Zeiss Ikon Ikonta A (521) with coated Novar Anastigmat f/4.5 75 mm and Prontor-S shutter
This camera arrived via ebay in near mint condition without any signs of corrosion or paint chipping and with light tight leather bellows. But the longer shutter speeds below 1/10 second are considerably extended or interrupted and the shutter requires cleaning and lubricating.
The Zeiss Ikon Ikonta cameras have been produced since 1929 and were offered in four models (A, B, C, and D) with different negative formats (4,5 x 6, 6 x 6, 6 x 9, and 6,5 x 11 cm). The Ikonta A (521) is the second version of the A model and was produced between 1938 and 1954. Cameras with this specific lens-shutter combination were produced between 1949 and 1951. According to its serial number starting with "P", this camera was produced 1950: camera-wiki.org/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon_serial_numbers
Zeiss Ikon folders require some rethinking with regard to their handling: The shutter release button of the Ikonta A model 521 is on the left (in viewing direction), next to the film winding crank. The button to open the camera is on the right, in the typical shutter button place. The red dot signal next to the shutter release button of the Ikonta 521 model indicates that the shutter is ready to fire, whereas a red dot signal for example of my past-war Agfa folders indicates that the double exposure prevention is active and the shutter release is blocked. Furthermore, the tripod sockets of the pre-war cameras have a 3/8 inch mount (rather the current 1/4 inch mount), but adapters are available.
General remarks:
Folding cameras deliver medium format in a truly pocketable form. Their compact size makes them great travel cameras. The basic concept of folders is a flexible structure between camera body and lens so that the camera can be folded up. The bellows as the folding element makes folders compact but is also the weak point of the design by developing light leaks, especially in the folds and the corners. Folders have to be opened by pressing a button on the top plate. Powerful springs release the lens cover and push the lens into working position. As a result of the big negative size, medium format folders give far more resolution than any 35mm camera, along with very smooth images (a huge amount of detail with finer grain and better tonality). The results look very clean and sharp, with a lovely background blur when the aperture is set wide open. Compared to the clinical data of digital sensors, film emulsions deliver more imperfection and therefore appear less sterile. The texture of the grain and the tone of the color produce a certain feel or look, that digital photos lack. High-resolution scans of large negatives deliver an ideal basis for digital picture editing. But you get only between 8 and 16 shots per film roll, depending on the film format.
Using folding cameras requires some care and forces you to make some serious decisions before taking a picture. The shooting procedure is fully manual, which means that all parameters have to be set up by hand: You have to adjust the distance, the aperture, and the exposure time, allowing the time to make sure they are set up correctly. Optimal exposure requires the use of an external exposure meter, which delivers the range of aperture and exposure time combinations available for the given light and personal demands. With their archaic film advance, the uncoupled rangefinder, the front cell focusing, and the lack of an exposure meter, most medium format folding cameras are no point and shoot cameras. But slowing down by carefully adjusting and controlling the decisive photographic parameters increases the amount of satisfying pictures and revaluates each single shot.
But using vintage folding cameras can be highly problematic: Agfa Isolettes, for example, are infamous for the poor plastic material used to make the original bellows. Constant opening and closing over many decades leave tiny pinholes, particularly in the corners. Ikontas and Super Ikontas, however, come with leather bellows, which normally remain light tight for many decades, provided that the camera has been stored carefully. Besides the problems with light leaks, the lubricants used by the camera manufacturers prior to the 1970s or 1980s are another weak point. They often cause frozen or stiff focusing rings and retarding shutters, the latter resulting in strong overexposure. Dust in the shutter mechanism and fungus or haze between the lens elements are further items. For proper function, the lenses and shutters usually must be disassembled, cleaned (sometimes adjusted), and reassembled.
There are only few experts with sufficient know-how. This camera has been checked and sold by Foto-Markt, Altbach (Germany).
Some valuable tips for using vintage folding cameras have been listed here: www.petrakla.com/pages/folding-camera-tips
Zeiss Ikon Ikonta A (521) with coated Novar Anastigmat f/4.5 75 mm and Prontor-S shutter
This camera arrived via ebay in near mint condition without any signs of corrosion or paint chipping and with light tight leather bellows. But the longer shutter speeds below 1/10 second are considerably extended or interrupted and the shutter requires cleaning and lubricating.
The Zeiss Ikon Ikonta cameras have been produced since 1929 and were offered in four models (A, B, C, and D) with different negative formats (4,5 x 6, 6 x 6, 6 x 9, and 6,5 x 11 cm). The Ikonta A (521) is the second version of the A model and was produced between 1938 and 1954. Cameras with this specific lens-shutter combination were produced between 1949 and 1951. According to its serial number starting with "P", this camera was produced 1950: camera-wiki.org/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon_serial_numbers
Zeiss Ikon folders require some rethinking with regard to their handling: The shutter release button of the Ikonta A model 521 is on the left (in viewing direction), next to the film winding crank. The button to open the camera is on the right, in the typical shutter button place. The red dot signal next to the shutter release button of the Ikonta 521 model indicates that the shutter is ready to fire, whereas a red dot signal for example of my past-war Agfa folders indicates that the double exposure prevention is active and the shutter release is blocked. Furthermore, the tripod sockets of the pre-war cameras have a 3/8 inch mount (rather the current 1/4 inch mount), but adapters are available.
General remarks:
Folding cameras deliver medium format in a truly pocketable form. Their compact size makes them great travel cameras. The basic concept of folders is a flexible structure between camera body and lens so that the camera can be folded up. The bellows as the folding element makes folders compact but is also the weak point of the design by developing light leaks, especially in the folds and the corners. Folders have to be opened by pressing a button on the top plate. Powerful springs release the lens cover and push the lens into working position. As a result of the big negative size, medium format folders give far more resolution than any 35mm camera, along with very smooth images (a huge amount of detail with finer grain and better tonality). The results look very clean and sharp, with a lovely background blur when the aperture is set wide open. Compared to the clinical data of digital sensors, film emulsions deliver more imperfection and therefore appear less sterile. The texture of the grain and the tone of the color produce a certain feel or look, that digital photos lack. High-resolution scans of large negatives deliver an ideal basis for digital picture editing. But you get only between 8 and 16 shots per film roll, depending on the film format.
Using folding cameras requires some care and forces you to make some serious decisions before taking a picture. The shooting procedure is fully manual, which means that all parameters have to be set up by hand: You have to adjust the distance, the aperture, and the exposure time, allowing the time to make sure they are set up correctly. Optimal exposure requires the use of an external exposure meter, which delivers the range of aperture and exposure time combinations available for the given light and personal demands. With their archaic film advance, the uncoupled rangefinder, the front cell focusing, and the lack of an exposure meter, most medium format folding cameras are no point and shoot cameras. But slowing down by carefully adjusting and controlling the decisive photographic parameters increases the amount of satisfying pictures and revaluates each single shot.
But using vintage folding cameras can be highly problematic: Agfa Isolettes, for example, are infamous for the poor plastic material used to make the original bellows. Constant opening and closing over many decades leave tiny pinholes, particularly in the corners. Ikontas and Super Ikontas, however, come with leather bellows, which normally remain light tight for many decades, provided that the camera has been stored carefully. Besides the problems with light leaks, the lubricants used by the camera manufacturers prior to the 1970s or 1980s are another weak point. They often cause frozen or stiff focusing rings and retarding shutters, the latter resulting in strong overexposure. Dust in the shutter mechanism and fungus or haze between the lens elements are further items. For proper function, the lenses and shutters usually must be disassembled, cleaned (sometimes adjusted), and reassembled.
There are only few experts with sufficient know-how. This camera has been checked and sold by Foto-Markt, Altbach (Germany).
Some valuable tips for using vintage folding cameras have been listed here: www.petrakla.com/pages/folding-camera-tips