Huck Finn
Well-known
Previously posted was Tom Abrahamsson's review of the Zeiss Ikon, based on his initial impressions. Now after a month of use & 50 rolls of film run through it, here is his user report:
The Zeiss Ikon Camera:
It is one of the great finders for anyone who uses 28/35/50 as their prime lenses; the eye relief on the camera is nothing short of outstanding. You can see the frames clearly and the frames are distinct (with a nice legend telling you which frame is engaged). The 28 and the 85 appear at the same time, and the 35 and 50 frames are shown in splendid isolation.
The camera body is lighter than the M's, but it doesn't feel flimsy. Modern materials and manufacturing allow for light weight alloys that are as strong as the brass and steel of the past. I don't 'baby" cameras and the ZI is treated as I would treat any M2 or MP. It is dropped in the shoulder bag without padding or protection, and so far the paint has not shown any chips or scratches, nor has the rangefinder gotten misaligned, nor has any electronic function gone "dysfunctional."
The meter is very precise, at least for black & white (which is all I shoot), and the start-up from Locked to Unlocked is virtually instantaneous. It is not as quiet as a well-used M, but the sound is not "penetrating." It is more of a clunk; less penetrating than a Bessa R2 and even less than the R2A/3A. The release is very smooth and you can even get away with handheld shots at 1/15 and a 50 mm lens (somewhat dependent on your coffee intake of course).
The film advance is ultra-smooth. It took me a while to trust that film was actually running through he camera, it is that smooth. The rewind function is noticeably "rougher." You can feel the sprockets as the film is wound back. Most likely it is the smoothness of the advance that makes you notice the resistance in the rewind.
It is not perfect of course. I am not fond of bottom rewinds; you have to flip the camera over to check if the film is running as it should. And occasionally when you shoot verticals, the rewind crank hits your finger. The lock for the back is insubstantial and I have the nagging feeling that one day it will pop open by mistake or when someone is fondling the camera and goes: "What this button here?" and proceeds to push on it! The display in the viewfinder is running down on the left hand side, and if you are shooting in bright light, it occasionally disappears. It is less prone to this than the Hexar RF, which was notorious for this. If you stick the 75/1.4 S-lux or 75/2 S-cron on the camera, you are faced with a 50 frame! There is no manual override, and this is a personal irritant for me as I use these lenses frequently.
The short of it: the FINDER, oh so good! Exposure system and the AE Lock. Just press the button on the back and it will hold the reading for 20 seconds or until you press it again. So far I have no "Hexaritis" in using Leica lenses on the ZI nor any problem with CV lenses. The Leica lenses key in the correct frames (the 90 mm lenses give you the 85 frame, close enough for me). Oh, and did I mention the FINDER?
As for longevity, I don't know. It is not an M2, but I suspect that it will hold up as well as an M7 in the long run. My opinions are based on 50+ (rolls of) film in a month and that so far no battery fades either (2 SR76). Like any electronic wonders, the batteries die and you better have a couple of spares or you have a dead camera!
The Zeiss Ikon Camera:
It is one of the great finders for anyone who uses 28/35/50 as their prime lenses; the eye relief on the camera is nothing short of outstanding. You can see the frames clearly and the frames are distinct (with a nice legend telling you which frame is engaged). The 28 and the 85 appear at the same time, and the 35 and 50 frames are shown in splendid isolation.
The camera body is lighter than the M's, but it doesn't feel flimsy. Modern materials and manufacturing allow for light weight alloys that are as strong as the brass and steel of the past. I don't 'baby" cameras and the ZI is treated as I would treat any M2 or MP. It is dropped in the shoulder bag without padding or protection, and so far the paint has not shown any chips or scratches, nor has the rangefinder gotten misaligned, nor has any electronic function gone "dysfunctional."
The meter is very precise, at least for black & white (which is all I shoot), and the start-up from Locked to Unlocked is virtually instantaneous. It is not as quiet as a well-used M, but the sound is not "penetrating." It is more of a clunk; less penetrating than a Bessa R2 and even less than the R2A/3A. The release is very smooth and you can even get away with handheld shots at 1/15 and a 50 mm lens (somewhat dependent on your coffee intake of course).
The film advance is ultra-smooth. It took me a while to trust that film was actually running through he camera, it is that smooth. The rewind function is noticeably "rougher." You can feel the sprockets as the film is wound back. Most likely it is the smoothness of the advance that makes you notice the resistance in the rewind.
It is not perfect of course. I am not fond of bottom rewinds; you have to flip the camera over to check if the film is running as it should. And occasionally when you shoot verticals, the rewind crank hits your finger. The lock for the back is insubstantial and I have the nagging feeling that one day it will pop open by mistake or when someone is fondling the camera and goes: "What this button here?" and proceeds to push on it! The display in the viewfinder is running down on the left hand side, and if you are shooting in bright light, it occasionally disappears. It is less prone to this than the Hexar RF, which was notorious for this. If you stick the 75/1.4 S-lux or 75/2 S-cron on the camera, you are faced with a 50 frame! There is no manual override, and this is a personal irritant for me as I use these lenses frequently.
The short of it: the FINDER, oh so good! Exposure system and the AE Lock. Just press the button on the back and it will hold the reading for 20 seconds or until you press it again. So far I have no "Hexaritis" in using Leica lenses on the ZI nor any problem with CV lenses. The Leica lenses key in the correct frames (the 90 mm lenses give you the 85 frame, close enough for me). Oh, and did I mention the FINDER?
As for longevity, I don't know. It is not an M2, but I suspect that it will hold up as well as an M7 in the long run. My opinions are based on 50+ (rolls of) film in a month and that so far no battery fades either (2 SR76). Like any electronic wonders, the batteries die and you better have a couple of spares or you have a dead camera!
