Zeiss Ikon Contessa - Found My Everyday Rangefinder

I have the Contessa my father bought in 1954 and it takes the best 35 mm color photos I have ever seen.

Slides or print film?

Ron789 said:

At $49, with a working light meter, you got yourself an excepional deal. Congratulations! I have one with the original leather case (which is also a beauty) but the lightmeter on mine is dead. Nevertheless, it's my favourite travel camera. On holidays this is all I take with me. It has brought me many great pictures. Maybe the most beautiful 35mm camera ever built? I've been told that this was Zeiss Ikon's masterpiece to show the world that the German camera industry was back on its feet after WWII.

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Ron, just reread this. Have you tried the trick to get the light meter to work? It's pretty easy to do and seems to get most of these Contessa meters to work again.

http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/meter-repair/

Colorado CJ said:

Ron, just reread this. Have you tried the trick to get the light meter to work? It's pretty easy to do and seems to get most of these Contessa meters to work again.

http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/meter-repair/

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Thanks for this advice and link! i tried it but unfortunately the meter still does not respond to any light at all. Ah well, no problem. I use a separate light meter, often being an app on my phone.

Colorado CJ said:

I won a bid on a Kodak Retina IIa a few days after receiving the Contessa, won it for $29.00. It arrived yesterday.

While I like the IIa, the build quality just isn't there compared to the Contessa. The IIa feels kind of hollow, less robust compared to the contessa.

I fully plan on loading the IIa with some film and testing it out once I clean it up, but for right now, my vote definitely goes to the Contessa.

The IIa and Contessa are near identical in every dimension when they are closed though. Here's a few comparison photos.

Zeiss Ikon Contessa vs Kodak Retina IIa 1 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Zeiss Ikon Contessa vs Kodak Retina IIa 2 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Zeiss Ikon Contessa vs Kodak Retina IIa 3 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Zeiss Ikon Contessa vs Kodak Retina IIa 5 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Zeiss Ikon Contessa vs Kodak Retina IIa 6 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

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I have 2 Retina IIIc's one inoperative with the f2 Xenon, the other operating with the f2 Heligon. I agree, the Contessa feels more solid in some intangible way. But the Retina is perhaps a better everyday shooter, with its faster lens and coupled film advance/shutter cocking. But of the two cameras if forced to make a choice I'd keep the Contessa.

Oh great, GAS attack...what a little gem of a camera.

I just bought one from a member (nanthor) here, and yes it is a wonderful camera.
Mine has a WXX serial number and compur-rapid shutter, which should place it in the tail end of that version.
The 45mm lens has always been the ideal normal lens, and Tessars are just plain awesome.
Viewfinder is quite small (for today) but bright and easy to focus.
Years ago I bought a box of ednalite/kodak adapters for series V filters and the 28.5 push on fits perfectly
Lightmeter works! the seller said it wasn't, but I guess it shook during shipping and it is making contact again, it compares well to a handheld (Sekonic)
The never ready case is pretty but very obtrusive,

Comparing it to Voigtlander (Vito II) and AGFA (Super Solinette) from the same vintage, it is heavier and better balanced and the RF patch is brighter

Oh man, all these beautiful cameras that I once owned and later sold! Seeing these pics leads directly to eBay surfing. Nanthor recently sold a mint version of the op's camera on the classifieds here that led to me checking them out, it's almost an automatic, reflexive action. A knob wind camera doesn't play well w/ my arthritis though, thankfully.

Here's my contribution:. Heliar lens, 6x9 negs, flip out fltr, rangefinder, a mask for 6x4.5, it had it all.

GRHazelton said:

I have 2 Retina IIIc's one inoperative with the f2 Xenon, the other operating with the f2 Heligon. I agree, the Contessa feels more solid in some intangible way. But the Retina is perhaps a better everyday shooter, with its faster lens and coupled film advance/shutter cocking. But of the two cameras if forced to make a choice I'd keep the Contessa.

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I agree in everything you say, and I own also the IIIc and the Contessa.

The old 27mm Zeiss filters work as well, but on the female side (upside down)

titrisol said:

Years ago I bought a box of ednalite/kodak adapters for series V filters and the 28.5 push on fits perfectly

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I sold my Contessa because pretty much I wasn't using it. Outside the romantic perspective of looking at the little intricacies that make it seem so jewel/steam punk like, it frankly is a terrible shooter.
The viewfinder has no framing marks and is very vague as to what will actually be captured. The RF blob is not easy to use. It is fiddly to set the shutter speed and the aperture. You need to cock the shutter as a separate action.
Film advance is not smooth easy. Neither is the rewind. I mean I could go on...

Yeah it's cute. But there are so many way better cameras to take actual pics in the decades after it that I could never recommend this one, apart from for the 'look at me' factor.

I've noted that a vintage folding camera is a Babe Magnet! I've had lovely young (young compared to me!) women find my Voigtlander Vitessa L with the f2 Ultron or my Contessa or my Retina IIIc with either the Xenon or the Heligon lens really fascinating. But as a happily married man, I resist. I do pass this information on to others.....use it wisely, please!

This is from an Agfa Isolette w/ a 3 element Agnar lens.