I just got hold of a photography magazine from December 1962, and the Contaflex Super B complete with case cost £131.15 - compare that to a Pentax S3 with a 55mm f1.8 Takumar lens and case for £102.87, so the Contaflex was definitely a fairly expensive camera.
I really enjoyed this one Tim and thanks for the shout out. I've been looking recently at those little EXA cameras, they are a very nice looking camera. I'll look forward to the video with it in 2027🖖😁
Cheers David, you were long overdue a shout out. Those little EXA cameras are really cute, as are their more sophisticated siblings the Exaktas. Unusually, my EXA (which I think is a model 6) was fully functional when I got it - on virtually every other vintage camera I've bought, there's either a fault to fix with the shutter curtains, or the slow shutter timer isn't working. The EXA negates these problems by not having a curtain shutter and having no slow shutter speeds!!! Some of the later cameras, like the EXA 500 do have curtain shutters - I've got one of those in the "to do" pile, and it has an issue with its curtains and slow shutter timer.
Many thanks for this superb video.One of the best I have watched on TH-cam.I have just ordered a Contaflex Super B from eBay for £40 as the description and photos suggest it is in very good condition apart from an erratic light meter.Now I have watched your video I can look forward to working out what all the controls do! I have been collecting and using classic cameras since I retired from teaching in 2001 and find the hobby fascinating but addictive! All the best.I will be watching your videos again.
Cheers Rog, hopefully your Contaflex will be as good as described, they're a cracking camera. You're right, collection and using classic cameras is highly addictive - I've just got a couple of new arrivals to check over, and repair if necessary, before heading out with film in them.
Hi Dave, they're a lovely camera, you'll be amazed (hopefully) at how nice it is to use. I wouldn't necessarily expect the auto exposure system to still be working, not at least without a fairly sizable rebuild, but hopefully the rest will be running ok for you.
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I used different models of Contaflex in my earlier years. The camera came with a big ecosystym, containing exchangeable Magazines to use different types of film, optical acessories like the interchangeable Front elements. It was a typical Zeiss Icon perfectionistic camera.
Hi Thomas, I've got an old book all about the Contaflex system, and it shows some of the optional accessories like the interchangeable backs, but I've never seen one of those in real life. I've seen a few cameras for sale complete with some of the additional lenses, which would be quite nice to have but they were a bit too expensive for me. They're a lovely feeling camera, you definitely get the impression of quality when using the Contaflex.
Thank you for this interesting video. I have the Contaflex Super BC from 1965 which is working perfect. However, I have an old German photo catalog from about 1958 and it shows for the Contaflex IV the price of German Marks 498.00. The same catalog shows for a Leica M2 with an Elmar 50 mm f/2,8 for German Marks 688.00 and a Leica M3 with the same lens for German Marks 816,00. The exchange rate in 1958 for 1 pound against DEM was 11,76. You divide the German prices with 11,76 and you will get the pound :-) Kind regards from Sweden
It's amazing what bargains you can get in the way of what was once premium camera equipment. I got a low serial number Nikon FE complete with leather carrying case, 3 lenses and a bunch of accessories for $50 a few years ago. The camera body is built like a tank and the lenses, though a bit old, are in great shape. I've got enough useless but interesting junk around here otherwise I'd do the same as Tim and start shooting with older equipment. Great photos by the way, snapshot photography is definitely an overlooked corner of the hobby.
It really is amazing what stuff you can get, although I have noticed prices creeping up a little in the last few years - your Nikon purchase sounds like a real find. I guess snapshots are largely the territory of mobile phones these days, but I've definitely found it very rewarding to be reunited with film based snapshot photography. I'd better not get too hooked though, the film and processing isn't exactly cheap any more.
Nice video and ditto pictures! I decided for myself that I want to shoot 1 roll of film every year. 2 years ago I did 1 roll of film in a Zenit camera, last year it was 1 roll in a Spotmatic, and right now there is a roll of film in a Pentax MX.
Cheers ohjajohh, that makes very good sense - one roll per year keeps it all under control - it would be very easy to get carried away and shoot loads of film, but then the costs would get a bit scary. I dare you to run a film in your photo sniper kit, using the entire setup!!!
I quite liked that shot - bit tricky to grab instant shots like that if you're not prepared (which I wasn't) - exposure meter out, take reading, grab camera, manually focus, frame subject and click - it all adds to the fun though. The policeman was very funny with all his "long leg of the law" gags - he's a brilliant entertainer.
Hi Cayetana, I haven't really done any flash work with the old cameras, not recently anyway - I used to use flash from time to time in the days before digital. I do have some old flash bulbs and a flash unit to use them in, along with some old electronic flash guns, so maybe one day I'll do something looking at the flash sync options on old cameras.
Yes, it must have been a chunk of change when it was new, but it is rather lovely to use. I've never delved into medium format, probably a bit too high end for my talents. I'd chosen my film processor ages ago - AG Photolab - their processing seems to be really good, unlike some of the high street chains I used to use. I wasn't so impressed with their film scanning - it was convenient on this occasion, because my film scanner is buried beneath a pile of paperwork AND I think I can only use it with an old PC because of a lack of modern drivers - but they seemed to apply a terrible sharpening to the scans that leaves a horrible edge on things - but it is really convenient, I could have easily spent half a day perfecting my own scans!!!!!
@@GrumpyTim Based in Birmingham? Cheers. I have many cameras, including some very old ones. I will keep my eyes out for Zeis Ikon cameras. Must come up at car boot sales.
Yep, that's the one Ben. Yeah, you're bound to find a Zeiss Ikon camera at a boot fair some day - there were other Zeiss Ikon cameras, not just the Contaflex, but I'd be willing to bet that they'd all be interesting as well as well engineered.
Great timing with this video. I just bought this same camera a few weeks ago (I know nothing about photography or film cameras). Thank you for demonstrating how the auto feature is supposed to work. I think mine might have an issue since the top red part is down to about f8 and not moving much. It was higher before so it has moved since I got it. Any thoughts on what the problem might be or if it is fixable?
Hi Jeff, this will probably be quite a long answer!!! Firstly, I'm assuming that your camera is the Super B rather than the Super BC (the Super BC has a little battery hatch on the front) - most of my waffle should apply whichever version you have. The red markings on the exposure meter are a bit weird, the bottom one is simply painted onto the dial, whereas the top one has a movable section. If you set your film speed to it's maximum of 650 ISO, and wind on the film advancing lever, and now with the camera set to auto, adjust the shutter speed, as you go to the lower shutter speeds that red area should move downwards to indicate that the band of available apertures is quite small. Then, as you increase the shutter speeds, the red area should move upwards again., theoretically returning to a small band at the top that's about the same size as the bottom band. Having examined my camera a bit further, although the exposure meter appears to be working, I don't think all of the linkages that connect it to the aperture mechanism are fully free because it can be a bit inconsistent with the aperture it selects. If however, I put the camera into manual mode, with a relatively slow shutter speed (say 1/15th of a second), I can confirm that all the apertures are being selected correctly by selecting each one in turn. Also, the fact that my photos came out about right also confirms that the manual apertures are working correctly. My hunch would be that with my own camera, and probably yours too, there are very delicate linkages from the exposure meter to the aperture mechanism that need cleaning and very careful re oiling. I would think that it would be a fairly major strip down to get that lot working correctly, and even then, based on my experience of separate exposure metres that use a Selenium cell, they aren't that accurate any more. I only have two, but both of them give a completely inaccurate reading that isn't consistent across different lighting conditions, so I can't just dial in a different ISO until it matches my modern exposure meter. I do have a separate exposure meter that uses a CDS cell, and when fed with it's correct voltage, that one reads pretty much the same as my modern meter, certainly good enough to use for photography. In some ways I'd be tempted to try to get my camera working correctly in auto mode, but I don't really want to take the risk that something might go very wrong during the strip down, so for now I'll carry on using it in manual mode only. Assuming yours is also working correctly in manual mode, then I'd be tempted to just use it that way, unless you are pretty brave and think you want to tackle the major strip down.
@@GrumpyTim Wow, thank you for such a detailed response. Duly noted. I’ll probably just use it in manual mode then. One more question. Mine has nice and clean tessar lens but their is a bit of spots of what looks to be dry oil or perhaps fungus in between the lenses that enclose the leaf shutter and aperture. I know the lens surrounded by the black ring (under the tessar lens) can be unscrewed and then I could get in there with some naphtha to clean it up. But it is very tightly screwed in. Do you know of any specific tools or tricks to unscrewing that?
@@jeff3388 I'll try to have a look tomorrow, it's so long since I worked on it that I can't remember exactly what I had to do. If I remember correctly, there are a pair of elements in the removable section at the front, then a single one behind the shutter and aperture blades (that one will actually be a bonded pair so it'll just look like a single piece). I may have cleaned that rear one in situ but I'm sure I'll remember when I take another look. Similarly, I must have opened the front housing to clean those two elements.
Hi Jeff, I was talking utter rubbish last night - I said it had been a while since I had worked on the Contaflex!!!! So, the front element is the one that you can simply remove. to get to the middle element you need to remove the front trim on the lens, which is held on with 3 screws - there's also a spring shim thing behind that. Then the next metal plate needs to come off (that plate has the locking lever for the removable front element) and it's held on with 4 screws - it has a pin on the back that has to index with a slot behind. At this stage the shutter speed ring is still in place, and it can remain in place. The middle element is then accessible, but you'll need a special wrench to get it out - I made my own, but I have seen them described as collet spanners (I'm not sure that is the proper name) - if you search for Leica Lens Spanner you might see the sort of thing, but all the ones I've seen aren't big enough for this job, plus, it needs to be kinked to reach the lens on the Contaflex. If you want to email me (address in the "about" tab, I'll send you the photos I've just taken as I took mine apart.
Hi Tim, this is a really good video! I love it, I also got a Zeiss Ikon Super B, but the back is totally different, the back with a dark box. Also, it comes with a card, which needs to be inserted into the camera then can take photos. My friend told me it is a special edition, a middle edition probably? Now I'm curious about the rewind button, I can't find that, so when I finish a film and rewind, it counters a brake, I mean not smoothly. I can send you an email with a photo of my camera if you are interested. Best wishes from China. Jie
Nop, the card should be removed then the shutter works, How to open the back, 1. remove the card from the camera, 2. wind it 3. re-insert the card, and open the two handles.
This style of semi-fixed or interchageable 35mm SLRs based on a fixed leaf shutter and prism came around 1955, and went around 1965. There were threes camera lines of this style: the Zeiss Contaflex, Voitlander Bessamatic, and Kodak Retina Reflex. Over time, they all got more complex as features were added. They disappeared rapidly as the prices on focal plane SLRs dropped, as these cameras could do more and for less cost. The fixed leaf shutter severely limited the focal lengths and maximum apertures of the lenses available. While Voitlander and Kodak used the best quality lenses that could be fitted, Zeiss always used lower quality lenses, the basic Tessar being the only lens which might be considered "quality". These cameras, being fully mechanical and with a very complex sequence of actions required for each exposure, were expensive to buy, and far more expense to service and repair. They were targeted to "Dad", shooting slides of the family vacation, and they incorporated more conveniences than other SLR cameras of that period. Today, they are mostly underperforming cameras which would never be worth the cost of repair if they fail. Among the group, the Voigtlander is the outstanding system. Like Kodak, they shifted in later models to fully interchangeable lenses, and the ones developed for the Bessamatics were some of the best quality. Their final models were the Ultrons, mounting the legendary 50mm 2.0 Septon lens. The final Ultron incorporated a TTL Cds metering system, and might well be the most beautiful (and complex) 35mm SLR ever made.
Cheers for the extra info Randall, that's very interesting about the target audience for these cameras - I always wondered who bought them because although they're nicely engineered, they would have been relatively expensive, and not necessarily the obvious choice. I haven't done a full strip down of a Contaflex yet, but I have done a couple of Bessamatics, and although complicated, they're fairly logical and satisfying to work on - as with so many of the old leaf shutter cameras, once you're through all the external stuff, the entire shutter assembly is a self contained unit and is more or less the same as so many other cameras of that type. I've got a Kodak Retina Reflex to sort out some time, it's in beautiful cosmetic condition, but like on so many of these cameras, the shutter is jammed, so that one will be coming to pieces when I find the time.
@randallstewart1224 How have you found the Tessar lenses of the Contaflexes? What did you think of your results? I'd be interested in seeing your photos. Ultron isn't a camera. It's a Vougtländer lens design used in various rangefinder cameras such as their Vitessa and Prominent to name a couple. You can't put a 50mm Septon on an Ultron, because you can't attach a lens to another lens and photograph without a camera...
@@brettrogers8482 You are correct. I meant to refer to the Ultramatic models, being the last in the Bessmatic line of cameras. Ultron is a name assigned by both Vouigtlander back then,and Cosina now, to several of their lenses. That what I get for posting in the wee hours.
@@brettrogers8482 I've not used a Contaflex in more than 50 years, and I didn't form any significant opinion of the Tessar then. As I have used Tessar-type lenses in both Konica 35mm and 6x6cm medium format. My opinion is that if you stay with lenses with maximum aperture of 3.5, and shoot in the 5.6 - 11.0 range, you get very sharp, contrasty results. Lots of folks claim a unique character to the Tessar-style formula without ever defining that objectively, and I have no idea what that means.
Thanks for the vid! Question, my aperture-setting scale is stuck on 2.8.... I try to depress that lever you mentioned but nothing seems to give, any ideas?
Hi FireBabyZ2, the control rings can get all gummed up with grime on these cameras, if that's the case, the only solution is to take them apart and clean them. I presume you can feel the little release lever/button press in slightly (it only goes in about a millimetre), if that lever/button isn't going in, then it might be that locking mechanism that's causing the issue - again, it could be gummed up with grime, and the solution would disassembly and cleaning.
Hi Borger, the likelihood is that the camera is already wound on, at which point there is a latch that stops you advancing the film again before you take the shot. I'm presuming that you can't see anything through the viewfinder, in which case the shutter button will have been pressed which starts a sequence of events - the shutter closes, the mirror and a blanking plate flip out of the way, the aperture closes down to the set value, and only then does the shutter open and close to take the shot. On lots of this kind of camera the shutter often gets sticky and doesn't open or close fully, meaning that the camera is stuck somewhere in the middle of that sequence. Generally the only solution is to dismantle the shutter for cleaning and servicing, if you're not used to doing that kind of thing, one of these cameras might not be the best place to start, but if you are used to repairing stuff like this then that's probably your best chance. There may well be some videos showing dismantling of these shutters, have a look for "Synchro Compur shutter disassembly" or something like that, particularly if you find any videos by Chris Sherlock because he's really good, that way you can see the sort of thing you'll be tackling before you decide to dive in yourself. Often you don't need to fully dismantle the thing because the part that's sticking could even be a rotating ring or lever that's external to the shutter itself.
Hello GrumpyTim! I have the Contessa (which is also carved around the lens) Carl Zeiss Tessar Prontor SLK Spezial. It is non foldable and It has a color setting behind the camera which i don't know how to use. I got it film for color and i want to make sure I'm using the color setting right. Can you please give me advice on how to use the color setting?🙏🏽🥺
Hi Ana, that's a lovely little camera. The little colour / black & white reminder on the back is just there to remind you what film you have in the camera, it doesn't actually do anything to the camera, so you don't need to worry about it. In the days before digital cameras, photographers might have film loaded in several cameras at the same time - the little reminder disk could help you remember what film was in a camera when you picked it up having not used it for a while.
Strange to compare this camera to PracTEEca (?), which does not have a fixed lens, but accepts all kinds of lenses, including zoom. It has a completely different shutter system, which has great consequences for electronic flashes.
Hi devroombagchus, I wasn't really comparing the Contaflex to a Praktica, or any other camera, I just wanted to give a point of reference for the price compared to a camera people who aren't necessarily photography enthusiasts would have been more likely to have heard of. Most of my viewers have an interest in many things but aren't specifically camera collectors, so I wanted to give examples that everyone (over a certain age) would be familiar with.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 89 | คู่เอก "ยอดไอคิว vs คิริลล์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z3vYkHJ_5Ig/mqdefault.jpg)
I just got hold of a photography magazine from December 1962, and the Contaflex Super B complete with case cost £131.15 - compare that to a Pentax S3 with a 55mm f1.8 Takumar lens and case for £102.87, so the Contaflex was definitely a fairly expensive camera.
I really enjoyed this one Tim and thanks for the shout out. I've been looking recently at those little EXA cameras, they are a very nice looking camera. I'll look forward to the video with it in 2027🖖😁
Cheers David, you were long overdue a shout out. Those little EXA cameras are really cute, as are their more sophisticated siblings the Exaktas. Unusually, my EXA (which I think is a model 6) was fully functional when I got it - on virtually every other vintage camera I've bought, there's either a fault to fix with the shutter curtains, or the slow shutter timer isn't working. The EXA negates these problems by not having a curtain shutter and having no slow shutter speeds!!! Some of the later cameras, like the EXA 500 do have curtain shutters - I've got one of those in the "to do" pile, and it has an issue with its curtains and slow shutter timer.
Really good pictures and description.👍 Thank you very much!
Cheers bachpiper, glad you enjoyed them. The Contaflex is a really nice camera to carry around and shoot a bit of film on.
This video was so helpful. I received this exact camera from my father and barely knew how to use. Now I do thanks to you! Chapeau
Excellent, you should have a lot of fun with that Bruno, it's a really nice camera.
Many thanks for this superb video.One of the best I have watched on TH-cam.I have just ordered a Contaflex Super B from eBay for £40 as the description and photos suggest it is in very good condition apart from an erratic light meter.Now I have watched your video I can look forward to working out what all the controls do!
I have been collecting and using classic cameras since I retired from teaching in 2001 and find the hobby fascinating but addictive!
All the best.I will be watching your videos again.
Cheers Rog, hopefully your Contaflex will be as good as described, they're a cracking camera. You're right, collection and using classic cameras is highly addictive - I've just got a couple of new arrivals to check over, and repair if necessary, before heading out with film in them.
Thank you, your video was very useful!!
Cheers Chiara, glad it was useful - do you have one of these Contaflex cameras? They're a lovely little camera to use.
3:22 That's the Unicorn in Malvern Hills! Greetings from Germany and thanks for the review 🙂
Cheers Simon, indeed it is the Unicorn in Malvern - such a nice area to visit, I'm over that way regularly.
Thank you Tim, I have a SuperB for ages and completely forgot how to use it. Best regards from Spain :)
Hi PauEndless, excellent, glad it helped - hope you get to put some film through your Super B
Some really amazing shots in here, great explanation. Saw one of these for $50 on marketplace and I think I'll pick it up because of this video
Hi Dave, they're a lovely camera, you'll be amazed (hopefully) at how nice it is to use. I wouldn't necessarily expect the auto exposure system to still be working, not at least without a fairly sizable rebuild, but hopefully the rest will be running ok for you.
I used different models of Contaflex in my earlier years. The camera came with a big ecosystym, containing exchangeable Magazines to use different types of film, optical acessories like the interchangeable Front elements. It was a typical Zeiss Icon perfectionistic camera.
Hi Thomas, I've got an old book all about the Contaflex system, and it shows some of the optional accessories like the interchangeable backs, but I've never seen one of those in real life. I've seen a few cameras for sale complete with some of the additional lenses, which would be quite nice to have but they were a bit too expensive for me. They're a lovely feeling camera, you definitely get the impression of quality when using the Contaflex.
The final 35mm Contaflex SLR was actually the S. It was basically a rebadged Super BC, though. :)
Ah ha, my book on the Contaflex stops at the Super B, so I was relying on potentially less accurate data for any models that came after that.
Thank you for this interesting video. I have the Contaflex Super BC from 1965 which is working perfect. However, I have an old German photo catalog from about 1958 and it shows for the Contaflex IV the price of German Marks 498.00. The same catalog shows for a Leica M2 with an Elmar 50 mm f/2,8 for German Marks 688.00 and a Leica M3 with the same lens for German Marks 816,00. The exchange rate in 1958 for 1 pound against DEM was 11,76. You divide the German prices with 11,76 and you will get the pound :-) Kind regards from Sweden
Hi Wolfgang, thanks for those prices. I love getting hold of old brochures and magazines to give me an accurate reference for dates and prices.
It's amazing what bargains you can get in the way of what was once premium camera equipment. I got a low serial number Nikon FE complete with leather carrying case, 3 lenses and a bunch of accessories for $50 a few years ago. The camera body is built like a tank and the lenses, though a bit old, are in great shape. I've got enough useless but interesting junk around here otherwise I'd do the same as Tim and start shooting with older equipment. Great photos by the way, snapshot photography is definitely an overlooked corner of the hobby.
It really is amazing what stuff you can get, although I have noticed prices creeping up a little in the last few years - your Nikon purchase sounds like a real find. I guess snapshots are largely the territory of mobile phones these days, but I've definitely found it very rewarding to be reunited with film based snapshot photography. I'd better not get too hooked though, the film and processing isn't exactly cheap any more.
Nice video and ditto pictures! I decided for myself that I want to shoot 1 roll of film every year. 2 years ago I did 1 roll of film in a Zenit camera, last year it was 1 roll in a Spotmatic, and right now there is a roll of film in a Pentax MX.
Cheers ohjajohh, that makes very good sense - one roll per year keeps it all under control - it would be very easy to get carried away and shoot loads of film, but then the costs would get a bit scary. I dare you to run a film in your photo sniper kit, using the entire setup!!!
Policeman on stilts was pretty trippy in black and white.
I quite liked that shot - bit tricky to grab instant shots like that if you're not prepared (which I wasn't) - exposure meter out, take reading, grab camera, manually focus, frame subject and click - it all adds to the fun though. The policeman was very funny with all his "long leg of the law" gags - he's a brilliant entertainer.
Thank you for this video, it'll be great if you could make one about flash synchronizing with this camera
Hi Cayetana, I haven't really done any flash work with the old cameras, not recently anyway - I used to use flash from time to time in the days before digital. I do have some old flash bulbs and a flash unit to use them in, along with some old electronic flash guns, so maybe one day I'll do something looking at the flash sync options on old cameras.
Nice. Interesting and expensive camera. I have lots of film cameras, including 2 medium format ones. Where did you get your film developed?
Yes, it must have been a chunk of change when it was new, but it is rather lovely to use. I've never delved into medium format, probably a bit too high end for my talents. I'd chosen my film processor ages ago - AG Photolab - their processing seems to be really good, unlike some of the high street chains I used to use. I wasn't so impressed with their film scanning - it was convenient on this occasion, because my film scanner is buried beneath a pile of paperwork AND I think I can only use it with an old PC because of a lack of modern drivers - but they seemed to apply a terrible sharpening to the scans that leaves a horrible edge on things - but it is really convenient, I could have easily spent half a day perfecting my own scans!!!!!
@@GrumpyTim Based in Birmingham? Cheers. I have many cameras, including some very old ones. I will keep my eyes out for Zeis Ikon cameras. Must come up at car boot sales.
Yep, that's the one Ben. Yeah, you're bound to find a Zeiss Ikon camera at a boot fair some day - there were other Zeiss Ikon cameras, not just the Contaflex, but I'd be willing to bet that they'd all be interesting as well as well engineered.
@@GrumpyTim Cheers.
Great timing with this video. I just bought this same camera a few weeks ago (I know nothing about photography or film cameras). Thank you for demonstrating how the auto feature is supposed to work. I think mine might have an issue since the top red part is down to about f8 and not moving much. It was higher before so it has moved since I got it. Any thoughts on what the problem might be or if it is fixable?
Hi Jeff, this will probably be quite a long answer!!!
Firstly, I'm assuming that your camera is the Super B rather than the Super BC (the Super BC has a little battery hatch on the front) - most of my waffle should apply whichever version you have.
The red markings on the exposure meter are a bit weird, the bottom one is simply painted onto the dial, whereas the top one has a movable section. If you set your film speed to it's maximum of 650 ISO, and wind on the film advancing lever, and now with the camera set to auto, adjust the shutter speed, as you go to the lower shutter speeds that red area should move downwards to indicate that the band of available apertures is quite small. Then, as you increase the shutter speeds, the red area should move upwards again., theoretically returning to a small band at the top that's about the same size as the bottom band.
Having examined my camera a bit further, although the exposure meter appears to be working, I don't think all of the linkages that connect it to the aperture mechanism are fully free because it can be a bit inconsistent with the aperture it selects. If however, I put the camera into manual mode, with a relatively slow shutter speed (say 1/15th of a second), I can confirm that all the apertures are being selected correctly by selecting each one in turn. Also, the fact that my photos came out about right also confirms that the manual apertures are working correctly.
My hunch would be that with my own camera, and probably yours too, there are very delicate linkages from the exposure meter to the aperture mechanism that need cleaning and very careful re oiling. I would think that it would be a fairly major strip down to get that lot working correctly, and even then, based on my experience of separate exposure metres that use a Selenium cell, they aren't that accurate any more. I only have two, but both of them give a completely inaccurate reading that isn't consistent across different lighting conditions, so I can't just dial in a different ISO until it matches my modern exposure meter. I do have a separate exposure meter that uses a CDS cell, and when fed with it's correct voltage, that one reads pretty much the same as my modern meter, certainly good enough to use for photography.
In some ways I'd be tempted to try to get my camera working correctly in auto mode, but I don't really want to take the risk that something might go very wrong during the strip down, so for now I'll carry on using it in manual mode only. Assuming yours is also working correctly in manual mode, then I'd be tempted to just use it that way, unless you are pretty brave and think you want to tackle the major strip down.
@@GrumpyTim Wow, thank you for such a detailed response. Duly noted. I’ll probably just use it in manual mode then.
One more question. Mine has nice and clean tessar lens but their is a bit of spots of what looks to be dry oil or perhaps fungus in between the lenses that enclose the leaf shutter and aperture. I know the lens surrounded by the black ring (under the tessar lens) can be unscrewed and then I could get in there with some naphtha to clean it up. But it is very tightly screwed in.
Do you know of any specific tools or tricks to unscrewing that?
@@jeff3388 I'll try to have a look tomorrow, it's so long since I worked on it that I can't remember exactly what I had to do. If I remember correctly, there are a pair of elements in the removable section at the front, then a single one behind the shutter and aperture blades (that one will actually be a bonded pair so it'll just look like a single piece). I may have cleaned that rear one in situ but I'm sure I'll remember when I take another look. Similarly, I must have opened the front housing to clean those two elements.
Hi Jeff, I was talking utter rubbish last night - I said it had been a while since I had worked on the Contaflex!!!! So, the front element is the one that you can simply remove. to get to the middle element you need to remove the front trim on the lens, which is held on with 3 screws - there's also a spring shim thing behind that. Then the next metal plate needs to come off (that plate has the locking lever for the removable front element) and it's held on with 4 screws - it has a pin on the back that has to index with a slot behind. At this stage the shutter speed ring is still in place, and it can remain in place. The middle element is then accessible, but you'll need a special wrench to get it out - I made my own, but I have seen them described as collet spanners (I'm not sure that is the proper name) - if you search for Leica Lens Spanner you might see the sort of thing, but all the ones I've seen aren't big enough for this job, plus, it needs to be kinked to reach the lens on the Contaflex. If you want to email me (address in the "about" tab, I'll send you the photos I've just taken as I took mine apart.
@@GrumpyTim thank you, email sent.
Hi Tim, this is a really good video! I love it, I also got a Zeiss Ikon Super B, but the back is totally different, the back with a dark box. Also, it comes with a card, which needs to be inserted into the camera then can take photos. My friend told me it is a special edition, a middle edition probably? Now I'm curious about the rewind button, I can't find that, so when I finish a film and rewind, it counters a brake, I mean not smoothly. I can send you an email with a photo of my camera if you are interested. Best wishes from China. Jie
Nop, the card should be removed then the shutter works, How to open the back, 1. remove the card from the camera, 2. wind it 3. re-insert the card, and open the two handles.
How weird, I hadn't come across one with a different back like yours Jie.
This style of semi-fixed or interchageable 35mm SLRs based on a fixed leaf shutter and prism came around 1955, and went around 1965. There were threes camera lines of this style: the Zeiss Contaflex, Voitlander Bessamatic, and Kodak Retina Reflex. Over time, they all got more complex as features were added. They disappeared rapidly as the prices on focal plane SLRs dropped, as these cameras could do more and for less cost. The fixed leaf shutter severely limited the focal lengths and maximum apertures of the lenses available. While Voitlander and Kodak used the best quality lenses that could be fitted, Zeiss always used lower quality lenses, the basic Tessar being the only lens which might be considered "quality". These cameras, being fully mechanical and with a very complex sequence of actions required for each exposure, were expensive to buy, and far more expense to service and repair. They were targeted to "Dad", shooting slides of the family vacation, and they incorporated more conveniences than other SLR cameras of that period. Today, they are mostly underperforming cameras which would never be worth the cost of repair if they fail. Among the group, the Voigtlander is the outstanding system. Like Kodak, they shifted in later models to fully interchangeable lenses, and the ones developed for the Bessamatics were some of the best quality. Their final models were the Ultrons, mounting the legendary 50mm 2.0 Septon lens. The final Ultron incorporated a TTL Cds metering system, and might well be the most beautiful (and complex) 35mm SLR ever made.
Cheers for the extra info Randall, that's very interesting about the target audience for these cameras - I always wondered who bought them because although they're nicely engineered, they would have been relatively expensive, and not necessarily the obvious choice. I haven't done a full strip down of a Contaflex yet, but I have done a couple of Bessamatics, and although complicated, they're fairly logical and satisfying to work on - as with so many of the old leaf shutter cameras, once you're through all the external stuff, the entire shutter assembly is a self contained unit and is more or less the same as so many other cameras of that type. I've got a Kodak Retina Reflex to sort out some time, it's in beautiful cosmetic condition, but like on so many of these cameras, the shutter is jammed, so that one will be coming to pieces when I find the time.
@randallstewart1224
How have you found the Tessar lenses of the Contaflexes? What did you think of your results? I'd be interested in seeing your photos. Ultron isn't a camera. It's a Vougtländer lens design used in various rangefinder cameras such as their Vitessa and Prominent to name a couple. You can't put a 50mm Septon on an Ultron, because you can't attach a lens to another lens and photograph without a camera...
@@brettrogers8482 You are correct. I meant to refer to the Ultramatic models, being the last in the Bessmatic line of cameras. Ultron is a name assigned by both Vouigtlander back then,and Cosina now, to several of their lenses. That what I get for posting in the wee hours.
@@brettrogers8482 I've not used a Contaflex in more than 50 years, and I didn't form any significant opinion of the Tessar then. As I have used Tessar-type lenses in both Konica 35mm and 6x6cm medium format. My opinion is that if you stay with lenses with maximum aperture of 3.5, and shoot in the 5.6 - 11.0 range, you get very sharp, contrasty results. Lots of folks claim a unique character to the Tessar-style formula without ever defining that objectively, and I have no idea what that means.
Thanks for the vid! Question, my aperture-setting scale is stuck on 2.8.... I try to depress that lever you mentioned but nothing seems to give, any ideas?
Hi FireBabyZ2, the control rings can get all gummed up with grime on these cameras, if that's the case, the only solution is to take them apart and clean them. I presume you can feel the little release lever/button press in slightly (it only goes in about a millimetre), if that lever/button isn't going in, then it might be that locking mechanism that's causing the issue - again, it could be gummed up with grime, and the solution would disassembly and cleaning.
@@GrumpyTim Thanks! Yeah, I am afraid to tinker with it too much. Maybe I will find someone who can futz with it a bit. Thanks for the reply.
Hi. I have a simular camera, but the lever does not seem to work. When i try pulling it, its locked. Do you know have a sulution for my problem?
Hi Borger, the likelihood is that the camera is already wound on, at which point there is a latch that stops you advancing the film again before you take the shot. I'm presuming that you can't see anything through the viewfinder, in which case the shutter button will have been pressed which starts a sequence of events - the shutter closes, the mirror and a blanking plate flip out of the way, the aperture closes down to the set value, and only then does the shutter open and close to take the shot. On lots of this kind of camera the shutter often gets sticky and doesn't open or close fully, meaning that the camera is stuck somewhere in the middle of that sequence. Generally the only solution is to dismantle the shutter for cleaning and servicing, if you're not used to doing that kind of thing, one of these cameras might not be the best place to start, but if you are used to repairing stuff like this then that's probably your best chance.
There may well be some videos showing dismantling of these shutters, have a look for "Synchro Compur shutter disassembly" or something like that, particularly if you find any videos by Chris Sherlock because he's really good, that way you can see the sort of thing you'll be tackling before you decide to dive in yourself. Often you don't need to fully dismantle the thing because the part that's sticking could even be a rotating ring or lever that's external to the shutter itself.
@@GrumpyTim Thank you so much for your answer. I will make sure to check it out. Great video by the way!:D
Hello GrumpyTim!
I have the Contessa (which is also carved around the lens) Carl Zeiss Tessar Prontor SLK Spezial. It is non foldable and It has a color setting behind the camera which i don't know how to use. I got it film for color and i want to make sure I'm using the color setting right. Can you please give me advice on how to use the color setting?🙏🏽🥺
Hi Ana, that's a lovely little camera. The little colour / black & white reminder on the back is just there to remind you what film you have in the camera, it doesn't actually do anything to the camera, so you don't need to worry about it.
In the days before digital cameras, photographers might have film loaded in several cameras at the same time - the little reminder disk could help you remember what film was in a camera when you picked it up having not used it for a while.
Strange to compare this camera to PracTEEca (?), which does not have a fixed lens, but accepts all kinds of lenses, including zoom. It has a completely different shutter system, which has great consequences for electronic flashes.
Hi devroombagchus, I wasn't really comparing the Contaflex to a Praktica, or any other camera, I just wanted to give a point of reference for the price compared to a camera people who aren't necessarily photography enthusiasts would have been more likely to have heard of. Most of my viewers have an interest in many things but aren't specifically camera collectors, so I wanted to give examples that everyone (over a certain age) would be familiar with.