1938 Zeiss-Ikon Ikonta with Tessar lens & Compur Rapid shutter, CLA'd, Freshly Serviced!

Cleaned, Lubricated & Adjusted. Ready for immediate use

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 snap shot. 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 great companion and its compact size will never give you a reason to leave it at home.

This is one of the very first examples of the 521/16 model, that Zeiss-Ikon began producing in 1938. Both serial numbers (body & lens) indicate that this camera dates from 1938. It’s a fine German camera in excellent condition. (Please see photos.) The camera has been carefully Cleaned, Lubricated and Adjusted. The leather bellows are supple and light tight. The view finder is clean and clear.

This camera has been carefully cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. Everything works as it should. The quality Compur-Rapid shutter works well and all speeds (B & 1sec - 1/500th) are appropriate. The slow speeds buzz along smoothly and the fast ones are clean and snappy.

The Carl Zeiss f3.5/75mm Tessar lens is in exceptionally fine condition. There are no scratches or cleaning marks. There are no separated elements, crystallization or haze and it’s capable of producing lovely photos modern color and B&W films.

All in all a very fine usable classic camera that not only looks great, it deserves to be used regularly. 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 medium format camera with you...

Search terms: Carl Zeiss, Zeiss-Ikon, Tessar, 105mm, 10,5cm, Compur shutter, medium format, prewar, pre-war, vintage camera, 120 film, authentic, original, WWII, WW2, reenactor, re-enactor, signal corps, USAAF, war correspondent, combat photographer, German, made in Germany