[45 Mike]

I have been looking for this camera for some time. Less than $25, I am a happy guy!
Zeiss Ikonta model 521A 6x4.5cm on 120 roll film



75mm Novar, f:3.5 In a fully functioning Prontor SVS


Speeds bulb to 300th, and aperture to 32


Single window film counter!




Fit and finish is excellent, for a user camera.


I have every intention of using it. :-)

[Sluggo]

I've been slowly paring down my film body collection for a while, running One Last Roll through many of them before putting them up for sale or giving them away. But the little-regarded ZX-30, when its turn came, unexpectedly grabbed my attention and affection. I believe it's my only film body that fully (i.e. the four basic shooting modes) supports modern lenses without aperture rings, and the eyepiece has diopter correction.

This particular body came to me several years ago for almost no money, and in almost-new condition; still, it has spent a lot of time since then sitting unused. Most recently it's been wearing the DA40XS lens that came with my K-01 digital body.

[monochrome]

RE: KevinCameras - he sells to collectors who are willing to overpay to fill a gap / get a hard-to-find item. I've never done it (though I was once close on the hood for a K24/3.5) but I know members here have bought from there.

Right now his K50/1.2 prices aren't that bad, but if the rest of his inventory is 100% overpriced I've still doubled my money. Crazy!

I refused to look at the K18's.

[WPRESTO]

I have been looking for this camera for some time. Less than $25, I am a happy guy!
Zeiss Ikonta model 521A 6x4.5cm on 120 roll film

For a very short time about 1962 I had a very similar-looking Zeiss folder but it was 21/4 square on 120 film. Sadly, the negatives had flare in one area because of one or more pinholes at the folds in the bellows, and at that time it was almost impossible to track down someplace that could/would replace the bellows.

[45 Mike]

For a very short time about 1962 I had a very similar-looking Zeiss folder but it was 21/4 square on 120 film. Sadly, the negatives had flare in one area because of one or more pinholes at the folds in the bellows, and at that time it was almost impossible to track down someplace that could/would replace the bellows.

I did not find any bellows holes, and I have a roll of B&W in it at this time, for testing.
I really like my Zenobia, now I just need to decide which one will run color film, and which will be B&W.


I like my TLR bodies for 6x6 shots. My 6x9 folders are scale focus also, I do pretty well with those.
I noticed that this prontor shutter has a DOF scale on it. Which really helps with the scale focus shooting.
And unlike the 520/A that i gave my niece, it has a PC sync nipple!

[ambaker]

Heh heh heh, good old "Kevin Scam-era."

I've got to credit him for taking the psychological phenomenon of "more expensive must equal better quality" to its logical extreme. I once saw him trying to sell a Super Tak 50mm f/1.4 for over $500. Granted, it was 8 element, but that is still more than double what it should have been listed for. Some stuff he has listed is at over 10x retail value.

If you are interested in selling the Angenieux or using it yourself on your Pentax, you can send it to me - it might be an interesting K mount conversion project now that the original mount has been hacked up. It is a legendary lens. too bad about all the scratches on the front element.

Yes there are some scratches, but at the same time the linked article below had some eye opening information on front surface damage for me.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches

I'm not associated with them, blah blah blah. I did manage do to some very visible damage (chips) to a front element on a sigma 28-200 and found their article to be pretty accurate as regards my experience with my lens.

[Jonathan Mac]

I have been looking for this camera for some time. Less than $25, I am a happy guy!
Zeiss Ikonta model 521A 6x4.5cm on 120 roll film

75mm Novar, f:3.5 In a fully functioning Prontor SVS

Speeds bulb to 300th, and aperture to 32

Single window film counter!

Fit and finish is excellent, for a user camera.

I have every intention of using it. :-)

Nice find. I've been on the look-out for a 645 folder for a while as a small-as-possible medium format camera for travelling. Last summer I took my 6x6 Franka Solida III on holiday to the US and it did well but something more compact would have been nice.

I've been slowly paring down my film body collection for a while, running One Last Roll through many of them before putting them up for sale or giving them away. But the little-regarded ZX-30, when its turn came, unexpectedly grabbed my attention and affection. I believe it's my only film body that fully (i.e. the four basic shooting modes) supports modern lenses without aperture rings, and the eyepiece has diopter correction.

This particular body came to me several years ago for almost no money, and in almost-new condition; still, it has spent a lot of time since then sitting unused. Most recently it's been wearing the DA40XS lens that came with my K-01 digital body.

You've reminded me that I have an MZ-30 sitting in my cupboard that hasn't been tested yet. The bottom of the mirror box has a hole in it but the camera seems to work fine (not sure if that hole will let any light in though...). I like the feel of that camera. It's known for a failure in a plastic cog in the mirror mechanism but externally the build quality feels just as good (or rather, bad) as my MZ-5Ns.

Yes there are some scratches, but at the same time the linked article below had some eye opening information on front surface damage for me.

LensRentals.com - Front Element Scratches

I'm not associated with them, blah blah blah. I did manage do to some very visible damage (chips) to a front element on a sigma 28-200 and found their article to be pretty accurate as regards my experience with my lens.

Front element damage is not a major problem. I believe it can increase flare and decrease contrast but I've never seen that in practice. It's rear-element damage you have to watch out for.

[WPRESTO]

Last summer I took my 6x6 Franka Solida III on holiday to the US and it did well but something more compact would have been nice.

Roll film folders were once sold by Old-Yellow as "Pocket Kodaks." My father used to complain than men's coats, overcoats in particular, no longer had proper pockets, deep sacks large enough to easily swallow a folded newspaper. He selected my first such overcoat, and it did have pockets large enough to accommodate my first camera with variable aperture and shutter speeds - - his hand-me-down Kodak 616 "Pocket Kodak." When I started using a Super Ikonta C, also a hand-me-down, the camera seemed delightfully petite.

[gofour3]

I was once close on the hood for a K24/3.5

I think I bought that hood many years ago, payed around $75.00 I believe??

About a month later I found two of those same hoods at a camera store in Austria and snapped them up as well. Don't think I've come across any of the 58mm wide angle hoods since, pretty hard to find.

Phil.

[WPRESTO]

Yeah, I am well aware of the practical effects of scratches.

It's the valuation effects I am referring to. With a lens as rare as this one, we are talking several hundreds or even thousands of dollars difference in valuation. This is a lens that is worth up to 3 grand with clean glass. With the scratches and mount surgery on this one, it's worth probably less than a third of that. Still a great score, though.

3 grand? There was one on EBAY offered at over $9500. That's an entire Pentax outfit, with all the good stuff, and extras, and ....

[monochrome]

I think I bought that hood many years ago, payed around $75.00 I believe??

About a month later I found two of those same hoods at a camera store in Austria and snapped them up as well. Don't think I've come across any of the 58mm wide angle hoods since, pretty hard to find.

Phil.

I actually found the clamp-on Takumar hood on ebay later - about the same price. That K24/3.5 and matching hood were sold locally for what I thought at the time was a crazy amount of money ($475) and bought the K24/2.8 and hood and a K105/2.8 with the proceeds.

They're on my regret list even though it was a good trade.

[Jean Poitiers]

"Bonjour" gentlemen ...

I went this morning to a photo swap/expo at Aulnay-de-Saintogne and picked up a few goodies.

But, what's more interesting is that I took the Angénieux 90/1.8 with me to collect some interesting info. I showed it to a "veteran" vendor (that I trust) and the lens is an Exakta mount that has been converted to Rollei ... he was kind enough to show me a real Exakta mount that he had and "bingo", almost a perfect match. So thanks to his kind input, I am pretty sure about that aspect now.

What's more interesting is that I presented the lens and body to a "professional buyer" (see first image with "Achat" sign) at the swap and he offered me a nice sum for it despite "bad mouthing" that condition of the front element and the altered mount ... an offer of 600€ is not bad IMHO. I did not bite since I plan to take the Angénieux to the Paris swap in June to see what can get for it ... this one may very well finance my "dream project" for a nice 67 kit ...

Here's some images from Aulnay ... and still pinching myself for the thrift store find of the Angénieux ... yes, I really seemed to have "lucked out" big time here on this acquisition.

[stevebrot]

OK, gentlemen. I need your help.

What do you think ... Exakta mount converted to Rollei QBM ?

We think we (once again) hate you...


Steve

[Xmas]

We think we (once again) hate you...


Steve

Hi Steve
Think you are too nice!
Noel

[ambaker]

The trouble I would have with the lens, is bringing myself to sell it. But then I already own a Pentax 67, so perhaps my temptation would be less. Though a 67 II would be a nice addition.

To the previous posters, yes I agree the scratches and the mount modifications do lower the value. But it was to note that one should not be scared away from some types of imperfections, nor accept a low ball price.