(A few more than) 5 frames with a Zeiss Ikonta B 522/24 – by Sergio Palazzi

By Sergio

The first camera I remember was my Dad’s Zeiss Ikon Contina Ic. It was so cool in late-50’s chrome, the no-bellow look, the extra-wide viewer, fully manual. It’s still good now: but it became impractical and out of fashion when I wasn’t a teen anymore.

My first real camera was a Canon AT1, so I started using almost only Canon FD kit. Then at some stage, I had a harsh case of G.A.S. – mostly looking at Zeiss gear. This included falling in love with gigantic but pocketable Erconas, but I was always looking for something really compact. I looked at the Minox 35, but wanted something more mechanical.

So, after more than fifty years and fifty cameras, I met the Contina’s elder sister, the Ikonta B 522/24; the last and smallest of its name. The circle is closed, and it’s a new love for me.

In these image, you can see its size, near some other small cameras…

… and in this picture, near its fat aunt Ercona – a camera that is same size of Oliver Clarke’s (RF) 524/2.

So why do I love the little one? First, it’s pure beauty. One of the most elegant cameras of all time in my opinion. It’s nice to even just to look at, or to show around as a vintage jewel.

Second, it’s small, compact, and reliable, with a bright Opton Tessar 45/2.8 (although possibly not the best Tessar I have used). With a wrist strap, it’s good for street & candid photo, even without aiming.

On the other hand, aiming through the very small viewer can be a problem if you wear glasses – I find it easy to exaggerate parallax and cut details.

And, among many others strange details it produced 24x37mm frames – this means that, whilst gaining a little on panoramas, you have trouble with archive sleeves and scanning masks.

But, you see, Zeiss Ikon didn’t like simple things…

A selection of photos

Crisp contrast on panoramic and architecture, but beware the tiny viewfinder!

Quiet and discrete for candid moments

Despite an unusual grip, allows quick shots

Clear and fast in dark scenes

    

Easy to carry in office bag, to be there when you need it

1/500s from a moving vehicle – not so bad

This article  is mirrored in Italian at www.kemia.it

Share this post:

Find more similar content on 35mmc

Use the tags below to search for more posts on related topics:

Contribute to 35mmc for an ad-free experience.

There are two ways to contribute to 35mmc and experience it without the adverts:

Paid Subscription – £2.99 per month and you’ll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).

Subscribe here.

Content contributor – become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.

Sign up here.

About The Author

Comments

Evan Bedford on (A few more than) 5 frames with a Zeiss Ikonta B 522/24 – by Sergio Palazzi

Comment posted: 06/08/2018

I love those black and white shots. What film did you use?
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sergio on (A few more than) 5 frames with a Zeiss Ikonta B 522/24 – by Sergio Palazzi

Comment posted: 14/08/2018

Thanks Evan.
Sorry for the delay, have been around burning other films...
1, 7: Fomapan 200
2, 4, 5: FP4
3,6: Rollei 400 RPX

All at box speed, many of them with the only screw filter that I own for that format, a Zeiss Ikon 2x-yellow.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *