Caring for the Zeiss Ikon Contax iia Camera

The Zeiss Ikon Contax iia Camera was the first post-World War II product to have come out of the production line of the famous Carl Zeiss Foundation in Germany. It was first exhibited in the 1950 Photokina, and its craftsmanship immediately captured loyal following in the photography world. Today, this camera is a treasured collector’s item because of its superb workmanship, and superior optical system. This early German rangefinder camera indeed is a rare gem of a find, with its interchangeable lenses developed ahead of their time. In all, this camera is compatible with 16 quality coated Zeiss lenses with f stops ranging from 1.5 to 4 and focal range from 75 mm to 350 mm.

Be the Zeiss Ikon Contax iia Camera come lens-equipped with the Sonnar 50mm f1.5 or the Biogon 35mm, and the Sonnar 85mm, it is superbly engineered with even some of its later cousins sporting color dials. This camera is ergonomic with your hands, and is well-balanced to help the photographer’s hand keep steady while shooting. It has a clear focusing square and the camera body doesn’t shift while focusing, particularly if it’s fitted with the 50 mm Sonnar lens which is the standard for the model. This camera’s shutter release is smooth as it is precise, characteristics echoed in it shutter speed adjustment. Its supplementary lenses and other accessories to extend photo capabilities are equal match to the superior engineering and optics that went into the manufacture of this camera. It is also remarkable that this camera along with three extra lenses takes up little space, making it an ideal companion for a tourist or traveller.

Because the Zeiss Ikon Contax iia Camera is already out of production, some of its accessories and parts are already difficult or costly to replace. The photographer wearing eyeglasses may also be bothered by scratches from the Zeiss Ikon Contax iia Camera viewfinder which most find as too narrow compared to the rangefinders of much later vintage. Likewise, inconveniences could be encountered with this camera’s rewinding mechanism which may take some time to master. Having no rewind lever, a dual-hand winding technique has to be practice with right hand moving the wind knob clockwise while twisting the camera body with the left hand counter-clockwise. To load and reload film, too, needs some mastering as the film has to be threaded into a spool that is not fixed to the camera’s body and could drop from a careless hand. This camera is one masterpiece of work that needs attention, delicate handling and care, that’s for sure.