In some ways, it's better than the Super Ikonta C it was originally based on (the Moskva 5 is an upgraded version of the original Moskva 3 that was an exact copy of the Zeiss, made on Zeiss equipment taken as war reparations).
I'd be hesitant calling the Ercona's a copy, since they were made by the original Zeiss company, in the original Zeiss factory with many of the same people who made the Ikontas - it was a continuation of their manufacture after the war. Technically, Zeiss Oberkochen made the copy......East Germany copied the Ikonta as the Ercona/Exona, but they never added a rangefinder.
I'd be hesitant calling the Ercona's a copy, since they were made by the original Zeiss company, in the original Zeiss factory with many of the same people who made the Ikontas - it was a continuation of their manufacture after the war. Technically, Zeiss Oberkochen made the copy...
The original Zeiss Ikon factory that made the Ikontas was the Contessa Werk in Stuttgart, in the Western zone. The Ikonta range was never made in Dresden or any part of what was to be the Soviet occupation zone. Zeiss Ikon in the Soviet zone, through it's parent company, Carl Zeiss Jena, needed new equipment to develop and manufacture the Ercona, while the plant in Stuttgart had the old equipment and personel. I doubt that many of the Zeiss Ikon employees from the West moved to the dictatorship in the East to build Erconas.
Maybe the Ercona should be called a "reconstructed Ikonta" rather than "copy". The Ercona II is one of my favourite cameras.
Edit: Maybe you were thinking of the optical plants in Jena vs Oberkochen. Zeiss Ikon was an independent company, but part of the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
Ah yes, that is correct. Maybe a fork in the camera design is a better description (as happens with software). The Moskva was a copy though.
Zeiss Ikon didn't officially move their head office from Dresden to Stuttgart till 1948.
For those who are interested: there is a very good website about the Ercona and its history. Sorry that it's in German.
I've found this camera in a vintage shop in Estonia. Do you think it's worth buying it? The lady wants 120€ which is a lot of money for me.
And today it's easier to find an Ercona with Tessar than an Ikonta for a reasonable price.
I guess it depends where you look. Yes, Erconas are cheap, but at least in Germany many ikontas and other folders can be found for not much more. I paid around 80€ for a 6x6 Super Ikonta about a year ago, which works like new. And I saw similar deals later. And of course the non-rangefinder models are cheaper.
Here in Canada, I see ads for basic Zeiss Nettars for above $300, so more then twice what I paid for the Super Ikonta.
About the story of the Ikonta: I read somewhere the lenses came from Jena, the shutter from Munich, these were combined in Dresden, and shipped to Stuttgart for final assembly of the cameras. Zeiss Ikon was a highly integrated company.
Look at the thickness of the dust already accumulated on the camera and depending on that offer a lower price.
One problem with some folders is that they can get out of alignment, resulting in pictures that are in focus on one side but not the other. You may not be able to notice that without trying it.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?