Cure for GAS -- Just Got Black Zeiss-Ikon

julianphotoart

No likey digital-phooey
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Well, I can't believe it. Black Zeiss-Ikon. Picked it up today from Tony Rose. You know, he's a very nice guy. Anyway, awfully nice camera. I am cured of GAS. I feel much better now.

After all of 1/2 day with this camera, here's what I think:

1. The dual rangefinder image (or whatever you call it) is great. I guess because it's made differently than Konica and Leica, it doesn't shift around at all. It's either there or it's not, but it's always in the same place and the focusing therefore is confident. If the eye is centred, the image is bright and contrasty and very quick and easy to focus.
2. The weight seems just right. Not as heavy for sure as my M7 but then again the M7 is too heavy; as if Leica needs a physical sensation of heaviness to help justify the price.
3. The shutter is a fair bit louder than Leica, but only about 60% as loud as the mechanical Voigtlander shutter. I don't have an R2A or R3A to compare it with the Voigtlander electronic shutter.
4. The black paint is very nice. I personally like it much more than that other type of black -- is it black "anodized" or something?
5. The two round "feet" seem rubberized somehow making for a softer landing when putting it down on something.
6. Don't worry about the door opening accidentally. No way. It requires two distinct actions at 90 degrees to each other.
7. Viewfinder. Wow. My glasses are no problem except at 28mm. Then, it's only sort of a problem. Putting numbers on the framing lines is a nice touch.
8. The film advance lever is much lighter than Leica but crisp and sure.
9. With a lens on it, it sure feels well-balanced weight-wise. A reassuring but not wearying weight.
10. Haven't a clue about actual photography; I had no time after work.

Julian
 
The cool thing about black paint is that it will rub off in all the right places to give the camera that used look...I love that. I think that if I ever got one of these I'd get the black paint just for this reason.
 
aizan said:
awesome! it is now 1abzi (after black zeiss ikon).

That makes me think of a question: What will the next version be called? Will this then become the ZI-1? If this camera survives, won't there be updates that will need a different designation? Or is this just wishful thinking defying the law of the death of film? Or will the only update be the ZI-D some day?
 
Congratulations on your GAS cure!

Just wondering: when you first got your M7, did you also think it was the ultimate gas cure? :D

because I always thought that if I had a M7, that would be the end of my gas.
 
lubitel said:
Congratulations on your GAS cure!

Just wondering: when you first got your M7, did you also think it was the ultimate gas cure? :D

because I always thought that if I had a M7, that would be the end of my gas.

No, the M7 if anything made the GAS worse. I thought to myself that I'd just paid so much money that I better get worthy lenses to justify the cost.
 
I once made a similar post on a Canon DSLR forum regarding Leica. Don't kid yourself- your GAS just got more virulent!
 
i'm thinking there's only one messiah, and the black zeiss ikon is it!

:angel:
 
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looks very nice!

and i doubt that there is a cure for gas.

almost every day i think about deleting ebay from my bookmarks and just cannot do it, ya know...just in case.

what lenses did you get? i can see the 50 but the other is...25 or 28?

joe
 
Gman said:
Sorry for the newbie question, but how does one know if he/she has got GAS? :confused:

Jeff

Gear Aquisition Syndrome

....and obviously, Julian is the wrong person to ask. :)

...but then again, so am I. :)

In the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy....

"If you have made more trips to the post-office to sign for incoming camera hardware, than trips to the local photo lab to pick up film, you might have GAS"

"If you have to delete things daily from your ebay watch list to make room for more, you might have GAS"
 
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Gman said:
Sorry for the newbie question, but how does one know if he/she has got GAS? :confused:

Jeff

GAS is usually a self inflicted "disease" :)

It's onset is more oft than not brought on by reading various online/print reviews of various cameras/lenses and hearing the terms: "It's TACK sharp!!", "The body is a GEM!!", "I can't believe how CRYSTAL CLEAR the viewfinder is!!", "I printed up to 36x48" from the 35mm neg I shot with this lens and it's sharp, corner to corner !!" etc. etc. etc. :D

That being said, reading/viewing images of various cameras/lenses does not necessarily cause the spread of GAS throughout the host body. This is, almost always, caused by acquiring/holding various camera bodies/lenses. Such tactile input infects the mind of the host body first and eventually causes the separation of funds from one's wallet/credit card. It is usually at this point that one feels that they are finally rid of the virulent GAS infestation.

Sadly, such a belief is a falsehood as the host body then receives the "new to them" gear via a myriad of delivery methods and the "GAS Life Cycle" starts all over again.

There currently is no known cure for GAS but a number of survivors of this virus tend to feel that ensuring one has a strong spouse nearby during GAS attacks usually helps quell the disease :D

Cheers
Dr Dave
 
Thanks Dr. Dave-

I am assuming then that acquiring this beautiful new black ZI body will only lead to more GAS?

I must say, though, that participating on RFF over the past month or so has kept me from spending much time looking at that auction site- and that could be a good thing!

Jeff
 
back alley said:
what lenses did you get? i can see the 50 but the other is...25 or 28?

joe

Just the 50 and 25. The 25 viewfinder is completely unnecessary frosting but I got it before the ZI body so the GAS made me do it. That's the lens that I dropped into the Pacific back in December and had resurrected by DAG -- bless 'im.\

I honestly have no desire to buy more lenses. The 85 would be nice in a perfect world but the insane price has innoculated me. The Zeiss 15 is just as insane and I just love the CV 15 anyway -- at 1/4 the size. I do have the 50 Planar lens hood on order with Tony. That's it. Strike me down if anything else is acquired.

Julian
 
i'm thinking about the 50 also...going with 25/35/50 and then using either the 90/4 or the 100/3.5 if i want something longer.

but essentially i'm thinking the m3 is gonna be the long kit...50/90/135

joe
 
I'm dying to see you guys post photos (and links to full size scans) from these lenses - I've been tempted to purchase a couple from Tony or Stephen. (because the 25 would be a "nice to have" addition - and the 35mm f2 looks good too)

Dave
 
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