Near Mint! 1956 Zeiss Ikon Nettax with original case. Freshly Serviced, CLA'd

 Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use.

(Nikon not included)

This is a freshly serviced Zeiss Ikon 6x6 Ikonta. It folds out to 6 x 6 cm photos on normal 120 roll film. Bright exposures alive with all the details, lovely colors and rich tonal range that only medium format can provide. When it comes to photography, bigger is better and this camera can produce a large negative that’s more than four times larger than the average 35mm snapshot. The real appeal is that all of this is produced by a camera that folds up into a small package. So whether you're interesting in fine grain, rich tonal values or lovely colors, this vintage camera is a fine companion and its compact size will never give you a reason to leave it at home.

This is a very fine example of the popular 513/16 model, which Zeiss-Ikon produced in Germany after the war. The camera serial number (O30867) indicates it was manufactured in the winter of 1956 or spring of 1957. This is the so called “signal” model which featured a red marker that appears in the viewfinder after a photo was taken. (Which was a reminder to wind the film for the next shot.) It also featured a built-in light meter but don’t figure on using it. Selenium light meters of this design are never accurate after all these years. (For all you collectors it’s fine to know that this one still works and responds to light.) For everyone else, just use a handheld meter, or a light-meter app on your smartphone or better yet just eyeball it. It’s easy to set the aperture and shutter speed on this camera.   

This camera has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. Everything works as it should. The shutter works well and all speeds are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the fast ones are clean and snappy. It also features a flash synch connector and the shutter has been adjusted to fire correctly with an electronic flash at any desired speeds. (This is of course convenient for flash-fill.)  The real leather bellows are supple and light tight. The view finder is clean and clear.

The lens is a coated f3.5/7,5cm (75mm) Novar-Anastigmat. It’s an excellent three element design based on the classic Cooke triplet and well known for its lovely rendition and attractive background bokeh. The lens is also in exceptionally fine condition. It looks like new.  It’s clean and clear. There are no scratches, no cleaning marks and it’s capable of producing very lovely photos on modern color and B&W films.

All in all a very enjoyable classic camera. Load it with your favorite film and keep it handy for that perfect shot you’ve been looking for. You know the one... the one with the perfect Ansel Adams light breaking through the dark storm clouds that leaves you wishing that you had a classic camera with you.