Zeiss never came cheaper

[belgiumreporter]

Not exactly an ebay find but while hunting for cameras in all diffrent places more than often there's nothing than rubbish to be found.

But every once in a while i come across a bargain that even it dosn't fit in the scope of my collection, is to good to be not to be bought.
And so was this contina, in good shape and working condition all for 1 Euro. Now i ask you, even if cameras are stacking up in your place would you leave this one alone?

For whom this might concern(Hans?) numbers on the back :066300 / 627/24





BTW, can anyone tell me if this is an type II? it looks like a type III but hasn't got the exchangeable front element lens (it's a novicar1:2.8 45mm)

[hansz]

Hi Francois,
Even you, a Zeiss Ikon! Good to grow the ZI family like you did with Nikon, Canon and Minolta! Although, some family members will not come with this price tag:-(

To your Contina II, second model, it has the larger (rimmed) viewfinder and it sports the Novicar lens (which was bought in by the Zeiss Ikon company at Steinheil or Rodenstock, definitely not from Carl Zeiss.
The Contina III had a removeable frontend (Pantar 30mm and 70mm were available) which it shared with the Contaflex Alpha, Beta members of the Contaflex SLR line.

I assume the 527/24 (Bestellnummer) has a production number of O 66300 (it has to be a letter, 5 digits max combination).
If you need more info look at holoceen.nl, Zeiss Ikon, West-BRD, Contina II. Your production number falls within the range.

ciao, Hans

[belgiumreporter]

May 25, 2017 13:33:55 GMT -5 hansz said:

Hi Francois,
Even you, a Zeiss Ikon! Good to grow the ZI family like you did with Nikon, Canon and Minolta! Although, some family members will not come with this price tag:-(

To your Contina II, second model, it has the larger (rimmed) viewfinder and it sports the Novicar lens (which was bought in by the Zeiss Ikon company at Steinheil or Rodenstock, definitely not from Carl Zeiss.
The Contina III had a removeable frontend (Pantar 30mm and 70mm were available) which it shared with the Contaflex Alpha, Beta members of the Contaflex SLR line.

I assume the 527/24 (Bestellnummer) has a production number of O 66300 (it has to be a letter, 5 digits max combination).
If you need more info look at holoceen.nl, Zeiss Ikon, West-BRD, Contina II. Your production number falls within the range.

ciao, Hans

Bedankt Hans! i knew you would be the authorothy that would put me on the right track on zeiss issues.

However...if i see just how many diffrent cameras zeiss has made i think collecting them would not be an option for me.

It would disturb the fragile balance wich now exist between my wife's mineral and my camera collection. I know i would cross an invisible line that has been drawn of wich the consequenses wouldn't be favourable for me. :-)

I've got away with this 1 Euro contina, but i won't be pushing my luck and domestical peace on expanding any more zeiss wise.
Behind every mans great collection, there's a great woman, rolling her eyes !

[hansz]

Your wife is collecting minerals?? Wow!! I'm a trained geologist (geochemistry and mineralogy as specialism) and chairman of the "museale commissie" of a very modest museum, the Hofland Geologisch Museum at Laren (NH). See www.geologischmuseumhofland.nl. Also "onbezoldigd" honorary researcher at Naturalis (deep earth group). I'm very interested in your wife's collection! Not that I collect stones/minerals myself (only some rocks with emotional value) - I also have a wife who collects furniture, earthenware and the likes... And we want to go living in a smaller home, hahaha... You can imagine the discussions we have here:-)

I only know of one person who collected every Zeiss Ikon model including important modifications and some tryout models. But he gave away his collection to the CalTech university.
Most collectors only focus on the high end models, like the Contax, Contarex, Contaflex TLR and the better prewar models like the Juwel etc.
I'm more a middle ground man, some lowend like Contina and Contessa, some middle like Icarex and Contaflex SLR, and some highend, mainly Contarex. No specialities because they mostly end at auction sites like Westlicht and sell for a price I cannot afford as pensionado:-)

On top of my wishlist is a Sony full frame A7 model which is able to carry the Carl Zeiss lenses. So I try to sell some duplicate items on marktplaats or ebay.

ciao, Hans

[melek]

This model Contina was one of my early Zeiss Ikon cameras. While not as cute as the folding Continas, I think these are nice cameras. The meters often still work.

I appreciate the entire range of the Zeiss Ikon lineup. I have a decent number of Zeiss Ikon cameras: Box Tengors, folding Contina/Ikonta and Contessa, Ikoflex, the later plastic Continas, Contaflex 126 (I really wish Lomo would revive this format) plus the Contax. I have the Contarex SLR - nice camera but unnecessarily large.

My favorites are the Contax IIa and a very old 530/2 Super Ikonta C.

I imagine that every model that Zeiss Ikon produced would require quite a large room to store them!

I have a Sony A7 II, and I shoot a Rollei QBM Planar, which is my favorite 50mm lens.

[yashica1943]

I brought this post down from 'Rangefinder cameras' as it sort of fits in here also.
I found a very nice clean Contessa LKE at my local car boot sale for the sum of £5. The shutter sounds correct and the focusing is smooth. Not having owned one before I rather like the folding winder on the baseplate, very neat.
However, on inspection at home, the rangefinder doesn't work, *** nor does the exposure meter. Not too worried about that as it is just going on display..
The lens is a Tessar f2.8 50mm serial 4160975. The camera serial is not very distinct although the covering material is not at all worn. it appears to be I or J then a big gap and 1934 or 1944.

*** Having looked at it again, the rangefinder does work.

[belgiumreporter]

Praktika's never came cheaper to, this MTL3 with Pentacon 50mm 1:1,8 wich is one of the more decent praktica's didn't cost me more than 1 euro, at those prices i'm afraid of becoming an hoarder!