Sold My Zeiss Ikon

[Olsen]

It was the event of buying my Zeiss Ikon that brought me to these pages. - And so on. I have so many cameras, most of them film cameras, some of them have to go. Despite the rumour that Spoks is planting around about me, that I am such a rich guy that really don't have to bother about what cameras are costing, - I do have to bother about what cameras are costing. Particularly if the M9 is going to cost € 6.000.

So, my Zeiss Ikon had to go.

One of my very few cameras that I have ever sold, unfortunately. It was nothing about the camera, except for that it is a film camera (I have all too many of them), that decided that it is this camera that had to go. I stand by what I have claimed about the Zeiss Ikon here before; that it is just as good, if not better, than it's Leica competitors. Better viewfinder, better shutter - which I am convinced is far more reliable than both M6/7 and the MP and an easier way of film loading. It was a pleasant camera to own and operate. Possibly the most beautiful camera in my extensive collection. No less.

I sold it together with the ZM 25 mm 2,8 - which is one of my favourite lenses, pluss viewfinder. This lens works excellent with this camera, but less so with my M8.

I don't like selling cameras. it is like parting with a girlfriend...

 

[axiom]

.. Despite the rumour that Spoks is planting around about me, that I am such a rich guy that really don't have to bother about what cameras are costing, - I do have to bother about what cameras are costing. Particularly if the M9 is going to cost € 6.000....

maybe I can see why there is such a rumor..

ps. Enjoy your new girlfriend

 

[MartinP]

I probably shouldn't observe that taking a shower together could reduce the resale value somewhat on the ZI . . . .

 

[Tuolumne]

Once you've planted your flag on the moon, you own it forever.

/T

 

[MartinP]

Hmmm, my previous comment was juvenile and immature, sorry about that Olsen.

I keep thinking that I should get rid of a few FSU's and a Mamiya (all a bit more trashy than your cute German/Japanese), but . . . it is easy to look at the post and packing as a hurdle, and the minimal sales prices (certainly no profit) and then think they can stay in the cupboard a bit longer !

 

[35mmdelux]

Nice as the ZI may be, it doesnt have the industrial built of the Leica. Thus it cannot be more reliable. A Toyota Tundra is a nice vechicle, but it is not a Hummer.

Similarly, the Contax 645 is a fantastic auto-everything camera. But the workhorse is the Hasselblad. So too the Leica.

I think its interesting the ZI was liquidated first.

Best Regards -- Paul

 

[Olsen]

Nice as the ZI may be, it doesnt have the industrial built of the Leica. Thus it cannot be more reliable. A Toyota Tundra is a nice vechicle, but it is not a Hummer.

Similarly, the Contax 645 is a fantastic auto-everything camera. But the workhorse is the Hasselblad. So too the Leica.

I think its interesting the ZI was liquidated first.

Best Regards -- Paul

The ZI does not have that wow-effect on people, like the Leicas have whenever they get a chance to hold one. Still that does not say that Leica is that reliable. Both my M8 and MP have been to Solms.

 

[sepiareverb]

Sounds like one big error to me. I'd not sell a camera I really liked simply to start saving for another that is still only a rumor that I might not like once it gets released. But then I've never had a camera I felt was anything close to a lover...

Sell the rest of the film cameras and get another ZI.

 

[Pablito]

Both my M8 and MP have been to Solms.

Try an M2, M4, M6. Much more reliable. The ones I hear about going to the hospital are the MP and of course the M8. I'm not mentioning the M3 only because it's so old.

 

[maddoc]

Actual Leica models and reliability ... 🙄 Two years ago and just before a trip, my MP went to Leica for repair of the shutter (warranty). last Saturday the shutter of my M7 broke and the camera has to be sent to Leica for repair. Again, two weeks before a trip... :bang:

 

[trev2401]

Actual Leica models and reliability ... 🙄 Two years ago and just before a trip, my MP went to Leica for repair of the shutter (warranty). last Saturday the shutter of my M7 broke and the camera has to be sent to Leica for repair. Again, two weeks before a trip... :bang:

sorry to hear about that gabor,

but don't mind me asking, how do the shutters of the m7/mp break/malfunction? Do you mind sharing the symptoms, signs?

thanks

 

[maddoc]

That's how the shutter of my M7 looks like:

In case of my MP it was a bright stripe (on the negative) on the right side of every frame when using shutter speeds of 1/500s and 1/1000s. Since I rarely use these shutter speeds it took me some time to figure it out.

 

[35mmdelux]

The ones I hear about going to the hospital are the MP and of course the M8. I'm not mentioning the M3 only because it's so old.

Very well said. Out of 10+ Leicas Ive owned in the past 10 years only the MP went to the emergency room with battery drainage.

 

[FrankS]

The best Leicas are the older Leicas. These were designed and built by engineers motivated by pride in excellence, still unfettered by bean-counters who now call the shots. (Just my opinion.)

 

[larmarv916]

Well.. I have not had the pleasure of owning a Zeiss body. But the 25mm, and Sonnar 50. Both the new ZM's have been delivering superior negatives. Sonnar out perfromed by last series "non" ASPH 50 Lux. The 25 is superior to the Leica 24. Now I have not tried the new 24 F1.4. So I will wait to pass judgement on the new, 21 and 24. I do know that my M3's always seem smoother and focus better. Never have any viewfinder glare...ever!
I like the meter in the M5 better for low light over the modern M6TTL and later models. SO..when you drop a camera from your "inventory" it is most often because..you just not using it. Some times that is cycical work issue. Like suddenly finding you are shooting a lot of a single lens. The your mind shifts to another perspective and now do not see that focal length for a few months. So I do not read to much into that stuff. I see our friends need to drop his Zeiss as just adjustment of his "game"not much else.

All the best....Laurance

 

[Turtle]

Most older Leica's we talk about are ones without meters... less to go wrong and if they did have issues after delivery they were likely rectified long ago!

I dont wish to tempt fate, but out of seven Leicas I have owned I have not had any problems with any (apart from slight RF misalignment on one used MP). Anecdotal internet chats on reliabilty are not exactly statistically sound!

Olsen,

You are going to miss that ZI but the 25 even more. I keep trying to sell cameras to pay for the last one I bought, but it seems not to work very well! I think its fairly moot which is the better camera out of Leica/Zeiss as personal preference over rides any real performance differences. What feels right is much more important.

 

[freeranger]

just out of hypothetical interest - if zeiss announced FF digital Ikon at the same time as the M9 release - which way would you jump?

 

[Turtle]

I realise the question was direct at Olsen, but personally, I would jump towards the one I thought better for my needs. Could be either... but it would need to be FF. A better' Zeiss camera with cropped sensor would not even get a look in as I want the exact same sensor size as my film. I can't be doing with buying ludicrously expensive ultrawides to get a moderately fast moderately wide lens and then the hassle of thinking two ways at once whe using film and cropped sensors interchangeably.

 

[johannielscom]

I realise the question was direct at Olsen, but personally, I would jump towards the one I thought better for my needs. Could be either... but it would need to be FF. A better' Zeiss camera with cropped sensor would not even get a look in as I want the exact same sensor size as my film. I can't be doing with buying ludicrously expensive ultrawides to get a moderately fast moderately wide lens and then the hassle of thinking two ways at once whe using film and cropped sensors interchangeably.

Amazed. Can't see the benefit of FF.

I think RF photography is best practised using some math😎, and the 1.33 crop on the M8 is just too simple:

12mm=16mm,
15mm=20mm,
21mm=28mm,
28mm=37mm,
35mm=47mm,
50mm=67mm (extra focal length, slight portrait tele),
90mm=120mm,
135mm=180mm

So, for any film body lens, simply pick the next focal length up to know what it will look like on the 1.33 sensor.

The 50mm will turn into a nice small tele lens, perfectly suited for portraits. The only focal difference worthy of mentioning is the 90mm turning into a 120mm, which is an odd one out.

Now, the inadequate frame lines and the bloody IR-cut filters on the M8, those are a reason to get the M9!

Olsen, I would have sold the M8's instead of the ZI when you mind remembering the crop factor. That would have done away with the problem forgood. And the 21mm you love would still have been a 21mm on the M9.

 

[johannielscom]

Another way to look at the FF vs. crop thingy:

I feel it's a great advantage to be able to shoot two cameras with a 35mm focal view, while owning only one 35mm lens, without having to swap the lens all the time! Digital=color, Film=B&W, lets roll!