Contessa

[Mike Kovacs]

Any other fans of the folding Zeiss Ikon Contessa out there? I just finished restoring this one last month and getting close to the end of the first roll. It needed a new beamsplitter prism from a parts body but now its in perfect working order, meter included 😀

I'm anticipating good things from that little, coated Tessar.

 

[jlw]

I've got one, and while I don't get the chance to use it very often, I like it a lot. Not the most convenient camera to operate, but beautiful to look at, fun to use and capable of excellent results. You'll like the performance of the Tessar, especially at moderate apertures.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Looks like you did a very good job restoring it. Have fun using it.

Bob

 

[dkapp]

I have a Zeiss Contessa LKE, not the folder but I do love it. The build quality is exceptional, and its just a lot of fun to use. The meter is still accurate!

Just a bump for a good camera.

Dave

 

[zburch]

I have a Contessa and I love it. My Dad bought it in Germany when he was in the service. It is a great camera(with a great little lens) to travel with. I didn't use it for a year because it was acting up, but I just pulled it out and shot a roll and it worked fine. I guess it just needed a rest.

I might use it more now while my IIIa is out of commission.....

amy

www.amybphoto.com

 

[bmattock]

I have Continas and love them - but for Contessa's, I defer to RFF'er titrisol, who has shown me the error of my ways.

The only Contessa I have is the LKE like dkapp, and mine advances the film without stopping, very aggravating. Titrisol gave me some instructions on fixing it, but I haven't done so yet.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[ZeissFan]

Mike -- what's taking you so long with that camera! 😉 You know, I had about a dozen of these at one time. I'm down to two that have been restored and about three that still need to be restored and sold.

Beautiful cameras, great lens and wonderful design from Zeiss Ikon designer Hubert Nerwin, who was responsible for Zeiss Ikon's postwar 35mm trifecta (Ikonta, Contina and Contessa) as well as the prewar Tenax II.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Bill, the framecounter assembly is very simple on these and common between the Ikonta 35, Contina (with or without uncoupled rangefinder) and Contessa. There is one major "gotcha". The rewind button is threaded but I have now seen a few where the post it threads onto snaps off when its overtightened. So be gentle with that or you won't have a rewind button! I can't say how much force it takes because I haven't broken one but take care. I had an Ikonta 35 where I used a paper slip shoved into the hole to push the cassette side release in. Not convenient but useable.

Zeissfan, its in my pocket most days but its one of those darned long rolls of 36 exposures of slides! Its in my jacket pocket now and just about done. I like 12 exposure 120 better for this reason!

Did Herr Nerwin not also design the Contax II, III, IIA, IIIA? (he left before the colour dial models came out)

 

[bmattock]

Bill, the framecounter assembly is very simple on these and common between the Ikonta 35, Contina (with or without uncoupled rangefinder) and Contessa. There is one major "gotcha". The rewind button is threaded but I have now seen a few where the post it threads onto snaps off when its overtightened. So be gentle with that or you won't have a rewind button! I can't say how much force it takes because I haven't broken one but take care. I had an Ikonta 35 where I used a paper slip shoved into the hole to push the cassette side release in. Not convenient but useable.

Zeissfan, its in my pocket most days but its one of those darned long rolls of 36 exposures of slides! Its in my jacket pocket now and just about done. I like 12 exposure 120 better for this reason!

Did Herr Nerwin not also design the Contax II, III, IIA, IIIA? (he left before the colour dial models came out)

I have to beg your pardon - I just got home and checked, and I have a Contessamat SE, not a Contessa LKE. Oops. Well, it has the same problem I described - it just winds and winds and winds. Shutter works after one wind, but it never locks, you can wind right through the roll without taking a single shot. I checked the bottom and it does not have rewind screw such as you described. Sorry for the mistake! Any idea how to fix mine?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Sorry, never seen one of those!

At least with the Contessa and Ikonta 35's I've fixed, the winding mechanism was fairly simple to figure out.