Nik Chatou
Zeiss Ikon Movikon 8B
A camera like this one makes you realise the technological progress that has taken place over the last 60 years.
The principle is the same as a still image camera, only in this case the shutter has to open and close several times per second in order to ensure a moving image.
But wait, there were no batteries, so how is this to be obtained? Well, you have to manually charge a spring (lever to the front left as we look at the camera). This means that you can shoot only for as long as there is power in this spring (no more than 30 sec in a row)!
The camera is equipped with an external selenium light meter (very similar to the one to be found on the first model of the Contarex). But you need to adjust manually the exposure during filming by turning the milled wheel on the right in order to match the needles in the viewfinder.
Of course, there is no sound either.
The only modern feature is the lens, multicoated and fast (1.9 max aperture) and almost focus-free, ie by focusing close to infinity and stopping down you get everything between 1m and infinity in focus.
The viewfinder is small and dark, but it is parallax corrected and shows exposure information (match needle system).
The best of all is the extremely complex film loading system (film is loaded horizontally but must be inverted and passed vertically behind the shutter, then it must be turned again horizontally in order to enter the take up spool).
No wonder the camera is in almost new condition. It must have been a nightmare to use it.
Zeiss Ikon Movikon 8B
A camera like this one makes you realise the technological progress that has taken place over the last 60 years.
The principle is the same as a still image camera, only in this case the shutter has to open and close several times per second in order to ensure a moving image.
But wait, there were no batteries, so how is this to be obtained? Well, you have to manually charge a spring (lever to the front left as we look at the camera). This means that you can shoot only for as long as there is power in this spring (no more than 30 sec in a row)!
The camera is equipped with an external selenium light meter (very similar to the one to be found on the first model of the Contarex). But you need to adjust manually the exposure during filming by turning the milled wheel on the right in order to match the needles in the viewfinder.
Of course, there is no sound either.
The only modern feature is the lens, multicoated and fast (1.9 max aperture) and almost focus-free, ie by focusing close to infinity and stopping down you get everything between 1m and infinity in focus.
The viewfinder is small and dark, but it is parallax corrected and shows exposure information (match needle system).
The best of all is the extremely complex film loading system (film is loaded horizontally but must be inverted and passed vertically behind the shutter, then it must be turned again horizontally in order to enter the take up spool).
No wonder the camera is in almost new condition. It must have been a nightmare to use it.