Hello everyone,
I've been reading this great forum for years, but it’s my first post here. I'm
impressed with your knowledge!
There were a number of Zeiss Super Ikonta 6x6 cameras. The letter “B” in the
name stood for “6x6 cm format”. What was sold in the US as Super Ikomat B (and
as Super Ikonta 530/16 here in Europe) was an exception: they redesigned it to
reduce the number of frames from 12 to 11, because the previous model had a
problem with overlapping frames. Super Ikomat B was produced from 1935 to 1938.
It used uncoated Tessar 3.5 (or 2.8)/8.0 lenses in a Compur-Rapid shutter. I
don't think it would make sense to buy it and force it to take 12 pictures.
Later models were greatly improved and they took 12 pictures again. I would
recommend one of the postwar models from this series: Super Ikonta BX 533/16
(aka Super Ikonta II, 1939-1955, Tessars in the postwar version were coated),
Super Ikonta III 531/16 (1953 to 1957) or Super Ikonta IV 534/16 (1955 to 1959,
unit focusing).
I have a postwar Super Ikonta BX 533/16 with a coated Tessar 2.8/80 and a
WORKING selenium meter (that is nearly as accurate as the matrix light metering
mode in my Nikon D/SLRs). Ikonta BX has a coupled rangefinder, as in all Super
Ikontas. When you load a film, you advance it till the arrows on the paper
back align with dots on the film chamber – like in my Rolleicord V), I love it
as much as I love my Rolleicord V, Certo Six and Iskra (they are both 6x6
rangefinders with unit focusing, while my Super Ikonta BX is front-focusing).
BTW, Iskra also has this feeler that senses the beginning of the film. I don’t
see any significant differences between the 4 cameras in terms of IQ or the
ease of use. And I have more than a dozen of other 6x6 folders and TLRs to
compare, most of them with Tessar-type lenses.
-Pawel
-----Original Message-----
From: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On
Behalf Of `Richard Knoppow
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2020 11:17 PM
To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: Super Ikonta B
To be clear, I am not sure if the trick works, one reason I am asking about
it. I am not even sure how to load a Super Ikonta. I can't tell from the
instruction books what the procedure is. Most "automatic" cameras have either a
red window to set the first exposure or else a marking on the film gate like
the later Rolleicord cameras. The film has a arrow across the paper which is
set to the gate mark. The earlier Rolleicord has a red window with a shutter on
the bottom. The film is wound until the Number 1 showws in the windor, the
shutter closed and the film wound to the stop for the first frame. Many other
cameras use a similar arrangement. The Rolleiflex Automat is unique in that the
starting point of the film is found by a feeler arrangement and no pre-setting
is required. I don't think any other camera had a similar system.
I think there were post-war versions of the Super Ikonta that took 12
frames per roll.
Zeiss Ikon made a perfectly enormous number of models with much self
competition but a few had unique features, perhaps most notably the Contax. I
have lots of Zeiss lenses but no zeiss cameras.
On 3/5/2020 1:30 PM, David Stumpp wrote:
That's interesting. I do have one, but I didn't know you could fool it
into taking 12 per roll. It is an interesting camera, and, much like
Rolleiflex TLRs, well engineered. I must admit that I never use mine,
though, because I'm loathe to use anything but a TLR for a square
image. I also have a Super Ikonta D that I've intended to adapt to 120
film, but that's a project that has yet to be allocated some spare
time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of `Richard Knoppow
<dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* 05 March 2020 19:40
*To:* rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* [rollei_list] Super Ikonta B
Also known as a Super Ikomat. A folding camera that took pictures
on 120 film. It had automatic winding, took 11 2-1/4 x
2-1/4 images on 120. It seems to me that there was a way of fooling it
into taking 12 images, like a Rolleiflex, but can't remember how that
worked or where I saw it. I don't have a Super Ikonta and probably
never will but they are interesting. The camera used front element
focusing Tessars. The corrections must be compromised to make a lens
front element focusing but the Super Ikonta had a good reputation for
sharpness, perhaps because it had an excellent coupled rangefinder.
Perhaps some Rollei person has had experience with them.
--
Richard Knoppow
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
WB6KBL
---
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