Ikonta 521/16 operating sequence

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lrochfort

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Feb 21, 2011
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Hello all,

My wife gave me an Ikonta 521/16 for Christmas and I'd like some guidance on operating sequence.

It has a double exposure prevention interlock on the film advance winder, but no other interlocks as far as I can make out.

I was wondering if there was any particular order I should use when advancing the film, setting shutter speed and cocking the shutter. For instance, on my FSU cameras it's normally recommended you cock the advance the film and cock the shutter before setting the shutter speed.

Many thanks,
Laurence.
 
Hi Lawrence. Those are wonderful cameras with build quality that will probably never be seen again. You should set your speeds before you cock the shutter. If your shutter goes to 1/500 it will usually require considerable extra effort to get it from 1/250 to 1/500, so be ready for that. It doesn't matter whether or not the shutter is cocked regarding the film advance, since they're not connected in any way. Your wife has excellent taste in cameras. I generally make a habit of advancing the film after a shot to make sure it's ready to shoot.
 
One little trick, for keeping the film flat if you are going to close the camera between exposures, is to only advance it half way before you close the front. This way, after you open the camera again, the suction from the bellows pulls the film away from the pressure plate, and by finishing the winding you flatten it back out for the best possible image quality across the frame.

My usual process is to wind, set speed and aperture, cock shutter, frame, and shoot. Of course, if you are shooting multiple photos in the same lighting conditions, then you might not have to set speed and aperture each time, but it pays to check in case you accidentally move something.

Have fun!

PF
 
I use farlymac's technique on a Moskva 5, no comparison to a Zeiss camera, but it IS a copy of the Super Ikonta, i.e. designed for a left-eyed left-handed photographer. I'm right-eyed and right-handed, so for me it takes some deliberation to shoot. A lot of fun, though.
 
So just to sum up -- no need to be concerned about film advance and changing shutter speeds; the two aren't linked. But as others have pointed out, the Synchro Compur shutter speeds should not be changed to or from 1/500 once the shutter has been charged. I second the idea of not winding the film until you're ready to take the picture, in order to maximize film flatness.
 
Thank you for the advice everybody; I'd never have thought of the bellows trick myself.

I look forward to trying out my new folder. I've always wanted a MF camera that would go in my pocket!
 
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