Super Ikonta B 532/16

[Chris Bail]

I just purchased one of these in pretty nice, working shape. I'm wondering about the year of manufacture, if anyone has an idea on where I can find that sort of thing out. SN#2297502 on the lens, which is uncoated.

I had to adjust the rangefinder, which was made a little more difficult because I unscrewed the first lens element completely and had to sort that out, but following David Richert's http://www.davidrichert.com/zeiss_532_161.htm instructions I got the focus and rangefinder reset.

Thankfully, the focus is smooth and clean, and the shutter speeds seem accurate and are all working.

I need to find a spanner to get what looks like some wipe marks (or fungus?...they're whitish) on the front of the rear element, and then I think it will be a pretty nice shooter.

Gonna put a roll through it in the meantime.

 

[ZeissFan]

Wait -- I read your comment incorrectly.

Yes, you'll need a spanner. The rear lens element isn't seated too tightly. You might even be able to loosen it with a flat-head screwdriver and mallet, although of course you should be extremely careful. And a spanner wrench is the better (and correct) tool for this work.

After replacing the lens element, check collimation.

Regarding the lens, you should ask this question on the Zeiss Ikon Collectors Group on Yahoo. Someone there has a list of serial numbers, and they should be able to identify the month and year of production for the lens. If you supply them with the serial number of the body, they can give you an approximate production date.

I believe this model was produced during WWII and definitely after WWII. I have this camera with the post-war coated Zeiss-Opton Tessar. You have an uncoated prewar Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar.

Regardless of lens, an excellent camera that is very well made.

 

[Ken Smith]

You might even be able to loosen it with a flat-head screwdriver and mallet, although of course you should be extremely careful.

While no doubt an expeditious manner sans efficiency, it is most certainly an open invitation to disaster. As Baxter Black once said, when trouble comes a visit'n, you don't have to offer it a chair to sit on. I would wait for the purchase of a spanner or use a pad of rubber on the retaining ring and apply pressure with the palm of your hand while turning the ring counter-clockwise. This all depends on IF the retaining ring is higher than the lens because you do not want the rubber touching the lens element at all costs. However, with practice, you should be able to learn to cup your palm and the rubber pad to avoid its contact with the lens. Just be mindful that some rings are stubborn and only a spanner will loosen them.

 

[Chris Bail]

I've had some trouble locating a serial number on the body...maybe I'm looking right past it? I see the one on the lens, another on the shutter, and a truncated version of the lens serial on the retaining ring of the rear element when you open the back cover.

I know it is "possibly" post war, as they didn't start with the Opton lenses right away...just trying to narrow it down a bit.

I'll try posting on the Yahoo group. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[GaryLH]

http://www.daguerreotype.com/zeisslen.htm

Found a web site with info on Zeiss lens serial numbers.

Gary

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Other question, is the rangefinder patch mirrored in the viewfinder or are the viewfinder and rangefinder not combined with these cameras?

 

[literiter]

Other question, is the rangefinder patch mirrored in the viewfinder or are the viewfinder and rangefinder not combined with these cameras?

There are two kinds of Super Ikonta rangefinders, I cannot tell exactly which one is shown.
The Ikontas I have have a combined viewfinder/rangefinder. My rangefinder patch is seen in the center of the viewfinder and in reasonable light is quite visible.

The earliest Ikontas have a separate rangefinders and viewfinder.

 

[ZeissFan]

The rangefinder uses prisms. No mirrors involved. The 532/16 has a unified rangefinder/viewfinder. The first model, 530/16, had separate finders for focusing and composing.

Correct focusing is achieved through the Zeiss Ikon rotating wedge prism setup, which it used in several cameras. It's very effective. Once set, it never falls out of calibration, unless the prisms are damaged.

I agree that the screwdriver and mallet are a bad method but will work in a pinch if absolutely necessary. In this case, it isn't.

The body serial number should be embossed on the back near the hinge.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

There are two kinds of Super Ikonta rangefinders, I cannot tell exactly which one is shown.
The Ikontas I have have a combined viewfinder/rangefinder. My rangefinder patch is seen in the center of the viewfinder and in reasonable light is quite visible.

The earliest Ikontas have a separate rangefinders and viewfinder.

THanks I don't have one yet but would like to acquire one with the coated post war Opton Tessar lens.

 

[Chris Bail]

This one does indeed have the unified Viewfinder/Rangefinder. Rangefinder patch is nice and bright in good light. More difficult to see in low light.

Ran two rolls of C-41 through it to be dropped off for developement today. Hope everything turns out as expected.

 

[literiter]

THanks I don't have one yet but would like to acquire one with the coated post war Opton Tessar lens.

Like this one?

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Like this one?

That's the one! Some of these lenses are marked with a red 'T'.

 

[Robert Lai]

Such lustful camera porn!

An interesting point about the Super Ikonta B is that you get 11 exposures on a roll of 120.

I have the BX, which has a selenium meter housing on top. It gets 12 exposures out of 120 film. But, these latter models (the ones with the Opton Tessars) such as the BX, III, and IV have a tendency to overlap frames. They were made for Zeiss' own film, which came with a thicker spool axle diameter than the modern films. The solution is to wrap electrical tape on the take-up spool axis to increase its diameter prior to loading film.

 

[literiter]

That's the one! Some of these lenses are marked with a red 'T'.

Mine doesn't have the red 'T'. There is a coating on it however.

I find that this lens seems to do it's best between f5.6 and f11 and when focus is at 15' or beyond. That isn't to say it's a slouch at any other setting, but it isn't a Hasselblad.

I found a lens hood to fit and it improves things quite a bit.

Use a tripod, lens hood, shutter release, f11 and focus 15' or better and it's a fantastic camera, then it folds up to fit nicely in a jacket pocket!

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Mine doesn't have the red 'T'. There is a coating on it however.

I find that this lens seems to do it's best between f5.6 and f11 and when focus is at 15' or beyond. That isn't to say it's a slouch at any other setting, but it isn't a Hasselblad.

I found a lens hood to fit and it improves things quite a bit.

Use a tripod, lens hood, shutter release, f11 and focus 15' or better and it's a fantastic camera, then it folds up to fit nicely in a jacket pocket!

Thanks, I think we all know that a Tessar - a triplet - for this type of camera's is not the best lens out there: the Bessa RF and Bessa II were already fitted with the better Heliar and the Rolleiflex came up with the Planar. I think that also explains why Super Ikontas in general go for lower prices than cameras fitted with 4 or 5 lens systems: the latter are more sharp in the corners and give more contrast. Further the Tessar like the Elmar were originally designed to work on a maximum aperture of f 3.8 of f 3.5. At f. 2.8 these lenses are more prone to - unwanted - aberrations. Might be that Zeiss kept using the Tessar because as a triplet it was considerably lighter in weight than the more advanced lenses of its time.
However the building of the Super Ikontas is ....superb!

 

[graywolf]

The Tessar is not a triplet (3 element) it is a 4 element lens. However, the rear 2 elements are cemented together.

 

[Steve M.]

These are wonderfully designed and well made cameras. You really have to try to break one, and the strap lugs are pretty handy. Should have been standard on all folders. Some people say that they stretched the Tessar formula a little too far on the 2.8 lenses, but the 532 B Ikontas I've owned did fine assuming you really stopped the things down and used a yellow filter w/ B&W film. On the other hand, I used to have a Tessar on a Welta that took much better photos, possibly because of it's unit focusing design.

The lens on the Ikontas, as has been stated, is possibly the one shortcoming of the cameras. That's always the dilemma with folders for me. The cameras w/ the best lenses either have very high prices, like the Bessa II or Bessa RF w/ Heliar (and these are 6x9 cameras, so are a little more awkward to use), or have design issues like uncoupled rangefinders (or none) that make them slower to use than a camera w/ a coupled rangefinder. The Weltas are an exception, as they are a lot of fun and shoot quickly. Some of the more fun and fast-to-use folders I've owned didn't give me the IQ I was looking for.

Still, the 532 B's and variants are so neat to shoot I'd probably get another one. Probably a great camera for color film. KEH used to have one in Bgn condition for a song. Not sure if it's still there.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

The Tessar is not a triplet (3 element) it is a 4 element lens. However, the rear 2 elements are cemented together.

You're fully right, I mixed the Tessar with the cook triplet.

However it doesn't change my mind about the lesser quality of the lens compared to the ones used e.g. in the Bessa's. However as a lens of the first decades of the pas century the Tessar was one of the best designed lenses (originally designed by Carl Zeiss in the early 1900's).

 

[Platinum RF]

You're fully right, I mixed the Tessar with the cook triplet.

However it doesn't change my mind about the lesser quality of the lens compared to the ones used e.g. in the Bessa's. However as a lens of the first decades of the pas century the Tessar was one of the best designed lenses (originally designed by Carl Zeiss in the early 1900's).

Try one of these Tesar at f2.8 they are more than adequate, I got sharp pictures at f2.8 epecially indoor for phortrait. One thing you have to pay attention is calibrate the rangefinder and the lens.

 

[ZeissFan]

Actually, for nearly all of Zeiss Ikon's cameras, the Tessar was the premium lens, while the Novar or the Triotar was the budget lens.

There were exceptions -- Tenax II, Contax and Contarex.

But for folding cameras, TLRs and post-war cameras, the Tessar was always the premium lens -- even after the Carl Zeiss Planar was available.

The Tessar is a very capable lens. It's different from the Sonnar and Planar, but it certainly is no slouch.

As I've said before, you never have to make an excuse for shooting with a Tessar.