Now and then....I get lucky!

Dave Wilkinson

Dave Wilkinson

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This weekend at a sale, I came upon this little cutie, at a bargain price, and nobody seemed interested!, so I took it home!. Just a little brass and paint loss,-but I think it is from before WW2!, and the 7cm f3.5 Tessar glass is like new! (tho uncoated). It folds up so neat, - if the roll of HP5 just put in turns out o.k, it will be a regular in my jacket pocket! 🙂, not sure why there are two red windows to line-up the frame no's, but if I've got it wrong, I guess I'll just have 15, not sixteen-on!

Dave
 

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Maybe the second window's for 6x4.5?
Just a thought...

Either way, nice find, it looks in great nick. Might I be so forward to ask what you paid for it?
Happy shooting!
 
There should be a mask inside the camera to allow you to vary the negative size. Depending on how you have it masked, that's what red window you use when winding film.

Very often this mask is lost or missing.
 
I think the short answer to the two window question is that pre war film had no numbering for 6X4.5 format so the idea was to advance the film so the number 1 showed at the first window first window and then wind on so the number one showed at the second window for exposure #2. The sequence is 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 and so on. Post war 120 film had numbering placed for 6x4.5 and a single window, in a different spot, replaced the two on your camera model. They are very nice cameras and should serve you well. Very pocket able as you noticed, sort of the pocket battleship of med format folders with lots of image quality in a small package. All this is assuming it is a 6x4.5 model 530 Super Ikonta.

Bob
 
Nice find!

I think it's 645 only, because if it were dual format, the lens would be 105mm. A 70mm Tessar would be really soft in the corners for 6x9. There may not have been numbers on the paper backing at the time for 645, so frame counting could be done with the 6x9 number series, first in one window, then in the next. So you might shoot with "1" in the left window for frame 1, and "1" in the right window for frame 2, "2" in the left window for frame 3, "2" in the right window for frame 4, etc.
 
I think it is just for 6x4.5, ( 16-on ) Richard, the folder gurus on the 'night shift' will probaby enlighten me! .....it's a Super Ikonta 530....and I'm really itchng to see how that old Tessar performs!, just hope I'm not disapointed!

Dave.
 
Nikon Bob said:
I think the short answer to the two window question is that pre war film had no numbering for 6X4.5 format so the idea was to advance the film so the number 1 showed at the first window first window and then wind on so the number one showed at the second window for exposure #2. The sequence is 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 and so on. Post war 120 film had numbering placed for 6x4.5 and a single window, in a different spot, replaced the two on your camera model. They are very nice cameras and should serve you well. Very pocket able as you noticed, sort of the pocket battleship of med format folders with lots of image quality in a small package. All this is assuming it is a 6x4.5 model 530 Super Ikonta.

Bob
Click to expand...

Thanks Bob, and others,
this would seem to be the logical answer, and I'll try on the test roll!,.....there does'nt seem to be enough room in there for a bigger image size!
Dave 🙂
 
A nice addition to any collection. Prior to film manufacturers placing a third set of numbers on the paper backing for lining up each frame, the photographer had to use the 8 printed numbers for 6x9 on these early 6 by 4.5 cameras. Instead 1 through 8 - you used 1, then 1 again in the second window, 2 then 2 again and so forth giving 16 frames.

There will be a problem with using Ilford though. You'll find that you can barely see the Ilford dotted numbers through each window. Better to use Acros or Kodak, if you want to easily see the frame numbers on the paper backing.
 
Right, this camera is 6x4.5 only, as evidenced by the 7cm lens.

Wind until "1" appears in the first window. Take a photo. Then wind until the "1" appears in the second window. Take a photo. Wind until "2" appears in the first window. Snap! Wind until "2" appears in the second window and on and on.

This is a Super Ikonta A and like nearly all Zeiss Ikon cameras is built to last for decades and will still be usable long after most of the digital crap has fallen into disrepair.
 
Zeiss fan beats me to it! The windows are used just as he describes - it takes a little thought at first, but then so does using any camera of that age. IIRC the two-red-windows system was first introduced on the Ensign Cupid http://www.ensign.demon.co.uk/cupid.htm and was reasonably common on 127 cameras especially, such as the Purma Special and Plus. Obviously Zeiss-Ikon used it for 120 cameras, and also Welta for the Perle.

I believe - though not on any good evidence, and I'm welcome to be proved wrong - that post-war, manufacturers started putting numbers on their film for 6x4.5 so by the time you get to "semis" like the Ensign Selfix 16-20 you've got a single window.

Adrian
 
I've just signed up today(though they informed me I was registered before??) - Last night on ebay I couldn't believe my luck when I managed to use the Buy Now button on a wonderful Agfa Isolette II with Solinar 3,5/75mm and Prontor-S (B-1/300th) in what looks like excellent condition(and a 14-day return option). I was amazed as it cost £45 - I have an Agfa Isolette with Apotar lens so this is a dream find. Can anyone enlighten me on this one- I presume it is not the top of the range Agfa model but it sure must come close!
 
Dave congrats on a nice find, not much to add to whats been said but only confirm as well thats its a Super Ikonta A for 6x4.5 only-pre-war...the baby of the super Ikonta's! great to get with the filters and hood to! although I dont find the green of much use nowadays, it was mainly used for the different films that were available in the old days. but the red and yellow are very usefull.

welcome to the forum tmc.... you probably could of started your own thread with a Isolette title, there are no end to the people here that have experiance with the Isolettes and many no of their pitfalls and how to fix them. not a bad price either considering the add said the lens and shutter are fine and also because there is one for 55pounds with an apotar on the bay atm! as for the range it is the next model up from the isolette I or Isolette V but the next model down from the isolette III which has a rangefinder built in. the solinar was the best lens available on any of the isolettes and the shutter is above a vario but below the synchro-compur or compur rapid ...you will be wise to check the bellows in a dark room with a small torch by shining it through the open back to detect any light leaks which unfortunately is usually the case (virtually every single time). if they do leak they are easy to fix and as i say any number of people here can asist
 
Chippy, thanks for your response. Interested in seeing you are in Adelaide. My daughter is in Glenelg, great place I visited her there a couple of years ago and spent many days wandering up and down Jetty Road!
 
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