Zeiss Ikon ZM Repairs

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Bergman Consulting

Lee B
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My ZM is down, appears to be a jammed shutter release (new batteries make no difference) no lights in viewfinder. I cannot find a repair site for the camera, a contact would be appreciated.
Thanks/Lee Bergman
 
How is the 21mm for street stuff

How is the 21mm for street stuff

How does the 21mm do for street candids? Hows the view and the DOF? any sample shots?

Bergman Consulting said:
Kevin,
Thanks. Will do.
Lee B.
As an aside I have a ZM 21mm f2.8, 35mm f2.0, 50mm f2.0 & 85mm f4 lens set in case anyone wants any opinions.
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bwcolor said:
Once the warranty is up on this camera, is Zeiss the only one that will do repairs?
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My local camera repair guy (who is also a personal friend) has serviced my ZI and ContaxG. He says there is nothing special about them that any competent camera repair guy cannot fix. He is not unique but services anything from Leicas, Hassleblads, to those incredibly heavy Canon and Nikon pro level DSLRs.

I am sure there is a local repair guy in every metro area. You just need to ask the local pros who services their cameras as local repair people seldom advertise. They stay busy enough with their existing clientele.
 
Bob Michaels said:
My local camera repair guy (who is also a personal friend) has serviced my ZI and ContaxG. He says there is nothing special about them that any competent camera repair guy cannot fix. He is not unique but services anything from Leicas, Hassleblads, to those incredibly heavy Canon and Nikon pro level DSLRs.

I am sure there is a local repair guy in every metro area. You just need to ask the local pros who services their cameras as local repair people seldom advertise. They stay busy enough with their existing clientele.
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I wish that was my experience. I gave mine to Nippon Photo Clinic when I lived n NYC. The first time I picked it up the rangefinder was still very off...The second time everything seemed perfect but then I noticed something and decided to send it to Germany. Looks like Nippon forgot/didn't see certain other things that needed repair/adjustments (film advance gears were stripped)...

I keep hearing people saying there's nothing special about repairing this camera, and I am glad if it so. But it looks like inexperience by repairmen is a bigger obstacle than anything else.

I'd keep it with Zeiss.
 
Last edited:
Lee,
Before you send the camera for repair, make sure that this is not just a trivial case of you not having wound the shutter correctly. Try to play with the film rewind button, advance spool and winding lever to unblock the camera, I am 99% convinced that the problem has been originated by an incompletely wound up frame.
 
Zeiss Ikon Stuck Shutter/21 MM Lens Comments

Zeiss Ikon Stuck Shutter/21 MM Lens Comments

Thanks for the posts, will have my local camera repair guy "play" with it.
On the 21mm f2.8 lens, I have not used it for street shots, having to use the auxilliary finder makes it a bit clumbsy, although I suppose I could use the narrower frame lnes in the viewfinder. I use the inexpensive Voigtlander finder and it seems fine for my landscape work, results of which are spectacular re. depth of field and for both color and B/W.
Just as an aside (and to start folks agitating) the best 50mm lens I own for B/W is the f3.5 Voiogtlander Heliar. The contrast and sharpness are amazing. WIll post over the weekend.

Lee B.
 
Bob Michaels said:
My local camera repair guy (who is also a personal friend) has serviced my ZI and ContaxG. He says there is nothing special about them that any competent camera repair guy cannot fix. He is not unique but services anything from Leicas, Hassleblads, to those incredibly heavy Canon and Nikon pro level DSLRs.

I am sure there is a local repair guy in every metro area. You just need to ask the local pros who services their cameras as local repair people seldom advertise. They stay busy enough with their existing clientele.
Click to expand...

I took my ZI to my local repair guy who has worked on Leicas & CV's & he broke the shutter. After telling me over the phone how well made it was, he of course trashed the shutter as being poorly made after he broke it. It had to be sent back to the factory for repair. I had never had a problem with the shutter before that & have never had a problem since.

Rich Schleuning has told me that the rangefinder is complicated to adjust & that the adjustment should be done at the factory. After my experience, I'll take his word for it.
 
I had a shutter jam issue with mine and took it to Nippon Photo.
They would not take it in because they said they could not get parts if they were needed.
They did recommend that I play with the shutter rewind button and advance spool to try and solve the problem. I did and it worked! I was back in business.
Overall, the ZI is a nice camera.
 
Huck Finn said:
I took my ZI to my local repair guy who has worked on Leicas & CV's & he broke the shutter. After telling me over the phone how well made it was, he of course trashed the shutter as being poorly made after he broke it. It had to be sent back to the factory for repair. I had never had a problem with the shutter before that & have never had a problem since.

Rich Schleuning has told me that the rangefinder is complicated to adjust & that the adjustment should be done at the factory. After my experience, I'll take his word for it.
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Well, my local repair guy just got married. Unfortunately I could not make the wedding at it was in upstate NY state. But I did get he and his bride a very nice piece of Henkels Five Star cutlery, plus a copy of a great book of photos, Campo Alendro by Susan Bank, also a friend.

Coincidentally, the shutter just froze on one of my Zeiss Ikon bodies. He gets back from honeymoon the day before I leave for Cuba for another photo trip. Now I have 2 ZI bodies and another M mount camera as well. But I am betting I will be taking the newly repaired ZI body on the flight when I leave the US.

I guess it is just how good your local repair guy is and how well he takes care of you. (and vice versa)
 
I always bring my local repair guy (Pete Smith, Nikonsmith)(he works on about anything I give him) a bag of his favorite coffee. Kind of like bringing flowers to the Mrs. if you know what I mean.
 
Hi! sorry to know about your problem.

Perhaps i can help you, i had that camera and from time to time it jammed.
It was a problem that ocurred when advancing the lever.
I solved the problem opening the film chamber and manualy moving forwrd the dented rod that guides the film.

since you have no lights i think the advance process wasnt comnpleted.

Try that, the ZI is no leica and although a terrific camera has many plastic parts that can´t have the precision of steel/brass gears.

Luck!!!
 
Cosina made the camera under contract for Zeiss. Cosina handles the repair work. They should be able to service it for years to come. However, ultimately, it would come down to the contract between the two companies.
 
ZeissFan said:
Cosina made the camera under contract for Zeiss. Cosina handles the repair work. They should be able to service it for years to come. However, ultimately, it would come down to the contract between the two companies.
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I am quite sure Zeiss is servicing ZI cameras also directly in Oberkochen/Germany.
 
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