the 75/4.5 Novar-Anastigmat / Prontor shutter and used it a bit until the aperture blades got stuck. It is very similar to a Nettar and a very nice and pocketable cameras. The lens is astonishingly good and the cameras can be had quite cheap ($10-40 depending on condition). A CLA is usually more than the price for a used camera, but the camera is really operable afterwards and to many people this is worth an additional $30 for a repair - something I keep thinking about as well. I like to take them hiking when my Rolleiflex is just to bulky.

I'd say it's worth close to nothing in monetary value, because with a little patience, that's what you can get it for. But old folders are nice to put film in and <A HREF="http://www.wind.dk/photographs/gallerypage/weirdequipment/Y02M0709P12ZeissIkon">make pictures</A> with, so good luck with it <CODE>:)</CODE>

Hello All,

<P>

Before I can give a good estimate of what the value is, I will have to know what lens and shutter it has. I am also very interested in what you paid to have it CLAed?

 

Mark

Thanks to all of you for your responses. The camera came back

from the repair shop yesterday and now all shutter speeds work

correctly (they timed the shutter as they cleeaned it. All lens

elements are now clean, but now I can see that these are

uncoated elements and thus very susceptible to damage.

 

I have not yet run a roll through the camera, but will do so very

soon.

 

I live in Cairo, Egypt, and they claim that you can get nearly

anythin fixed here. The fact is that I know a camera repairman

who probably CAN fix anything as not as it's not too reliant on

electronics for its operation. Leaf shutters, mechanical bodies,

and basic prime lenses are all within his grasp. So when I

showed him the Nettar he gave me a thumbs-up.

 

The total repair cost came to 200 Egyptian Pounds, which is

currently around $32. Probably more than the camera is worth,

but I'll get plenty of enjoyment out of it, I hope!

$32 is an excellent deal, the camera is well worth it. <P>

"Uncoated lenses are more suceptable to damage" this is exactly the opposite of what is true. Coatings are soft and can be damaged easily, whereas the uncoated lens can be cleaned with little care since the glass is quite hard. <P>

I would try shooting some color pint or slide film with this camera since the uncoated optics will give briliant full spectrun color.

Let me just add that I got a Nettar 515/2 (6x9) out of ebay.de for 16 euro in June, 2003. Which seems quite a bit of luck, as it is fitted with a f/3.5 f=105 Nettar Anastigmat in a Compur rapid shutter (T/B/1-1/400 s). These go up to thirty or forty euro normally.

Being sold by a professional shop in northern Germany, the thing turned out to be ok, lens is clean, bellows tight and both stops and shutter work fine. I ran several rolls of b/w film through, from Ilford xp2 super (for chromogenic C41 convenience) over Classic-Pan to Efke R 25, using intuition (sunny f/16...) or old Selen lightmeter and even did some night shots of Hannover Radio Tower at guessed exposure - negatives came out fine and sharp. The only thing that absolutely didn't work was shooting (the beautiful poppy-lined fields around Hannover) against bright sunlight at sunset, obviously due to the uncoated lens - but given the fact that automatic cameras nowadays don't manage this either, it seems an acceptable drawback!

Generally, 400 ASA sensitivity worked best (which is not the way these cameras were used normally, although Zeiss offered a 24/10° DIN=ASA 200 b/w film in the nineteen-forties); it allowed for use in the middle f/5.6-11 range in which the lens works at its sharpest performance. This holds true especially for use with filters in yellow, red, and blue (about 5 euro each, either at ebay or at Photo-Grandé, Berlin).

As far as I have understood, pre-war Nettars were equipped with either Zeiss, Klio, Telma, Compur or Compur rapid shutters, and lenses ranged from three-element nettar f=6.3 over novar up to four element tessar at f=3.5 or 4.5.

The model numbers refer to the body before the slash, and to exposure size after the slash, i.e. 515 for the Nettar body; without slash meant 4.5x6, /16 indicated 6x6, /2 stood for 6x9. So your camera should be a 4.5x6 which allows for 16 exposures on 120 roll film - that about makes me envious, I have to change every 8 exposures! - The number system holds true for the Ikontas as well.

Generally, the internet seems to be the best ressource for information about the Nettars. It's hard to find anything in camera shops or book stores, no wonder after some 65 years.

For fans of the German Language, I recommend a book by Hans Windisch, "Die neue Foto-Schule", Heering, Bad Harzburg 1938, dealing with all the aspects of photography at that time, in a fairly modern and international tone between the lines that might have been quite irritating for the autorities.