Old Ikonta Camera Repair

[NMGPhotos]

Hello!

I recently bought an Ikonta camera at a local flea market. However, the lens appears to be stuck folded outwards and will not fold inwards. Looking closely, the lens also appears to be internally cracked, which could indicated that it had been dropped previously. On the case, it is marked Z72996 (which I assume is the serial number) as well as 522/24. The latter, I have had more luck with in looking up the camera, however, the lens assembly appears different than many others.

This eBay listing looks the most like the one I have: https://www.ebay.com/itm/123118901975

Given that it will not fold closed, it's likely damaged. I am wondering if it is worth it trying to get it repaired, or if it's a lost cause.

Edited November 27, 2022 by NMGPhotos

[Dustin McAmera]

Pictures of the lens and the folding struts would help us advise.

522/24 is the model number. Later versions are called Contina.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Contina

According to Camera-wiki, it will have had a Tessar, a Xenar, or a Novar Anastigmat when it was made. None of these are hard to replace, though capable of taking good photos, especially the Tessar and Xenar. If they need you to pay someone for repair, it would be a labour of love, I think; that is, it would cost you more than buying another camera.

'Internally cracked' sounds bad. If any glass were to actually break, I would expect it to be the element exposed at the front. Might what you have be separation of two cemented elements (with the Xenar or Tessar)? Correcting that is tricky, but I have read people on the web who did it. I don't know if anyone does that commercially.

I'd verify that the shutter works; you can cock it and release it; before getting into any repairs on the struts.

Dropping the camera, or forcing it to close when it's not properly aligned, can screw up the struts so they'll never work properly again. First though, be sure you're trying to fold it right. I think you need to push the lens/shutter unit into the camera body a little, before it will let the door fold up. That's how my Super Dollina II shuts (different maker and years later, but a similar strut mechanism).

Otherwise, look on the side of the lens/shutter unit, where the studs on the ends of the struts slide in a slot; are they binding there? Maybe you can free them, add a tinyy bit of grease or just run over the surfaces with a soft pencil as a lubricant.

Also look at the joint where the struts cross; does that look like it's stuck; dirty, corroded? Maybe you can clean and lubricate it.

Also look at the hinge of the folding front door; That could be dirty or corroded. Add a little oil or grease, and try to work it free, and wipe away any rust and dirt as you go.

Good luck!

[NMGPhotos]

Here is a picture of the camera. If you look closely you can see what looks like a spider-web-like crack in the lens. Looks like a piece of hair, but is likely a crack. Will send pictures of the hinges and such in a bit.

[NMGPhotos]

Regarding the shutter, it does appear to work under some circumstances I have difficulty replicating. There is no film in the camera, but I can turn the wheels and such and then sometimes, when I try the shutter, it will work. Other times it just locks up. I've discovered that red leaver near the bottom is for the shutter timing.

[NMGPhotos]

It looks like one of the hinges on the door might be a bit rusted, but I'm not sure if that's what's causing the entire assembly to not close properly.

[Dustin McAmera]

There's a manual for the Contina at Mike Butks's site:

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_contina/zeiss_ikon_contina.htm

It seems you should press the two black plates at the sides of the front door together, near the top, to close the front.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Dustin McAmera

[NMGPhotos]

3 minutes ago, Dustin McAmera said:

There's a manual for the Contina at Mike Butks's site:

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_contina/zeiss_ikon_contina.htm

It seems you should press the two black plates at the sides of the front door together, near the top, to close the front.

Yay! That actually worked 🙂 As for the crack, how does it look to you?

[Dustin McAmera]

Glad that worked. I'm not sure what to make of the crack: I've never had a cracked lens. Maybe it'll make an obvious flaw in the photographs, but maybe you'll be lucky, as long as the two parts of the lens are correctly together. If one has shifted from the other, I'd expect a double image.

The whole thing doesn't look in bad condition; so I think I might run a film through it, and see what you get!

[Julio Fernandez]

I have one of those. What @NMGPhotos said, you press the trapezoidal black plates inwards (to the bellows) to close. May take a bit of force if rusted. No obvious damage is seen in your pictures. 
Your Novar is a fine lens below f/5.6.  I cannot identify the crack in the picture, maybe a large close-up is needed for my old eyes.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Julio Fernandez

[NMGPhotos]

19 minutes ago, Julio Fernandez said:

I have one of those. What @NMGPhotos said, you press the trapezoidal black plates inwards (to the bellows) to close. May take a bit of force if rusted. No obvious damage is seen in your pictures. 
Your Novar is a fine lens below f/5.6.  I cannot identify the crack in the picture, maybe a large close-up is needed for my old eyes.

Here is a closer look (from the inside, with the camera folded in). It is not the aperture, as I can control and see that separately.

[bonsignore_ezio]

I was about to tell you how to close the canera, but Dustin McAmera did beat me on that. As to the shutter, please note that it would not fire unless the film advance knob is rotated all the way. The damage (?) inside the lens is beyond me and anything I ever saw. It doesn't look like a crack. separation or fungus. I would perhaps suggest it might be the trace left bay degraded lubricant. and in order to remove it you should dismantle the lens.

PS: Now I see ypour latest photo: where do you see a "crack"? The transversal white line, perhaps? This looks liike a reflex to me, unless you say it is always there. As to the fine curved lines, I would not want to sound offensive but these are the shutter blades.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by bonsignore_ezio

[NMGPhotos]

50 minutes ago, bonsignore_ezio said:

I was about to tell you how to close the canera, but Dustin McAmera did beat me on that. As to the shutter, please note that it would not fire unless the film advance knob is rotated all the way. The damage (?) inside the lens is beyond me and anything I ever saw. It doesn't look like a crack. separation or fungus. I would perhaps suggest it might be the trace left bay degraded lubricant. and in order to remove it you should dismantle the lens.

PS: Now I see ypour latest photo: where do you see a "crack"? The transversal white line, perhaps? This looks liike a reflex to me, unless you say it is always there. As to the fine curved lines, I would not want to sound offensive but these are the shutter blades.

 

You are indeed correct, I was mistaking the shutter blades for a crack. For some reason, I was thinking that the shutter mechanism didn't use blades.

[Julio Fernandez]

You could try to operate the shutter in B, with aperture full open, and look through the open lens at a light to verify that your lens is clean enough.

For a dry shot In this camera you need to wind and to move the gear next to the film gate in the direction of film advance, before it lets you release the shutter. It is a double exposure prevention mechanism.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Julio Fernandez

[NMGPhotos]

5 minutes ago, Julio Fernandez said:

You could try to operate the shutter in B, with aperture full open, and look through the open lens at a light to verify that your lens is clean enough.

For a dry shot In this camera you need to wind and to move the gear next to the film gate in the direction of film advance, before it lets you release the shutter. It is a double exposure prevention mechanism.

Just tried that! Does appear to be maybe a bit dirty, generally. But I don't think it should be too bad? I guess I'll see when I get film in the camera.

[chuck_foreman1]

Well so many others have addressed things well... as the shutter will only work when film is in the camera ..the others mentioned  simulating this by manually pushing the gear that engages the film sprokets this needs to be done multiple times circa 12-15 x before the shutter is "cocked" or charged etc. Then well you still need to cock the shutter from the around the lens. 
I suggest setting it to "B" (bulb) or one of the slow settings just below 25. Hold it to the light and fire. On "B" as long as you hold the shutter relase button down the shutter should stay open and you can then see how clear the glass is... 

 

[NMGPhotos]

Bought some film (a lot of it actually lol), turns out the advance is a bit messed up, unfortunately. Currently disassembling it to take a look.

[NMGPhotos]

Ok, turns out the take-up spool was either broken or missing a piece. I bought another one off eBay and took the take-up from that and it now definitely seems to be working more like it's supposed to.

Edited December 4, 2022 by NMGPhotos