Just bought my first Ikon

[white.elephant]

I've been a user of a Bessa R2a for 5 years, and have been longing for an Ikon. Leicas tempt me, but there has always been this desire for an Ikon.

Well, yesterday I pulled the trigger on a black Ikon and a 28mm Biogon. Can't wait.

Just wanted to share

 

[thegman]

The ZI is a hell of a camera, you're unlikely to regret it.

 

[helen.HH]

Thats Great !!
Wish M's had that shutter speed up to 2000 & such a brught BIG VF

Enjoy...Happy Shooting !

 

[Pioneer]

Enjoy. It is truly a wonderful camera. I use mine everyday. The Biogons are very nice lenses but I would never be without my 50/1.5 Sonnar. They are a perfect match.

 

[Rodchenko]

Great stuff.

 

[white.elephant]

Enjoy. It is truly a wonderful camera. I use mine everyday. The Biogons are very nice lenses but I would never be without my 50/1.5 Sonnar. They are a perfect match.

The Sonnar is next on my list. The 35mm Biogon has been on my Bessa since I bought it; but I have rented a Sonnar as well as a Planar. The Sonnar is just amazing, and am saving up for it now.

 

[back alley]

congrats!
i had a couple of zm's for a long time...great cameras and love the zm lenses!

 

[white.elephant]

congrats!
i had a couple of zm's for a long time...great cameras and love the zm lenses!

As with you, back alley, my digital half is the Fuji X-series, and I have shot the Biogon mounted on the X-Pro.

 

[white.elephant]

My ZM arrived today along with my ZM 28. I'll be posting first thoughts along with some images as soon as they come out of the soup.

 

[mfogiel]

This camera is ideally matched by a 35mm lens, and in my opinion, the ideal 35mm lens for it is the 35/1.2 Nokton - there you are, you have another lens to save for... 😀

 

[kshapero]

This camera is ideally matched by a 35mm lens, and in my opinion, the ideal 35mm lens for it is the 35/1.2 Nokton - there you are, you have another lens to save for... 😀

Yes that is a lovely lens but I truly love the ZM 35/2 lens as well.

 

[wakarimasen]

I just bought one on impulse from Ebay. Looks like my M4-P will soon be for sale!

 

[Dez]

"Wakarimasen"? Congratulations on the best RFF handle ever!

Cheers,
Nosenada (aka Dez)

 

[wakarimasen]

"Wakarimasen"? Congratulations on the best RFF handle ever!

Cheers,
Nosenada (aka Dez)

Thanks Dez - it's an itch I've wanted to scratch for a while

I take it you are a user?

 

[Dez]

Mostly a tinkerer and restorer of old RFs. I am not in an appropriate financial bracket for the Zeiss ZM line. My favourite old RF is my wonderfully weird Kodak Ektra. My most practical RF is my M2 with a Canon 50 f1.4 lens. Come to think of it, I believe that's possibly my newest one as well, excepting a couple of funky '60's Russians.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[froyd]

I just bought one on impulse from Ebay. Looks like my M4-P will soon be for sale!

ah, but's that's a trickier road than R2a > ZM.

I'm now on month 2 of trying to decide why on hearth I cannot let go of my M4, given that --on paper-- the ZM is a more competent camera.

Dependng how long you have owned the M4-2, you might have the same problem! best to sell the Leica first and then get the ZM, or you might be "stuck" with two mistresses.

 

[joeswe]

I just bought one on impulse from Ebay. Looks like my M4-P will soon be for sale!

That would be foolish, IMO. However technically superior the ZM might appear now, keep the M4-P at least as a backup. It will last for ever and a day, keep its value and it will be infinitely repairable.
OTOH, it is completely unclear how long parts and repair services for the ZM will be available, now that Cosina has pulled the plug on these cameras. I wouldn't bet a penny on Cosina still offering these services ten years down the road. There was a case posted here recently where a CV lens that had been discontinued only a couple of years ago was already deemed unrepairable at Cosina Japan because of "lack of parts". Given the niche existence of the ZMs on the (used film) camera market it is very unlikely that you will find any independent camera technician willing to work on the ZMs (let alone parts), except maybe for very general things like rangefinder adjustment.

 

[wakarimasen]

The price of the ZM (boxed etc) was less than a used M6, so I'm hoping I got a good deal. I don't see them too often on eBay and I was the only bidder, so I've either been lucky or foolish. Ffordes have a couple that are nearly double the price I paid.

In addition to the M4-P I also have an M2 and like them both. However, a built-in meter makes things a little easier, so I was shopping either for an M6 (which would have been more) or an M7, which would have probably been twice or nearly three times the price of the ZM.

If I don't like the Zeiss, then I may sell that and hold out for an M7 :bang: however, it seems to be a camera which has its' fans!

 

[joeswe]

I am not saying it was foolish you bought the ZM, I wanted to say it would be foolish to sell the M4-2 (or any other M for that matter)!

 

[jonmanjiro]

If I don't like the Zeiss, then I may sell that and hold out for an M7 :bang: however, it seems to be a camera which has its' fans!

I am one of those fans 🙂

IMO the ZI is the best M-mount camera with built-in AE available, even better than the M7 (owned and sold two of those). Its not a complicated machine, so I expect repairmen will be able to keep them working long after the factory no longer repairs them. Of all the gear I've sold over the years, the only item I have sellers remorse for is the black Zeiss Ikon I sold recently :bang: