Zeiss Ikon Contax Camera Repair

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The Zeiss Document Library

This is a free service to you. The following original documents are complete and all you have to do is to use the provided links to call up the document.

Just click on any of the following links to call up a document. These are complete publications as printed by Zeiss and you are welcome to use them for free.

"The Contameter"

This is a copy of the 1938 printing of the very rare Contameter Brochure. It's a late priting in English and contains complete operating instructions along with pictures and descriptions of all the Contameter lenses and accessories for the Contax 35mm, Super Nettle 35mm, Tenax 35mm, and Super Ikonta medium format cameras.

"The Contaflex TLR Instruction Book"

This is a copy of the 1939 printing of the Contaflex TLR Instruction Book that came with the camera. It's a late priting in English and contains complete operating instructions along with pictures and descriptions of many accessories and lenses, many of which have never been seen.

"The Ten Golden Rules of Care for Your Camera"

This is a small illustrated pamphlet consisting of two pages. It is filled with absolutely perfect advice and is well worth reviewing today. It answers many common questions about camera care and storage that seem never to get resoved.

"The New Contax IIa and IIIa"

This is the earliest Contax advertising brochure for the Contax IIa. It was published in 1951, the year of introduction of the Contax IIa at the Photokina Camera Show in Germany. It consists of 15 pages and contains a lot of information about the Contax IIa and its initial assortment of lenses and accessories.

"The Ten Contax Lenses"

"The Ten Contax Lenses" is a very early book published by Zeiss Ikon concerning the lenses available for the Contax I model camera. It contains a wealth of basic information about the optics for the 35mm camera along with diagrams and illustrations of the construction of the ten accessory lenses that were available in 1935. It is 55 pages in length and well worth reading.

"Zeiss Lens Care Instructions"

This is a single page of lens care instructions provided by Zeiss in a very rare, early, fragile and simple single page printed in 1905. The instructions apply today.

Zeiss Ikon Dealer Bulletin No. 11 of 1954

The Zeiss Ikon Dealer Bulletin No. 11 of 1954 is a fascinating look into Zeiss Ikon Stuttgart when it was at its very peak. Many topics are covered including the introduction of the Zeiss 21mm Biogon and the 35mm Planar lenses for the Contax RF Camera, stereo photography, post war reconstruction, company history, dealer tips, and the Contaflex SLR camera. Lavishly illustrated and very professionally produced. This document is well worth lingering over. It is filled with a great many gold nuggets. It is 30 pages in length.

"My Story" By Klaus-Eckard Riess

This is a link to a Web Site authored by Mr. Klaus-Eckard Riess. Mr. Reiss is a Zeiss camera expert whose father was an executive at Zeiss prior to World War II. He apprentenced at Zeiss and actually worked in the Zeiss factories and Camera Prototype Department during the time following World War II and up to the time of the end of Zeiss camera production. His web site is definitely the must see site for anyone who is interested in the Contax camera and its history. His first hand observations and story about his time at Zeiss are a true revelation and are a "must read" for the true Zeiss Lover.

"The Contax and the Connoisseur"

This is a 63 page Contax I system instruction book printed in 1933 in English. It covers just about anything you ever wanted to know about the Contax I, its lenses and all of its accessories. This is definitely the premier Contax I reference book and if it isn't in here you don't need to know it.

"The Contax IIIa Color Dial Instruction Book"

This is the final version of the Contax IIIa Color Dial Instruction Booklet published right at the end of camera production in 1961. It is useful for the Contax IIa Color Dial model as well. Contains information about all of the lenses and accessories available for the camera.

"The Carl Zeiss Jena Price List of 1934"

This is a four page jewel box treasure trove of information about every lens and lens type manufactured by Carl Zeiss Jena in 1934. It includes the legendary Hyperogon, Protar, Biotar, Sonnar, Tessar, Dagor, W.A. Dagor, etc. It is a dense and compact table of information that includes coverage, mounts, prices, recommended camera size and filters. Just about everything you ever wanted to know in a hurry about every classic lens design Zeiss has ever made except for the Biogon and Distagon which came later.

"The Contax II and III Instruction Book of 1948"

This is a document that is not supposed to exist. Printed in the U.S.A. by Zeiss Ikon AG it is a combined instruction book for the Contax II and III model cameras being imported into the U.S.A. after the end of World War II of which there isn't supposed to be any such thing. A very interesting document well worth reading with care. If you would like to view this document in PDF format you can use this convenient link:

Contax II and III Postware Instruciton Book

"Zeiss Objectives"

This is a very rare book. I'm sure it's not as known or respected as it should be due to it having the wrong title. The title should be "Catalog of Every Lens Zeiss Made in 1934". This is a comprehensive book of 47 pages that completely covers the subject of lens selection and use. It contains just about everything there is to know including the design, specifications, angle of coverage, image size about every focal length and type of Zeiss lens made as of 1934 and all of their mounts and accessories. It is being included in the Library because a lot of Contax people are also Zeiss people and Extremely Large Format people. This document completely explains and has every specification for all the classic lens types including the Protar, Double Protar, Dogmar, W.A. Dogmar and many others. It is the definitive source of all information about these very special lenses. It is full of tremenously good advice, many gold nuggets, surprises and wonders.

"Zeiss T Optics"

This is the first known announcement of the availability of Zeiss T Coated optics. It's a small five page pamphlet, but full of valuable information about coatings, how they work, and where the idea came from. There is also an informative pricelist of various coated photographic optics.

"A New Life For Zeiss"

This is a small four page pamphlet, printed by the Zeiss Option Co. in 1951. It provides a concise overall history of the Zeiss Co. from its roots as a microscope repair shop to the postwar founding of the Zeiss Opton Co. It covers the critical immediate postwar period from the time of the German surrender including the russian pillage of Zeiss along with the kidnapping of technical employees.

"Zeiss Super Ikonta B Instruction Manual"

This is a PDF document. It explains that the B model is designed to take only 11 photographs on a normal roll of 120 film and this explains the frame spacing problem with the camera. This is a complete manual available for free download.

"Zeiss Super Ikonta B Instruction Manual"

This is a PDF document. It is for the pre-war Super Ikonta II. This model is identical to the post war Super Ikonta "B" with one crucial difference. The pre-war II is built to take 11 exposures and the post war B is built to take 12 exposures. This explains the "frame spacing" problem with this camera. I've seen enough Super Ikontas to know that it has long been common practice for camera repairers to swap and switch parts and lenses from body to body to make repairs and to improve cameras for sale. The result is there are enough pre-war bodies with post war lenses on them to create the impression that all Super Ikonta B's are the same and they are not.

"Contarex Super Instruction Manual"

This is a PDF document. It is a complete and original Instruction Manual for the Contarex Super Model. This is the camera that has a built in CDS exposure meter but does not have the electronic shutter.

"Zeiss Ikon Super Nettel Catalog 1935"

This is a PDF document. It is a complete and original complete catalog for the very rare and highly collected Super Nettel camera line. It is over 50 pages and contains everything there is to know about this camera from Zeiss.

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