Thoughts on Ziess Ikon Contessa 35?

[avalladares7439]

So I just picked up a Ziess Ikon Contessa 35 at a garage sale for 15$ with original leather case, lens hood, and filters. I have to say it looks awesome. How good is this camera and what are your thoughts on it performance and spec wise

 

[R.Gould]

If it is the contessa folder, then it is a great camera, very easy rangefinder to use, the tessar lens very sharp, slower than a modern 35mm to use with the knob wind on the bottom, and you have to cock the shutter each time, but that is no bad thing, maybe not best suited to sport or action phtography, but great for anything else, the only downside is that the frame spacing can be a little incosistnent, never overlapping but sometimes a bit wide,It is one of my favorite Zeiss Ikon 35mm folders, and very well specfied for the era it was made (Early fifties) and in often sells for a premium today,so you got a bargain
Richard

 

[jun]

I bet you are taking about "folding" type Contessa 533/24.
There is a Contessa that has a same catalog No. 533/24 which has no bellows, with 50mm lens directly attached to the body, which I never seen and never used, thus I cannot comment on this later Contessa model.
See
http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/appareil-12067-Zeiss Ikon.html

If it is a folding type with 45mm Tessar,
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon_Contessa_35_(folding)
it is great.

The only complaint that I had with this camera is that since this Tessar uses "front cell focusing", there is a clear limitation with the optical performance.
That said, the photo taken by this camera looks very sharp (esp. in the center, probably one of the shrapest in this class for a camera made in 1950's) and since I am comparing with ultra high optical performance classic camera, (e.g. CLA'd Bessa II, not Bessa III, with apo-lanthar, which can beat the latest camera even in optical performance) I bet you will be satisfied and maybe surprise you with the performance too.

As R.Gould suggests, there is some quirks about frame spacing.
Well, it uses a bit different frame spacing than the standard, but note that I see some spacing unevenness even with the latest lever winding camera unless you are using a well adjusted "top" camera like Nikon F2, so don't worry about it, it is just nothing in my opinion.

Also in my experience, the lens hood is very effective (suggest to use it whenever you can).

And the best thing about this camera is it looks great!
I never seen any classic camera that looks like this!
$15 is nothing but a steal!!!

jun

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Which Contessa?

 

[GRHazelton]

If it is the folding Contessa and it works well you got a fabulous bargain. I have one and it is gorgeous, the fit and finish make modern cameras look like toys. Mike Butkus has the manual available http://www.butkus.org/chinon/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_contessa/zeiss_ikon_contessa.htm (Send Mike a few dollars for his trouble, he is a real asset to photographers!) The view/rangefinder is quite good even by today's standards, as an earlier poster noted the lens is excellent. If the meter on yours works you are lucky, somewhere I have a site telling how to repair it. Or get a hand held meter. Fitting filters is not easy, since the lens threads are on the OUTSIDE. Why, or why????? Try http://www.filterfind.net/Home.html they found me a Series VI - as I remember - threaded adapter and a lens shade and a nice little case for the adapter, lens shade and some filters. Good people. The Contessa is not for fast action, but it is a fine picture taker. Enjoy and treasure it.