Zeiss Ikon SW - Opinions?

[haempe]

Thinking about a successor for my Bessa L (mostly used with CV 25/4 snapshot or CV 15/4.5).
Came across with the ZI SW. I wonder, what remains of a camera, highly praised for their viewfinder, after the amputation of that.

Some ZI SW users here? All the collected impressions are very welcome...

Thanks,

 

[Roger Hicks]

Very nice camera, much easier to use meter than the normal ZI, but of limited usefulness except for an ultra-wide. What are you expecting it to do that your L can't? Or has the L died?

Put it this way: it's a much nicer camera to use than an L, but if you already have a working L... My suspicion is that it's a collectors' item in waiting.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Tom A]

I have the SW (and the L's). Main use is with ultrawides and on Bellows/microscope as it removes the headache of trying to figure out exposure compensation! Same exposure system as the ZM (i.e very good) - It is a bit weird - but it works well.

 

[haempe]

Thanks for the input.
My L is on his last legs. After 2-3 rolls I have to reassemble the winding mechanism. And, honestly, the design is not very durable. Many plastic parts in the gear, self-releasing screws etc.
But I really like the use of the CV 25 Snapshot and I would imagine that is with AE even more pleasure.
And a M mount and a metal housing sounds like a nice addition.
Any known weak points?

 

[sepiareverb]

I quite like mine with the 21/2.8 ASPH, and hopefully will get to use it one day with an adapted G16/8.

Meter is indeed very good, and the readout for the meter is very simple.

 

[sepiareverb]

Any known weak points?

The camera seems a bit thin in the hand (I don't think it is thinner than an M, but it seems like it- perhaps the squared shape?), and while the Zeiss grip helps, but isn't as big as it should be.

Not a weak point, but the 21 I use and the ZM 25 I had are both more front-heavy on this light body than on a Leica. A compact wide would likely be a dream.

 

[haempe]

The camera seems a bit thin in the hand (I don't think it is thinner than an M, but it seems like it- perhaps the squared shape?), and while the Zeiss grip helps, but isn't as big as it should be.

Not a weak point, but the 21 I use and the ZM 25 I had are both more front-heavy on this light body than on a Leica. A compact wide would likely be a dream.

Well, if this are the weakest points, it sounds like a very good choice...😉

 

[sepiareverb]

Well, if this are the weakest points, it sounds like a very good choice...😉

I think it is.

 

[Vobluda]

For about same money you can have Konica Hexar RF body, which would be my choice instead of Zeiss Ikon SW.

 

[lxmike]

Looks like a nice camera, I have an L, (which I like), alas the Zeiss is well out of my price range

 

[Roger Hicks]

For about same money you can have Konica Hexar RF body, which would be my choice instead of Zeiss Ikon SW.

Not in a million years. An out-of-production body from a firm that's stopped making cameras versus a current model that shares a lot of parts with another current model?

Cheers,

R.

 

[haempe]

For about same money you can have Konica Hexar RF body, which would be my choice instead of Zeiss Ikon SW.

I'm sure you're right there.
But I like in my Bessa-L is precisely the absence of a viewfinder and rangefinder. I want to photograph intuitive and simply to plug an external viewfinder on my Bessa or MP, just does not work with the snapshot. I see automatically through the camera viewfinder, and let me irritate by the unused rangefinder.

 

[sepiareverb]

Not in a million years. An out-of-production body from a firm that's stopped making cameras versus a current model that shares a lot of parts with another current model?

Cheers,

R.

Precisely.

I'd avoid a Hexar like the plague at this point. And the Hexar would be used vs a new SW at nearly the same price.

 

[haempe]

Not in a million years. An out-of-production body from a firm that's stopped making cameras versus a current model that shares a lot of parts with another current model?

Cheers,

R.

This are wise words, but sometimes no rational reasons can stop us.
I´m also guilty in this case, I buyed a CLE instead a Bessa R4A...🙄

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm sure you're right there.
But I like in my Bessa-L is precisely the absence of a viewfinder and rangefinder. I want to photograph intuitive and simply to plug an external viewfinder on my Bessa or MP, just does not work with the snapshot. I see automatically through the camera viewfinder, and let me irritate by the unused rangefinder.

Going in another direction, slightly, Frances loved the Tri-Elmar on her ZI-SW. There's a pic towards the end of http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/reviews wate.html. If only we could afford the WATE...

Cheers,

R.

 

[haempe]

If only we could afford the WATE...

I'm (in silver photography) a hobbyist, I'm too stingy to Leitz glass, I am sure that "the last 5 percent" are not visible on my photos anyway. But for comfortable-to-use camerabodys, this is another thing.

 

[Mister E]

I picked up an Ikon SW a few weeks ago. I paid about 3x more than what I paid for my Bessa L and it's more than 10x the camera. I'm not a huge fan of the AE with slide film, but with B&W and C-41 it's great.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I picked up an Ikon SW a few weeks ago. I paid about 3x more than what I paid for my Bessa L and it's more than 10x the camera. I'm not a huge fan of the AE with slide film, but with B&W and C-41 it's great.

True enough. Hard to say exactly why, but true.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mister E]

True enough. Hard to say exactly why, but true.

Cheers,

R.

For me it's mostly because my Bessa L did nothing but repeatedly break.

 

[Roger Hicks]

For me it's mostly because my Bessa L did nothing but repeatedly break.

I only ever had an L on review for a few months, but we've had the SW for much longer and it's flawless.

Cheers,

R.