who owns a recent production zeiss ikon here?

#64 My old post has gone missing, but since then I have obtained a secondhand (or 'preloved' in cheesey speak) black ZM 50mm f2:D . Sweet- cos' my ZM body is black and I think a chrome one would jar slightly (very shallow I know, but black lens on chrome body looks OK).
 
i bought a Zeiss Sonnar 50mm for my Leica MP few days ago. Great build and design quality, it's my first Zeiss lens :)
 
ZeissFan said:
I detest that lump on the Bessa and wish that Rollei had shaved it off when it cloned the Bessa-R2 for its Rollei 35 RF.
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When I take off the side grip, I see what you mean about "the lump"--especially when you're trying to hit the AE lock button. But with the side grip, it works. Side grip does add weight, tho...
 
Just ordered myself a black ZI from eBay, so I guess that makes me # 65 ! :)

BTW, was really a hard decision between an M7 in neat condition and very attractive price and the ZI. In the end I decided to go for the ZI due to better fit with my hands. And that nice ZI viewfinder won't hurt either.
 
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back alley said:
welcome to the world of zeiss!
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Thanks, however I've been there already some time with my Contax SLR gear, now just felt the need (GAS again?) to expand to the Zeiss RF territory! Had to sell the Tessar 45/2.8 and Vario Sonnar 28-70/3.5-4.5 though to make this purchase a bit easier to swallow and to calm down my girlfriend :) .
 
whoa, well i am seriously thinking about a silver ZI.....but when? i think i will have to wait until i sell off some under-used lenses. yet there's no doubt i will buy mine from popflash, i've had nothing but good service from him.
 
my black zi arrived from popflash along with the grip today. now after about
30 years i hold a film camera. brings back memories. this is for bw only. my
m8 shall do for color.

loaded the first film, a kodak t-max 400. only one available here now.

the journey begins!
 
Welcome to the club ! I also started shooting recently after some 30 years absence, and frankly, it is a very rewarding experience - you will love this camera, esp if you put a nice 35mm on...
 
New ZI

New ZI

Just received my black, Zeiss Ikon from PopFlash. The ZI will now be the primary backup and film mate to my Leica M8. Hope they will both happily share lenses for a long time. :rolleyes:
 
Sorry I took so long to post.
203564483-S.jpg
 
One more with sidegrip

One more with sidegrip

203565848-S.jpg


This rig has a sidegrip, mini soft release, B+W UV MRC filter. C Sonnar and Hood, with a mini UpStrap (boy, they really work).
 
After three years of using Bessa series, recently I got a new ZI & Biogon 35mm.

I'm really satisfied with this camera. More rigid, more brilliant. :)
 
My ZI should be ariving hopefully by Friday! :)

I have a ZM Planar coming my way as well soon. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have both. We'll see though. :)
 
The Truth Hurts...

The Truth Hurts...

Within the last month I owned two new Zeiss Ikon RF cameras and two new 50mm f/2 ZM Planar lenses. One black body and lens and one silver body and lens. Both sets were returned for a full refund as they were, in my opinion, not meant for taking pictures but meant for body jewelry. Just a comment or two for reference. The film advance in both cameras felt like a meat grinder, or should I say a cheap Ricoh SLR camera. I know because I own a cheap Ricoh SLR camera and for a $120 camera and lens I accept that. The so called quality ZM lenses are a total farce. When holding the cameras in the horizontal plane both lenses focused smoothly. However when holding the cameras in the vertical plane both lenses exhibited a rough uneven focus feel similar to unscrewing a cap on a jar of mayonnaise. More so with the shutter release towards the ground. I think because the lens barrel is overly heavy, attempting to give a quality feeling with weight rather than a good ergonomic feel. The overly coated optics are too contrasty to say the least. Lens flare was not a problem without a hood but so what. Using a lens without a hood is asking for crappy pictures anyway. What was troubling was taking pictures under high contrast situations. Empty shadows with blowout highlights. Hey, let's go digital.

Oh yeah, and that big bad bright viewfinder. I guess that's OK if your eyes are shot (bad) but if you have normal vision it's a big bad drag. In reality the big bad viewfinder takes longer to view the entire scene because one has to scan the scene within the framelines while being distracted with all the useless space outside the frame. Oh yeah, one really gets hung-up eyeballing the big bad window while forgetting to snap the shutter... cool eye-candy though. Bigger and brighter is not better.

I won't go into the meter or the rest of the minutia. It's just... oh so boring.

My rating... a total zero for $2000. Use a Leica kit or a Konica Auto S2.

Best,
George

Packing my bags and moving to Vancouver... maybe.
 
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George Bonanno said:
Within the last month I owned two new Zeiss Ikon RF cameras and two new 50mm f/2 ZM Planar lenses. One black body and lens and one silver body and lens. Both sets were returned for a full refund as they were, in my opinion, not meant for taking pictures but meant for body jewelry. Just a comment or two for reference. The film advance in both cameras felt like a meat grinder, or should I say a cheap Ricoh SLR camera. I know because I own a cheap Ricoh SLR camera and for a $120 camera and lens I accept that. The so called quality ZM lenses are a total farce. When holding the cameras in the horizontal plane both lenses focused smoothly. However when holding the cameras in the vertical plane both lenses exhibited a rough uneven focus feel similar to unscrewing a cap on a jar of mayonnaise. More so with the shutter release towards the ground. I think because the lens barrel is overly heavy, attempting to give a quality feeling with weight rather than a good ergonomic feel. The overly coated optics are too contrasty to say the least. Lens flare was not a problem without a hood but so what. Using a lens without a hood is asking for crappy pictures anyway. What was troubling was taking pictures under high contrast situations. Empty shadows with blowout highlights. Hey, let's go digital.

Oh yeah, and that big bad bright viewfinder. I guess that's OK if your eyes are shot (bad) but if you have normal vision it's a big bad drag. In reality the big bad viewfinder takes longer to view the entire scene because one has to scan the scene within the framelines while being distracted with all the useless space outside the frame. Oh yeah, one really gets hung-up eyeballing the big bad window while forgetting to snap the shutter... cool eye-candy though. Bigger and brighter is not better.

I won't go into the meter or the rest of the minutia. It's just... oh so boring.

My rating... a total zero for $2000. Use a Leica kit or a Konica Auto S2.

Best,
George

Packing my bags and moving to Vancouver... maybe.
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Sorry George, but your post is useless because caricatured. How could you seriously say, for instance, that the VF of the ZI is "bad"; it's better than the 0.72 VF of any Leica M, no contest. I just can't use my M2 now I have the ZI.
That the ZI as well built as the Leica Mx is true; the Leica Mx feels rugged, reliable in any circumstances. You don't like the Planar, find it too contrasty; fine, I too did find it too contrasty. But you can't rate the ZI, zero for the bucks.
Come on, the ZI and the Leica M7 are not in the same price ballpark. You must have plenty of $$$ to buy 2 ZI+ 2 Planars, and send them back because they're not Leica. So what's your point exactly? That you have big bucks to spend; congrats on the money then.
But some people here like to take pictures, and when they don't have the money for a M7+Summilux asph, they use a Fed, a GSN, a Bessa Rx or a ZI ... and make good pictures. That's what's important.
BTW, I don't have enough money to keep the ZI and my M2, so I have to sell one of them ... guess which one?
Best,
Marc
 
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