Super ikonta bx. Stuck shut button?

I just purchased a super ikonta bx.. the one with the big meter on top.
I'm not too familiar with this model. The shutter works when activated on the front.
However I cannot press the shutter release on the top. I've opened the back and closed it again. The film wind knob turns all the way from 1-12 without stopping and still I cannot trip the shutter using the top button.

I know some cameras require film in the camera. Is that the case here or is something not working?

I've used the support ikonta A and iii before, so I'm not a total newbie.

Super B is different than the other formats.

With the earlier models -- so I am guessing from what you said it is the same here -- what you do is, you load the film, wind it to No. 1 in the red window, shut the red window cover, and then push down on the round dial with the frame numbers and rotate it to the left -- counter clockwise in the direction of the arrow -- past 12 and keep going until it stops on No. 1. This engages the film counter mechanism in the camera and also releases the shutter button after you wind to each frame. You can then wind each frame without referring to the red window any more.

You can do this with no film in the camera, but have to then cycle through all 12 exposures (11 on the earlier cameras) before you can then load.

Thanks, but this is not right. The model I have has the counter integrated into the advance wheel. I have a later model apparently.

try this:

http://www.cameramanuals.org/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_super_ikonta_b.pdf

makes me wonder if you do need to put film in for it to work. There has to be an interlock somewhere ... perhaps there's a roller inside the camera the film goes over that turns and activates the counter mechanism?

Thanks. I checked all over in and out of the camera.
i watched a video of the camera and determined mine is just jammed.
Oh well. It sure looks nice on the shelf. =]

Don't assume that.
I have seen recently an Ikoflex that would only work with a film inside.
Try again.

Hello,
Here are some pages of manual.
I hope it helps.

You can try without a film inside.

summicron1 said:

try this:

http://www.cameramanuals.org/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_super_ikonta_b.pdf

makes me wonder if you do need to put film in for it to work. There has to be an interlock somewhere ... perhaps there's a roller inside the camera the film goes over that turns and activates the counter mechanism?

Click to expand...

I have the later Super Ikonta 533/16 BX and I have no problem firing off the shutter without film inside.

Perhaps the film counter has to be reset once more?

Andy38 said:

Hello,
Here are some pages of manual.
I hope it helps.View attachment 160546

You can try without a film inside.

Click to expand...

Andy, where did you find that manual? I would like to download the complete manual.

Ah-HA! I got it working! Smooth as silk now.
And I did not have to remove the entire top cover. yay
So, the film advance assembly is the sole mechanism which governors the frame counter and lock.
There is no hidden catch or wheel which reads the film.
You can test all the normal functions without film loaded.

The normal operation should go like this:
Start at 0.
(optional) Load film. Advance film so line match up with marks in camera. Close back
Press lock button down and move to left. (just left and rear of advance knob) Dot changes to red.
Advance to 1.
Cock shutter.
Aim. Focus. Shoot.
Advance to next frame.
...
After 12, the lock button will automatically move to right.
Advance film until leader is completely wound, and frame counter will reaches 0.



i did have to dissemble the rewind knob. (multiple times)
The first time I did it, the shutter button released and i was able to take exposures.
However after I reassembled the advance knob, the advance now grinded horribly and the counter tripped out after 10 or so.

I was not sure if I had the reassembly right. So I checked around and found this really good description:

From the top-down:
Winding Knob
Largest "Washer Like" piece (concave down)
Flat Spring
Other "washer like" piece (concave down, small internal collar up)
Coil Spring
Number Counter.

Also this:

"one more thing I did notice today: The top ring needs to mate with two shafts, the inner one that advanvces the film and the slotted one that advances the counter mechanism. These need to be at right angles to each other otherwise the top ring does not properly couple! Look at these two shafts carefully and you will better understand what I am talking about! "

However I was pretty sure I had everything together right. but I took it apart and put it back again.
Also, before I put it back, I was playing around with the flat ring under the number counter.
it has a tab on top that the number counter mates with.
it normally turns counter-clockwise, to turn the number counter.
But I fiddled with it and turned it all the way clockwise until the lock button clicked right.
Then I put the advance assembly back together on top of it in that state.
-After that, everything worked perfectly.


Hopefully someone else may see this.

as my old pappy used to say, "when all else fails, read the directions."

summicron1 said:

as my old pappy used to say, "when all else fails, read the directions."

Click to expand...

The description in the manual was really bad.

darinwc said:

Also, before I put it back, I was playing around with the flat ring under the number counter.
it has a tab on top that the number counter mates with.
it normally turns counter-clockwise, to turn the number counter.
But I fiddled with it and turned it all the way clockwise until the lock button clicked right.
Then I put the advance assembly back together on top of it in that state.
-After that, everything worked perfectly.

Click to expand...

To anyone reading this, the statement highlighted in red in the above quote is incorrect. The flat ring under the number counter with the tab that number counter mates with, as well as the counter itself turn CLOCKWISE, the opposite direction to the winding (opposite to the arrows direction on the film advance dial). Even just a quick look at the counter dial makes it obvious:



That’s because the counter ( and the flat ring under the number counter with the tab that number counter mates with ) and the transport are linked via a gear which makes their directions opposite. It is not visible when only the film advance/counter dial is removed.