ZeissFan
Veteran
Nitpicking point: It was Zeiss Ikon that made the cameras. Carl Zeiss made the lenses. They're often used interchangeably, but they weren't the same operation, from a manufacturing and marketing standpoint.
And to make it even more confusing, Carl Zeiss Jena made the Werra -- one of just two cameras to be made by Carl Zeiss, and that doesn't include the current Zeiss Ikon. The current Zeiss Ikon is Carl Zeiss-branded, but continues to reflect the fact that Carl Zeiss doesn't have camera-making capacity.
OK, that was needless preachy ...
I also would recommend the folding Zeiss Ikon Contessa or even the rigid model, which is an excellent little camera. Also, the folding Zeiss Ikon Contina, or if you have the cash, the prewar Contaflex twin-lens reflex.
If you want different, perhaps the Voigtlander Vito B, Vitomatic IIb, Vito IIa, III or folding Vitessa (the III and Vitessa L have the oustanding f/2.0 Ultron). There's also the Voigtlander Prominent, but I think the body design has too many flaws.
You could move west and find a Foca rangefinder. The Universals are somewhat costly, while the fixed-lens Foca Sport II is a very nice camera.
There's always the expensive Alpa Reflex SLRs with the Macro Switar or perhaps a "Made in Germany" Rolleiflex SL 35 with the Carl Zeiss Planar. Some of the lenses for the Rolleiflex SL 35 cameras were identical to those that were available for the Yashica/Kyocera Contax but often at a lower cost.
And to make it even more confusing, Carl Zeiss Jena made the Werra -- one of just two cameras to be made by Carl Zeiss, and that doesn't include the current Zeiss Ikon. The current Zeiss Ikon is Carl Zeiss-branded, but continues to reflect the fact that Carl Zeiss doesn't have camera-making capacity.
OK, that was needless preachy ...
I also would recommend the folding Zeiss Ikon Contessa or even the rigid model, which is an excellent little camera. Also, the folding Zeiss Ikon Contina, or if you have the cash, the prewar Contaflex twin-lens reflex.
If you want different, perhaps the Voigtlander Vito B, Vitomatic IIb, Vito IIa, III or folding Vitessa (the III and Vitessa L have the oustanding f/2.0 Ultron). There's also the Voigtlander Prominent, but I think the body design has too many flaws.
You could move west and find a Foca rangefinder. The Universals are somewhat costly, while the fixed-lens Foca Sport II is a very nice camera.
There's always the expensive Alpa Reflex SLRs with the Macro Switar or perhaps a "Made in Germany" Rolleiflex SL 35 with the Carl Zeiss Planar. Some of the lenses for the Rolleiflex SL 35 cameras were identical to those that were available for the Yashica/Kyocera Contax but often at a lower cost.