Zeiss Super Ikonta (532/16 & 530 or 531/2): What to look for? Does anyone still service them?

Hello all,

Well, once again, surfing on YouTube has given me sever GAS. Yes, Gear Acquisition Syndrome has hit home hard once again.

The Zeiss Super Ikontas have hit my brain....I'm looking at both the 532/16 for 6x6 as well as possibly either the 530/2 or 531/2 6x9 variant.

If anyone has experience with these...when searching eBay, aside from asking the usual about bellows leaks, fog, haze, fungus or mold on the Lens or Viewfinder..what all should I ask about?

I've read that one thing that happens quite often, is that the focus knurled knob on front of these can get sticky and hard to turn. Are there other things specific to these cameras I should ask about?

While I have heard really good things about these cameras, being extremely well built, and bellows holding out well....they are very old cameras. Does anyone know of and could recommend somewhere in the US that would CLA and service these gems?

Aside from eBay any suggestions on good places to look to get the best chance of a good one? I tried KEH and well, they just don't seem to have much of anything in stock anymore.

Any ideas on fair prices for one in good shape?


Also, if you have any anecdotes or suggestions of run stories with these cameras, please post on this thread.

I've very excited to try these out, they just look so cool and apparently take great images on 120 film. I'd really like to shoot something that's getting close to 100 years old.


Thank you in advance,

cayenne

Michael Zacks repaired a Super Ikonta for me, and I was happy with his work. It was more than a CLA, so I can't speak to his price for a CLA. He was very responsive, though.

His email address, if he is still doing it, is info@zackscamerarepair.com.

I have the 532 variant. I would recommend keeping a yellow filter handy, because those older lenses don't have the best contrast, in my opinion. Otherwise, it is a beautiful camera.

I've owned and used all three over the last 50 years. Alas it's risky buying them on the Net from unknown sellers; I've paid $20 for ones that work perfectly and $100 for ones that looked great but didn't work.
Best bet is to buy from a reputable seller. I own three I've bought from certo6 and they are all daily users.
Other than that Tessars are my favorite lens and Compur Rapid my favorite shutter. The post war coated Tessars are sharp and contrasty but are set in Super Compur shutters, which are more finicky than the earlier Compurs. Don't automatically dismiss a lens because its lens is uncoated.
Be careful. Folders are addicting.

My recent experience with eBay has not been completely satisfactory. Besides KEH, try Roberts Camera, Igor’s Camera Exchange, and other reputable stores that have a proper return policy.
While Zachs has not worked on my Super Ikonta B cameras, he has done good work on a variety of other cameras. Above all, he stands behind his work.

(Hit wrong tab)
My Zeiss cameras were last serviced by a gentleman who had retired from Zeiss Ikon, but he passed away a number of years ago, and I doubt if any others are alive today. But even for Contax 2a, the manual says “any competent camera repairman.”

takilmaboxer said:

I've owned and used all three over the last 50 years. Alas it's risky buying them on the Net from unknown sellers; I've paid $20 for ones that work perfectly and $100 for ones that looked great but didn't work.
Best bet is to buy from a reputable seller. I own three I've bought from certo6 and they are all daily users.
Other than that Tessars are my favorite lens and Compur Rapid my favorite shutter. The post war coated Tessars are sharp and contrasty but are set in Super Compur shutters, which are more finicky than the earlier Compurs. Don't automatically dismiss a lens because its lens is uncoated.
Be careful. Folders are addicting.

Click to expand...

First, thank you ALL for all the great input so far!!

I came across one at a decent price online. From and individual. It is the 532/16 variant.
He shows it was serviced by this CERT06 you mentioned, and even included some texts between the two...this appears to have happened a year or so ago.

This CERT06 did a CLA.....but after this guy got it back, he said he was having some problems with the shots overlapping some with each other.

The messages from CERT06 said that shouldn't really be happening due to anything he did...but he did say that thing often happens on more "Modern Films".

This apparently is happening on ILford HP5. Which is my B&W film of choice.
He send him suggestions to tape a 4" leader onto the top of the roll of 120 film right at the beginning...something about making the camera sense it being thicker or something than modern 120 film?

Does this sound at all plausible?

Has anyone else had problems with spacing on these cameras? I'd heard this was a problem with the EARLY early models and hence their modification to only shoot 11 frames....

Anyway, I was about to pull the trigger on this one...price was right, CLA'ed...but if it's messing up with my favorite film....hmmm.

Thoughts? Does this CENT06 have a website? I think he said Jurgen is his name?

Thank you,

cayenne

The spacing problem stems from changes in the thickness of the film plus backing over the years. Both were thicker in 1950. Search this forum and you'll find discussions about this. I have had luck with taping a few extra inches of used film backing paper to the leader before loading. This fools the auto counting mechanism which was deigned way back when, with thicker stock.

certo6.com, Jurgen Kreckel, I believe he's still in business.

takilmaboxer said:

The spacing problem stems from changes in the thickness of the film plus backing over the years. Both were thicker in 1950. Search this forum and you'll find discussions about this. I have had luck with taping a few extra inches of used film backing paper to the leader before loading. This fools the auto counting mechanism which was deigned way back when, with thicker stock.

Click to expand...

OH...

Ok, so this IS something that is a real thing?!?

So, the fact it does this should not be a deal breaker...?

C

You'll need to run tests but I had good luck using a small Post-It note on the beginning leader to get proper frame spacing. A Balda from the same era needed a 2" x 3" piece of index card taped onto the beginning. Sacrifice a roll of 120 for some testing and you'll figure it out pretty quickly.

So yes, it is a real thing, it is standard for these cameras, and not a deal breaker.

Yes, I do the taping thing in all cameras with "auto" winding when I see overlapping (or near) frames, I keep the taking spool after I finish and put it again in the camera.

I've got a 1938 532/16 (Super Ikonta B) and had never had any issues with frame spacing, but I don't know if I've ever run Ilford through it or not. Mostly Kodak TriX and TMax films and spacing has been fairly even for all 11 shots. Mine was purchased in near-mint condition from an estate sale of an Army Air Corps officer who was in Germany during WWII. I suspect it hadn't been owned by many folks before me, as cosmetics and bellows were perfect and the only issues were fogged VF and stiff focusing and film advance. I sent it to Jurgen at Certo6 and he fixed it up perfectly. The uncoated 80/2.8 Tessar is very sharp, but it's lower in contrast than modern lenses. I usually keep a yellow filter on. Great camera.

Dan Daniel said:

You'll need to run tests but I had good luck using a small Post-It note on the beginning leader to get proper frame spacing. A Balda from the same era needed a 2" x 3" piece of index card taped onto the beginning. Sacrifice a roll of 120 for some testing and you'll figure it out pretty quickly.

So yes, it is a real thing, it is standard for these cameras, and not a deal breaker.

Click to expand...

I don't (yet) develop my own film.
If you do this taping of a leader, or post-it to the beginning of the film...do you need to warn your commercial film developer that this is the case? I mean, does doing this potentially damage their machinery if they don't know it is there?

Thank you,

cayenne