Zeiss Contaflex Super

I wonder if any of you guys can help me with this. I have a Contaflex and believe it is a Contaflex Super. Last time I used it the light meter seemed to be working, but now its either stopped working, or I have forgotten how to make it work. Also I can't see any battery compartment. Are there any Contaflex experts out there?

No batteries for the meter, Contraflexes have selenium meters. Over time, especially if left exposed to sunlight, selenium meters just plain wear out. If memory serves me, the Super is a match needle type meter. Make sure the ASA setting is set high enough for the light conditions, otherwise the needle just sits.

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/zeiss_ikon/zeiss_ikon_contaflex_super/zeiss_ikon_contaflex_super.htm

Shoot him a few bucks via paypal; he does this for love of the craft and he doesn't get much...

That sounds like my Contaflex Super. I bought it a few weeks ago, and it's in beautiful cosmetic condition with an original case, but the meter is dead. (I have a working Weston Master V so all is not lost.) The shutter sounds about correct, and the aperture blades do the right thing, as does the mirror, and it sounds in good order.

From a different era, December 1958, I have the original Contaflex standard with 45mm f/2.8 Tessar which I bought "used" in Hanover, Germany. It started me on 35mm photography, and it's been in my display case for years, quietly sulking I expect as I moved to Minolta SLRs, and then Canon for AF and digital.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/repairing-an-in-camera-selinium-meter.78401/

Not all Contaflexes have selenium meters; I have a Super BC that uses the old 1.35 volt mercury batteries.

If you're referring to this type of crittter:



then it needs no battery. The meter is selenium. My meter works, but I keep it covered up when the camera is not in use.

Theo Sulphate said:

If you're referring to this type of crittter: then it needs no battery. The meter is selenium. My meter works, but I keep it covered up when the camera is not in use.

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Mine, a Contaflex Super B, is similar with a Synchro-Compur shutter but different to the one shown in your image.

On mine, the focus grips on the side of the lens are black plastic, and there's no control wheel on the front below the rewind knob. Above the pentaprism housing, there's a flash sign followed by "_matic_". On mine, the rewind control seems to be a control for the ASA speed & any compensation set on the meter. My case has leather straps, rather than the snake chain shown in your image. I can't find any Zeiss model type marks anywhere. I don't yet have any accessory lens for it, although I do have the mounting frame and "Teleskop" for my earlier Contaflex standard with fixed 45mm F/2.8 Tessar.

Malcolm Stewart said:

That sounds like my Contaflex Super. I bought it a few weeks ago, and it's in beautiful cosmetic condition with an original case, but the meter is dead. (I have a working Weston Master V so all is not lost.) The shutter sounds about correct, and the aperture blades do the right thing, as does the mirror, and it sounds in good order.

From a different era, December 1958, I have the original Contaflex standard with 45mm f/2.8 Tessar which I bought "used" in Hanover, Germany. It started me on 35mm photography, and it's been in my display case for years, quietly sulking I expect as I moved to Minolta SLRs, and then Canon for AF and digital.

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Malcolm Stewart said:

Mine, a Contaflex Super B, is similar with a Synchro-Compur shutter but different to the one shown in your image.

On mine, the focus grips on the side of the lens are black plastic, and there's no control wheel on the front below the rewind knob. Above the pentaprism housing, there's a flash sign followed by "_matic_". On mine, the rewind control seems to be a control for the ASA speed & any compensation set on the meter. My case has leather straps, rather than the snake chain shown in your image. I can't find any Zeiss model type marks anywhere. I don't yet have any accessory lens for it, although I do have the mounting frame and "Teleskop" for my earlier Contaflex standard with fixed 45mm F/2.8 Tessar.

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A Contaflex Super (original or New) meter works a bit differently to a Super B. You have checked the function of your Super B light meter with the aperture ring set to the "A" position, haven't you? This is the only setting at which the meter movement is engaged. If a manual aperture or flash coupling aperture is selected, the light meter is switched off and won't work, because Zeiss did not intend for it to operate in conjunction with those settings.

Brett Rogers said:

A Contaflex Super (original or New) meter works a bit differently to a Super B. You have checked the function of your Super B light meter with the aperture ring set to the "A" position, haven't you? This is the only setting at which the meter movement is engaged. If a manual aperture or flash coupling aperture is selected, the light meter is switched off and won't work, because Zeiss did not intend for it to operate in conjunction with those settings.

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Very many thanks for your message. I've set my camera to "A" and the meter does in fact work! Brilliant! The low price I paid on eBay for a near mint example reflected the seller believing that the meter had died. Once again, very many thanks for the information.

Malcolm Stewart said:

Very many thanks for your message. I've set my camera to "A" and the meter does in fact work! Brilliant! The low price I paid on eBay for a near mint example reflected the seller believing that the meter had died. Once again, very many thanks for the information.

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Well done! It can happen this way. Just quietly, if you're looking out for a Super B-->S Contaflex and a seller says meter is DOA it is worth checking listing images carefully for position of the ring. If it is not on "A" and you are feeling a bit lucky you might snare a working example a little cheaper this way. But I suppose you already know this, now.

Although it is a selenium powered meter the Super B (and New Super) use a decently sized and sensitive cell. If it is still accurate (and it may well be, they can often be good) then, it will easily permit accurate exposure of transparency. They were very well calibrated and very accurate when made. My own Super B meter still works as new as does my New Super. Apart from the absence of the shutter priority "A" mode the other difference between the Super B and New Super is that, as a fully manual camera, the New Super meter is always coupled. It is relatively rare and often confused with the Super B, but, if you are not fussed about the auto aperture setting the New Super is an excellent prospect if you would rather use a built in meter, simply because the meter is always active for manual exposures.

If you have not used one before you will find the 50mm Tessar to perform better than you anticipate and to be surprisingly sharp. The Zeiss lens coatings deliver phenomenal results with colour film making it an SLR equally suitable for colour or black and white. I have used most models of 35mm Contaflex SLR and own at least one example of all the Tessar models so have done a number of images with them. I'll share just a small sample which I think attest to the vibrant colour results you can get with them. Normal adjustments to contrast, shadows and highlights and sharpening but I don't like boosting colour saturation, the rendition is (principally) courtesy of the film and the lens.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/37918366441/in/album-72157626964175585/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/15992546080/in/album-72157626964175585/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/15992611330/in/album-72157626964175585/

They're pretty decent for black and white imaging, too.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/37206848154/in/album-72157626964175585/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/24221828044/in/album-72157626964175585/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43224475@N08/41765193244/in/album-72157626964175585/

Most of those are probably made with a Super BC but whilst the metering system is different (same control layout and function, just TTL), the lenses are the same.
Cheers,
Brett

Thank you so much for your reply, and information.
I started 35mm photography in 1958 when serving with the RAF in West Germany, I bought a used Contaflex with 45mm Tessar (fixed) from a store in Hanover. Later I added the accessory frame and a 1.7x Teleskop. I used a Zeiss Ikophot for metering, and made good use of the darkroom on the base. I mainly used Ilford FP3, but I tried Agfa's CT18, with fair results.
Back to the meter on my Contaflex Super B, whilst the meter needle moves and is sort of in step with light changes, I'm not yet convinced it's moving as smoothly as it should, so more tests before I trust it with film. Perhaps it just needs some exercise. I have a trusty Weston Master to check it against.

I was given one of these a few days ago, as it happens. The glass isn't great (marked up front element, a bit of fungus on the inner rear face) and the shutter is sluggish. I have serviced about a dozen Retina models and the Compur shutters are simple and easy to clean, but I don't know how to get into this one. It seems there are layers of components on the lens barrel that probably have to come of in a certain way to get to the actual shutter: anyone have any experience dissecting the shutter on one of these? Thanks.

paulbarden said:

I was given one of these a few days ago, as it happens. The glass isn't great (marked up front element, a bit of fungus on the inner rear face) and the shutter is sluggish. I have serviced about a dozen Retina models and the Compur shutters are simple and easy to clean, but I don't know how to get into this one. It seems there are layers of components on the lens barrel that probably have to come of in a certain way to get to the actual shutter: anyone have any experience dissecting the shutter on one of these? Thanks.

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Paul,
Which exact model is it?
Broadly if it is a unit focusing Tessar you'll begin by removing the decorative ring from the front of the shutter housing and then the four screws which fasten the lens bayonet ring to the shutter. Nothing hard about this, although there is a small ball bearing beneath it for the setting ring detents, so keep an eye out for that and place a small dab of grease into its seat to both lubricate it and keep it in position on re-assembly.

After that you'll need to remove the centre lens mount. Depending on the model this might be locked into place with a small screw (III) or staked in position with a tiny stake featuring an offset head you will need to rotate to clear the inner edge of the lens mount before pulling it out with tweezers (IV, Rapid, early Super). From the New Super onward (Ie Super B, BC/S) the stake was generally omitted and the mount can simply be unscrewed. It may be very tight especially on later un-staked mounts, I suggest inverting the camera onto a bench and rubber mat and unscrewing the camera from the lens mount by friction. If this is unsuccessful you will need to invest in a collet wrench from microtools or nobby sparrow, there is no other viable means of extraction that will not damage the soft metal of the mount.

As the outer surface of the centre lens mount is flush with the back of the front lens cell mount, and assists in supporting and locating the front cell (or any of the Pro Tessar lenses that may also be fitted) in position, in addition to the bayonet lugs, the centre mount must remain concentric and undamaged, else, you will have difficulties aligning the front cell and/or lens alignment problems to deal with, (or even difficulties being able to fit the front cell at all, potentially, if it is damaged badly enough).

Once the middle cell is extracted there is usually a black closing rung that simply sits in place behind the mount, this lifts off and the rest is really garden variety Synchro Compur, despite the auto aperture operation of the reflex versions. No nasty surprises.

Be careful if you remove the shutter from the camera body. This is very easy to do, but it isn't hard to upset the infinity focus calibration in the process. I wrote a quite detailed post on Rangefinder Forum only a couple of months ago that delves into a bit of detail about how to sidestep any time-wasting need to re-establish the focus adjustment, and also why you may well want to remove the shutter anyway to lube the focus helicals. Rather than repeating that here you ought to be able to find that information easily enough. In truth I'm usually easier to reach at RFF, anyway.
Cheers
Brett

paulbarden said:

I was given one of these a few days ago, as it happens. The glass isn't great (marked up front element, a bit of fungus on the inner rear face) and the shutter is sluggish. I have serviced about a dozen Retina models and the Compur shutters are simple and easy to clean, but I don't know how to get into this one. It seems there are layers of components on the lens barrel that probably have to come of in a certain way to get to the actual shutter: anyone have any experience dissecting the shutter on one of these? Thanks.

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Which model Contaflex, Paul?

Brett Rogers said:

Which model Contaflex, Paul?

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I believe it is the Contaflex Super B, based on photos I have seen on the web.

Malcolm Stewart said:

....
Back to the meter on my Contaflex Super B, whilst the meter needle moves ... I'm not yet convinced it's moving as smoothly as it should, so more tests before I trust it with film. Perhaps it just needs some exercise. ...

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Well yesterday I made use of our good weather, and I'm now convinced that the meter on my Super B isn't working correctly. I've downloaded a copy of the Manual from the Butkus site for reference. Whilst the meter appears to move, the movement seems to be as a result of moving the aperture and shutter speed rings, and this movement is repeatable, and isn't responsive to changes in light level. I'm now convinced that the meter does not move in response to changes in light level, and the "aids" provided by Zeiss Ikon were fooling me.

So, when I do run a film through, I'll use my Weston Master.