Zeiss Ikon, Kaput

[T42]

Purchased in April 2006 and used very lightly, between 5-10 rolls. Everything seemed fine until I went to China in June, where I traveled from Shanghai to Urumqi and then Kashgar. On the southern road around the Taklamakan desert in Hotan, the shutter speed dial came lose. As I was trying to put it back in place the whole thing popped out and hit me in the face. This camera was always carried in a padded messenger, never dropped, banged or thrown, though I felt like chucking it when it died. I’d say that I averaged around 1-2 rolls a day for about two weeks before this happened. Wow, Mr. Kobayashi, you saved a few yen by putting plastic where you should have put metal.

Picture 2: the piece that slots over and moves the iso lever is made of a brittle plastic.

Picture 3: more than $1,000 for a piece of crap. What better way to hold it together than with a piece of toilet paper. I pushed the iso lever to where I thought 400 was and shot another couple of rolls.

Also disappointing is the pathetic rubber covering on the body. After only a month or two of use it was worn to threads in the corners. Although it was summer in China, temperatures were not that high – I was almost afraid to touch the thing for fear of damaging the grip. I half thought about keeping the ZI and buying the cover but what a hassle to change film + why should you have to buy a cover to stop the grip from turning to putty?

The camera shop where I bought my ZI were good enough to replace it with a new one, but they said that if it happens again it will have to be repaired. As soon as I sell it I’m going to buy a used Leica. I had to laugh out loud when the guy in the shop told me that Leica cameras are not waterproof but they are strong.

 

[roundg]

I am surprised to see how easy the rubber cover worn. As I can remember it's the second case reported in this forum. I know the weather in China. Not so hot to ruin a rubber product.

 

[sooner]

Sorry to hear about this problem. I must say, though, being a fellow traveler, that incorporating toilet paper into your camera is a clever way never to get caught without!

 

[Trius]

Since it's still under warranty, I'm sure it will be made right. I would write directly to Zeiss via email.

 

[Ken Ford]

I don't know if Kobayashi-san can be held to task for the design issues since it was a Zeiss decision, but I agree - totally unacceptable. Good luck!

 

[Olsen]

Again we see a ZI camera which is pritty heavy used. That the rubber (or whatever it is) comes loose is extraordinary. I have had mine for the same length of time, since April 2006. I can see no wear mark anywhere, except for small scratches in the pain here and there, which would be normal. Can you tell us more about 'how the shutter speed dial came loose'? Did you pull it loose?

A picture of my camera below to compare finnish. Mine has had 20 to 25 roll through it and been carried around in Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, Finland and Denmark the 9 months I have had it.

 

[ronnie_retro]

T42-

Definitely a bummer to have a new camera fail. I feel your pain.

However, as an engineer what I see here is most likely a QC problem on Cosina's part in that the film speed dial should have been fixed securely enough that it could not pop off on it's own. The use of plastic where you indicated may have been a deliberate decision. It's common design practice to select a sacrificial material (here, plastic) to act as a torque limiter to protect a more important component like the switch assembly itself. I don't know this in this case, but it's a likely possibility.

I don't think there was anything particularly outstanding in the photoshop replacing the camera; presumably you purchased it new and the camera is still under Zeiss warrenty. Always nice to see dealers honoring the manufacturer's warrenty, though.

I must say the T.P. under the dial is an exceptionally acid commentary on your part.

I have no idea what your pocket book is like - but before you spend twice as much for a used M7 as the Zeiss cost - you might want to give your replacement camera a chance to earn your confidencel. I've had my Zeiss for about a year and been quite pleased with it; I particularly like the viewfinder and luxurious shutter release. No parts poppin' off.

My $.02 on your situation.

Hope you get good service from your replacement, as you should.

 

[Robert Price]

What a shame, Such a nice camera to be so faulty.

 

[back alley]

i know i would be insane with rage if that was my camera.
maybe the cold doesn't affect the zi as much as mine have both ben exemplary in action at -25 to -40c. in fact, they last longer than i do these days.
as yet, nothing has popped or peeled off.

joe

 

[roundg]

I guess this may be only the one with this fault among 10000 cameras Zi produced. That's say the fault rate is only 0.01%. But on the other hand, it's 100% failure rate for the unlucky user.....

It's my understanding of QC on any product.

Good luck.

 

[Avotius]

I cant believe that, I live here in china and I know its not kind to cameras (chongqing especially with all the dust) but this is absurd. I have shot hundreds of rolls of film away in a old canon ae1 here and never saw anything like this not to mention all the photos ive taken with everything else.

Wait....what am I saying...I went though three ZI's and all were bad....ok, I can believe it I guess....but needless the say I hope your second is better then my second.

 

[Nachkebia]

heh, it is good that I am not alone 😀

 

[Olsen]

I think that the morale is; don't leave your ZI camera in the car or in direct sunshine. The glue and rubber combination starts to melt at 120 - 130 degrees C, it seems to.

 

[Nachkebia]

Olsen wrong

 

[Trius]

as yet, nothing has popped or peeled off.

joe

Uh, Joe ... remember our exchange on Flickr? You're balder than me.

 

[Ororaro]

Again we see a ZI camera which is pritty heavy used. That the rubber (or whatever it is) comes loose is extraordinary. I have had mine for the same length of time, since April 2006. I can see no wear mark anywhere, except for small scratches in the pain here and there, which would be normal. Can you tell us more about 'how the shutter speed dial came loose'? Did you pull it loose?

A picture of my camera below to compare finnish. Mine has had 20 to 25 roll through it and been carried around in Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, Finland and Denmark the 9 months I have had it.

5-10 rolls is not heavily used. Besides, look at all the 50 year old heavily used Leicas going around. They all look almost like-new lol!

Really, I'm staying with Leica all the way!

 

[back alley]

Uh, Joe ... remember our exchange on Flickr? You're balder than me.

ah, earl...i was talking about the camera😉

 

[back alley]

i love choice!!!!!!!!!!

choose what makes you happy and then shoot till it hurts!

 

[Matthew Runkel]

I think that the morale is; don't leave your ZI camera in the car or in direct sunshine. The glue and rubber combination starts to melt at 120 - 130 degrees C, it seems to.

And the moral of "The Three Pigs" is . . . don't play with alligators?

 

[T42]

Kaput Zeiss Ikon

Kaput Zeiss Ikon

The camera store replaced the defective unit with a new one. No complaints here, however, it was the third one I tried - the first two had rangefinder alignment issues. When I bought the first one I also had to try 3-4 before I found one where the rangefinder was 'on' at infinity.

If Kobayashi can take the credit he can also take the heat. Heavy use? I'd hardly call less than 30 rolls heavy. This was the most expensive thing I had ever purchased in my life - it was treated with the utmost care. Did I pull the shutter speed dial off? Yeah, right. And I stressed tested the grip/covering with a lighter...

The use of toilet paper was out of necessity. The main stem of the shutter speed assembly can be rotated with a coin. You can feel the difference between a shutter speed and the AE +/- settings by the weight of the clicks. If your shutter speed dial ever falls off you can put your camera in the AE position and continue shooting. Toilet paper was used to keep what was left of the dial in position so that dust wouldn't get into the camera but you could use gum or a piece of plastic. Maybe that would have been more appropriate.

I'm not shocked that a new Zeiss Ikon failed but I am surprised (and very happy) that so few users here have not had similar problems. I asked the bloke at the camera store how many Zeiss Ikons they had sold and he said between 50 and 100. 3 or 4 have come back with broken shutter speed dials. Here's picture of the front showing evidence of 'heavy' use.