Huck Finn
Well-known
Tom Abrahamsson (of Rapidwinder fame) offered this review of the Zeiss Ikon on the LUG recently. I thought I'd post it here for anyone who doesn't have the opportunity to read it there.
"It is true that the Zeiss Ikon is similar to the M7, but i think it is closer to the now defunct Hexar RF. I have been using a black ZI for a while and I like a lot of the features on the camera. It has what most likely is the best finder ever on a rangefinder camera. The eye-relief is nothing short of sensational; even with glasses I can easily see the 28 frame and in a pinch, you can use the 25 mm lens and use the outside frame lines as a guide. The camera is very smooth with a film advance that is soft, so soft that it took me a couple of rolls of film to realize that the film was actually moving through the camera! The AE-lock will hold the reading for 20 secnds or until you press the button again. Exposure system seems right on the button (based on approximately 15 rolls so far). It is a lighter camera than the M's but it is not a flimsy camera. It feels solid and comfortable. I have run a variety of lenses through the camera, both Zeiss Ikon lenses & Leica/Voigtlander lenses. There have not been any instances with problems of back-focus, even with 90 wide open and close focus. The frame-lines key in properly with Leica lenses and there is a nice legend for each frame set-up that tells you what it is.
"The negative aspects are generally small things; the bottom rewind is not something I like, did not like it on the M5 and I still don't like it on the ZI. The lock on the back is a bit flimsy in my opinion. I haven't opened it by mistake yet but it could happen. The shutter speed indicator is situated on the left hand side of the finder and can be difficult to see, particularly in bright light. The M7 has a better long exposure system, that 32 second count down is a thing of beauty whilst the ZI runs out of steam at 1 second. One major flaw is that it lacks a 75 mm frame, the 85 frame can be used in a pinch, but the problem is that the Leica 75's have their frames engaged together with the 50 frame and no manual switch to get to the proper frame (like the R2A/R3A). Of course, you can tape the preview lever to the 28/85 position, but that looks a bit tacky!
"It is a viable alternative to an M7 at about 1/2 the cost and the finder does make it an attractive proposition. Of course, you can buy several R2A/R3A's for that kind of money and if you are an occasional AE user, that's the way I would go, particularly if you are a fan of the 75/1.4 or 75/2 (which admittedly I am)."
Overall, I see this as a fair & balanced review of the pros & cons of the Ziess Ikon. Very nice job from Tom.
I will add 2 comments. First, in the everchanging world of Leica prices, I believe that the M7 is up to about $3500, now that we have passed January 1. The Zeiss Ikon is readily available for under $1400, and will soon be available for as little as $1300 on the grey market. At these prices, the ZI is closer to 1/3 the price of an M7 than 1/2 - certainly less than 40%. In regard to the R2/3A, you can buy 3 for the USA $1617 MSRP, but if you compare to USA grey market or to international prices (London, Hong Kong, Tokyo), you won't be able to get more than two of the CV alternatives - & that's without the cost of an auxiliary 28 finder, which would be needed to match the capabilities of the ZI.
Second, Tom's comment about the 75 frame lines is certainly true & is a factor if you use Leica glass at this focal length. I use a CV 75/2.5 LTM & just needed to change my M-adaptor to call up the 85 frame lines. Helped by the fact that this lens is a little on the longish side of 75 (77 mm), I've had no problem using it with the 85 frame lines. I would add the caution about choosing a Bessa for a 75 that the R2A's effective baselength would be completely inadequate for f/1.4 & that the R3A would be okay but barely adequate. I would think that the R2A would be adequate at f/2, but Cosina does not offer a 75 at this speed, so they may have their reservations about it. The trade-off in choosing an R2/3A to gain the 75 frame lines is that you sacrifice the 28 frame lines of the ZI, and with the higher magnification of the R3A, you also trade the 35 frame lines for 40. So, everything's a compromise.
Again, many thanks to Tom for offering his comments. Anyone who is interested can find his website at www.rapidwinder.com.
Huck
"It is true that the Zeiss Ikon is similar to the M7, but i think it is closer to the now defunct Hexar RF. I have been using a black ZI for a while and I like a lot of the features on the camera. It has what most likely is the best finder ever on a rangefinder camera. The eye-relief is nothing short of sensational; even with glasses I can easily see the 28 frame and in a pinch, you can use the 25 mm lens and use the outside frame lines as a guide. The camera is very smooth with a film advance that is soft, so soft that it took me a couple of rolls of film to realize that the film was actually moving through the camera! The AE-lock will hold the reading for 20 secnds or until you press the button again. Exposure system seems right on the button (based on approximately 15 rolls so far). It is a lighter camera than the M's but it is not a flimsy camera. It feels solid and comfortable. I have run a variety of lenses through the camera, both Zeiss Ikon lenses & Leica/Voigtlander lenses. There have not been any instances with problems of back-focus, even with 90 wide open and close focus. The frame-lines key in properly with Leica lenses and there is a nice legend for each frame set-up that tells you what it is.
"The negative aspects are generally small things; the bottom rewind is not something I like, did not like it on the M5 and I still don't like it on the ZI. The lock on the back is a bit flimsy in my opinion. I haven't opened it by mistake yet but it could happen. The shutter speed indicator is situated on the left hand side of the finder and can be difficult to see, particularly in bright light. The M7 has a better long exposure system, that 32 second count down is a thing of beauty whilst the ZI runs out of steam at 1 second. One major flaw is that it lacks a 75 mm frame, the 85 frame can be used in a pinch, but the problem is that the Leica 75's have their frames engaged together with the 50 frame and no manual switch to get to the proper frame (like the R2A/R3A). Of course, you can tape the preview lever to the 28/85 position, but that looks a bit tacky!
"It is a viable alternative to an M7 at about 1/2 the cost and the finder does make it an attractive proposition. Of course, you can buy several R2A/R3A's for that kind of money and if you are an occasional AE user, that's the way I would go, particularly if you are a fan of the 75/1.4 or 75/2 (which admittedly I am)."
Overall, I see this as a fair & balanced review of the pros & cons of the Ziess Ikon. Very nice job from Tom.
I will add 2 comments. First, in the everchanging world of Leica prices, I believe that the M7 is up to about $3500, now that we have passed January 1. The Zeiss Ikon is readily available for under $1400, and will soon be available for as little as $1300 on the grey market. At these prices, the ZI is closer to 1/3 the price of an M7 than 1/2 - certainly less than 40%. In regard to the R2/3A, you can buy 3 for the USA $1617 MSRP, but if you compare to USA grey market or to international prices (London, Hong Kong, Tokyo), you won't be able to get more than two of the CV alternatives - & that's without the cost of an auxiliary 28 finder, which would be needed to match the capabilities of the ZI.
Second, Tom's comment about the 75 frame lines is certainly true & is a factor if you use Leica glass at this focal length. I use a CV 75/2.5 LTM & just needed to change my M-adaptor to call up the 85 frame lines. Helped by the fact that this lens is a little on the longish side of 75 (77 mm), I've had no problem using it with the 85 frame lines. I would add the caution about choosing a Bessa for a 75 that the R2A's effective baselength would be completely inadequate for f/1.4 & that the R3A would be okay but barely adequate. I would think that the R2A would be adequate at f/2, but Cosina does not offer a 75 at this speed, so they may have their reservations about it. The trade-off in choosing an R2/3A to gain the 75 frame lines is that you sacrifice the 28 frame lines of the ZI, and with the higher magnification of the R3A, you also trade the 35 frame lines for 40. So, everything's a compromise.
Again, many thanks to Tom for offering his comments. Anyone who is interested can find his website at www.rapidwinder.com.
Huck
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