Still using your Zeiss Ikon ZM?

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. It's great to know that the Ikon, almost seeming a bit of a sleeper, is still being loved and used.

@android - could you embed that image at a smaller size? It's playing havoc with the forum display! :)
 
Took my Ikon out for a walk today with the CV 15/4.5 and ZM Sonnar 50/1.5. I decided against using the grip for today and was very pleasantly surprised at how it felt to be using it again.

Metering seems accurate, although I am mindful of the left-weighted metering pattern. The shutter has that nice, positive click, and wind-on feels good, too. The weight difference between the Ikon and the M9 and M7 is very noticeable, although the light body means that with the CV 15/4.5, the camera tends to tilt backwards/upwards when hanging from the neck or shoulder.

I finished an old roll of Portra 400 VC today and will get that processed when I can. It has been so long since I've shot with the Ikon that I momentarily forgot how to thread the leader into the spool! But it wound on very positively and each pull of the lever makes the rewind crank turn, so it's obviously working. It took me a while to remember to use the AEL button on the back, rather than half pressing the shutter like a Leica, but all in all, a good shooting experience.

I've become wary of the strap lugs because of stories of them wearing through, so I'm going to get some strong nylon cord and use that as the connection point instead of the twist-through rings.

Fun, fun, fun!
 
Going strong. Is the center patch of anyone's a bit crooked?

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No crooked rangefinder patch here. Mine is still going strong, still putting out well exposed pictures if I do my part the way I'm supposed to. I have sold an M6, and M7 and still have the ZI. I still have my M3 so I'm certainly not Leica-deprived. :D
 
Pioneer said:
AAACH!! :eek:

Say it isn't so!

You will miss it.
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Sorry! What with Canon, Nikon, Bronica, Leica and Zeiss cameras, I'm desperately trying to pair things down. The Zeiss is the one I use the least. In fact, since having it for just over a year, I've only put one roll of film through it. I just don't seem to have 'bonded' with it, so....

The hard decision is still to come: Canon or Nikon :eek:
 
Which to sell and which to keep. I love my FE and F3 but have a Canon 1D Mark III instead of digital Nikons. I'd like to settle on one or the other, but it's proving to be a difficult decision.
 
Had one which was sent in to Zeiss twice while still under warranty. Second time they sent me a new one - excellent service. After considerable thought I sold it to a fellow member, kept a VL R3a. No regrets, but I the Bessa is no use in cold weather so finally I got a Leica M6 (ttl). If I ever get the money I'd like to try an M7 for the quick shots, simply because the M6 is a delight to handle.
 
My ZI ZM is my main camera for a year now.
I am having great time, and after a year of use with the same batteries faded out on a mountain hike at 10 oC...
This might be normal for a year use circle and the metal body...
Overall is a wonderful camera! And a pleasure to shoot with..!
 
My ZIM is by far my favorite camera of all time. It's the best combination of size, features and simplicity I've come across. If you want to assault someone, use a Leica. If you want to take photos, use a ZIM.
 
lshofstra said:
Had one which was sent in to Zeiss twice while still under warranty. Second time they sent me a new one - excellent service. After considerable thought I sold it to a fellow member, kept a VL R3a. No regrets, but I the Bessa is no use in cold weather so finally I got a Leica M6 (ttl). If I ever get the money I'd like to try an M7 for the quick shots, simply because the M6 is a delight to handle.
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What problems are you having with the Bessa in cold weather that you would not have with the Zeiss Ikon or the Leica M6?

Cheers,
Dez
 
here's a sort of lost pooch finds its way back home story. I bought mine from Jonmanjiro here and liked it a lot, and a number of the (relatively few) color images I post in my rff gallery were shot with the ZI/50 Planar/35 2.8 C-Biogon & Ektar. But within 4-5 months, J. wrote that he missed the ZI and would I sell it back to him? And since I am a lovable and generous person when I'm not a selfish *******, I sold it back for the same price I paid him. So it had a spring/summer fling with me. Pardon the mixed cliches.

But then I have an M5 and that ought to be enough M for me. (Still, I did pick up a Hexar RF to have a ZI-style meter readout + AE, with the extra perk of motorized advance, as a consolation for returning the ZI home to Japan.)
 
After another hiatus of a year or so, I just picked up my Ikon again, only to discover that the batteries have died. No problem, right? When I opened the battery port, I noticed that there were LR44's inside. A bit of reading suggests that LR44's will run down a lot faster than SR44's, which are preferred for cameras. So tomorrow morning, I'll grab some SR44's and be ready to rock!
 
As you say, most photographic manufacturers recommend that you should not use an alkaline battery such as the LR44 because it cannot deliver consistent performance i.e. voltage starts to drop quite rapidly. Suggest you try a single lithium battery like the Duracell DL 1/3N. I have used these in my ZI for many years and found them longer lasting and more convenient than two silver batteries like SR44.
 
Dez said:
What problems are you having with the Bessa in cold weather that you would not have with the Zeiss Ikon or the Leica M6? Cheers, Dez
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Sorry for not answering this question at the time. I never got to read it due to illness.

The answer is that cold weather drops the voltage of the batteries enough to make the camera quit on me. Same thing in my Bessa 667. So I would expect the same problem with a ZM. The M6 is not battery dependent and it works without fail. The lightmeter needs power, but even that has never failed me no matter how cold the camera was (only talking of temperatures of -10 C).
There are, ofcourse, things you can do. If possible I keep the camera inside my coat...
 
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