Zeiss ikon Taxona cameras

[seany65]

I'd been looking for a thread to post a couple of pics of an odd Taxona camera to ask if anyone had any info, but I've only been able to find a couple of old threads about filter sizes so I decided that there should be a special thread to collect all the known info about them in one place.

They use 35mm film to give 24mmx24mm negatives, and are a development of the Zeiss Ikon Tenax cameras, which also used 35mm film to give 24mmx24mm negatives.

They can come supplied with zeiss Tessar lenses which it seems have 18.5mm filter/hood threads and can take 24mm push-on filters and hoods.

They can also come supplied with Novonar Anastigmat lenses which possibly also have 18mm filter/hood threads and can possibly take 24mm push-on filters/hoods.

The pdf manual I have doesn't mention filter sizes. It says the shutter speeds are 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 300th.

At one point it says the the depth of focus scale on the camera has been calculated for a "circle of confusion" of 1/30th mm. but a few pages later in the depth of field chart, applicable to both lenses says "circle of confusion" of 1/20th mm diameter 1/500th inch. As far as I know, this sort of info is a bit unusual.

Now, anyone got any ideas what this black bit above and to the left of the lens, is? I think it's a cable release socket, or a socket for using an autoknips delayed timer thingy.

 

[Bill Jones]

Sean,

Zeiss Ikon used 1/20mm or approx 1/500in as their standard circle of confusion for their 35mm cameras. Their cameras and lenses were marked to that standard. They typically gave DoF info with their cameras. For interchangeable lens cameras they provided DoF table booklets for all the applicable focal lengths available for the camera.

As far as the black bit goes, I don't know, But the flash contact for the camera is normally at the 12 o'clock position of the shutter and since this is covered by the black bit, it may indicate there is some flash contact in it.

Bill

 

[seany65]

Bill, thanks for the info. I don't remember seeing mention of "circle of confusion" in any other camera manual.

In the pdf Taxona manual I have, it points to the bottom of the recess that is just below the bottom right of the viewfinder (as we look at the camera from the front) and labels that the "Flash Contact". From what I can tell in the pic I posted of the front, the black bit doesn't cover it. It is much harder to tell if it does in the second pic. I did think that there was a hole for a cable release at the far right in the second pic, but with the screen brightness waaaaaay up, the hole looks oblongular (yay! I knew at some point I'd be able to use the word I made up some years ago! lol.)

 

[Bill Jones]

Sean,

The hole in the black plastic bit does line up with the shutter release lever. So it may be for a cable release. If so it should take a standard cable release. If you can see thru it, why not try one? Since the bit is plastic and the shutter release travels to the left viewed from the front, it might become "oblongular" from long usage with a cable release.

Bill

 

[seany65]

Bill, I don't own that camera with the black thing on, I just wanted to try and find out. I did think it may be a cable release socket, but looking at it now, I think the depth of the black bit and the travel of the shutter lever needs makes it looks too long for the err, "prongy" bit of a shutter cable which pokes out and presses the shutter button. I've only just noticed that it does seem to have the Pentacon Tower on it, so it must be "official", whatever it is.

 

[seany65]

I've seen a number of 18.5mm filters but have noticed that none of them seem to have a thread on the front. So are the lens hoods supposed be push-on hoods? If so, why?

 

[Bill Jones]

I've seen a number of 18.5mm filters but have noticed that none of them seem to have a thread on the front. So are the lens hoods supposed be push-on hoods? If so, why?

Sean,

The Taxona is an East German continuation of the pre-war Tenax with very slight changes in manufacturing. Pre-war cameras often used push-on filters and lens hoods. Most Contax lenses prior to 1936 had push on only and screw in came in as an option to push on with Zeiss Ikon only during and after 1936. This remained the case thru early 1960's with many brands.

Bill

 

[seany65]

Hello Bill, I found out about some of the Tenax/Taxona history quite a while ago, and had considered getting a Taxona until I found out about the 18.5mm thread, but was looking through filters for various cameras of mine and I saw some threaded 18.5mm filters but I noticed they don't have threads on the front. I found this very odd as all my push-on filters take push-on lens hoods, and all my threaded filters take threaded hoods, but the filters I saw can only be described as "Hybrids" ie. threaded at the back but push-on at the front.

I've just done another search on ebay for 18.5mm filters, and the zeiss ikon and carl zeiss jena filters do seem to have possible threads on the front, but the Panchromar filters don't.

 

[Bill Jones]

Hello Bill, I found out about some of the Tenax/Taxona history quite a while ago, and had considered getting a Taxona until I found out about the 18.5mm thread, but was looking through filters for various cameras of mine and I saw some threaded 18.5mm filters but I noticed they don't have threads on the front. I found this very odd as all my push-on filters take push-on lens hoods, and all my threaded filters take threaded hoods, but the filters I saw can only be described as "Hybrids" ie. threaded at the back but push-on at the front.

I've just done another search on ebay for 18.5mm filters, and the zeiss ikon and carl zeiss jena filters do seem to have possible threads on the front, but the Panchromar filters don't.

Sean,

Historically Zeiss Ikon push on filters and hoods were a push only and not threaded while the threaded filters had the same outside diameter as
the front of the lens or push on filters and hoods. For a while in the late 1930's they used a reverse mounting of threaded filters on their folding
120 size film cameras.

Bill