Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2

If you don’t have time to read this review of the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C, Model 530/2, I can read this to you with the Photo Thinking Blogcast! You can find it on most podcast platforms or here.

When considering iconic folding cameras, a few come to mind. One that invariably makes that list is the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C. What’s there not to love in this camera? A folding camera which travels easily, uses readily available 120 film, produces 6×9 frames and is a rangefinder to ensure precision focusing and sharp results.

When I started collecting cameras, if you asked me what kind of cameras I would include, the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C would not have been in the answer. A range of SLRs, compacts and rangefinders would easily have been mentioned. As my collection has matured, folding cameras have been something I have been more and more interested in.

Crown Casino building | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

As such I have acquired versions of the Super Ikonta in most formats. It is a range of cameras, along with the simpler Ikonta models (which are without a rangefinder), that in their day had a camera for everyone. Paired up with well-regarded Zeiss lenses, it is a good combination.

I did not realise until I had my Super Ikonta how much of a cult camera they are. I ran into quite a few people that have one and everyone had good things to say about them. A good friend even asked, “Why did they keep developing new cameras? They hit the mark with the Super Ikonta”.

Passing colourful windows | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

It is an interesting perspective. Modern cameras have a lot of functionality making shooting very easy and convenient. Generally, the results are also technically superior, yet there is a fascination with the very antiquated cameras from decades earlier. Add to that, the old folding cameras are quite awkward to use. I don’t get it, but I also do get it.

The Super Ikonta C is a camera of contradictions. I’ve had it now for about one and half years. Coming from one of the oldest photographic companies, this camera came with a lot of advancement for that time. Let’s see how that translates to someone using it then, and more importantly for us, using it now.

Motorbike | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Ilford FP4 Plus

History

According to the Zeiss website “Jena was first mentioned in 1182 and was elevated to town status around 1230. It played a central role in the age of romanticism and the enlightenment. Due to its well known university, in particular, Jena was a center of attraction for many famous academics, including Goethe, Schiller, and Hegel.”

In 1846, in Jena, Carl Zeiss optical workshop was established. Carl Zeiss Jena was founded ten years later in 1856. When Carl Zeiss himself passed away in 1888, his partner Ernst Abbe, introduced photographic optics production. The company flourished and expanded into cameras.

Water Taxi | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

In 1926 Zeiss Ikon was formed with considerable capital by Carl Zeiss and was the result of a merger of Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann, Goerz and Ica. Zeiss Ikon formed one part of the overall Carl Zeiss Foundation in parallel to the Carl Zeiss optical company. For obvious reasons, most of the Zeiss Ikon cameras were sold with Carl Zeiss lenses from that point onwards, with the independent companies closing their lens manufacturing. Goerz was particularly affected.

Compur shutters also became the norm for 80% of the cameras, with only what was considered the simpler cameras assembled with a Klio shutter. Within Dresden, considered one of the photo technology capitals, the group became one of the big companies. It continued to manufacture some of the products of the companies that merged, but shortly afterwards started to create some new ones.

Victor Harbor | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Ilford Pan F

That is where the Ikonta range comes in, considered Zeiss Ikon’s higher end of cameras, over the Netter series. In 1929 Zeiss Ikon launched the Ikonta in four models, labelled A, B, C and D. All but the D use 120 film, with it using 116 or 616 film. The A produces 6×4.5cm frames, the B 6×6 frames and the C 6×9 frames. A baby Ikonta also was made, which uses 127 film making 3x4cm frames.

The initial series had the 520 designation, with the A, B & C assigned 520, 520/16 and 520/2 respectively. These cameras were in production until 1940, where the 521 designations took over, and only for the A, B and C cameras.

Tunnel exit | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

The Super Ikonta range started a little bit later in 1933. The “Super” designation signifies that the camera has a rangefinder, as distinct from the Ikonta models which required estimated distance. The first one was this camera, the Super Ikonta C 530/2, a 6×9 model, which was available from 1933 to 1939. The Super Ikonta A 530, the 6×4.5 model was produced from 1934 until 1937. The Super Ikonta D was also available from 1934.

The final 530 designated camera, the Super Ikonta B 530/16 was available from 1935. These were later replaced by the 531 series, and in the case the 6×6 model was also upgraded to the 532, 533 and finally the 534 model.

One final rangefinder model, the Mess-Ikonta 524/16 came much later, which has a stand-alone rangefinder.

Sydney Opera House | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2 | Cinestill 50D

Camera Specifics

The Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2 is a medium format rangefinder camera from the 1930s. It produces 6x9cm frames on 120 film but can also shoot 6×4.5 frames with a mask inserted. Construction of the body is pressed metal and is in a classic folder style of the period. A door opens at the front allowing the bellows to extend with a shutter and lens assembly at the front. The assembly is held in place by struts and the door.

This copy has the Klio shutter offering speeds of 1/5^th, 1/10^th, 1/25^th, 1/50^th, 1/100^th, Bulb and Time. These are selected with a slider at the top of the shutter. The shutter does not require cocking, it automatically fires when the shutter release is pressed. The shutter release is a lever on the shutter itself at the front of the camera.

A threaded remote cable release is available on the shutter, keeping in mind not to shut the camera with it attached.

Aperture is selected by moving the pointer at the bottom of the lens assembly. The apertures range from f/4.5 through to f/32. There are ten blades in the lens for the aperture settings.

Speaking of the lens, this copy has a Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar 10.5cm f/4.5 lens. As the name suggests, this is a three-element lens, with the four element lenses, Tessars, more sought after. Minimum focusing distance is 1.5m. Focusing is adjusted through a wheel attached to the lens which also moves the rangefinder element as well as the lens element. The distance markings are on the outside of the lens cell.

The rangefinder’s mirror prism is on the body of the camera. To focus the camera, you look through the rangefinder eyepiece at the back. The rangefinder patch is circular, and you just bring the split image together to set the correct focus. The rangefinder patch element at the front is hinged and folds away. It must be folded to close the camera.

Framing the photo is done separately from using the rangefinder and is achieved through the pop-up viewfinder. It has a mask for 6×4.5cm framing when shooting in that format.

You can load the 120 film by opening the hinged back, placing the empty film spool on the right side, and placing the new spool with the film on the left side. Pull the film across until it is threaded onto the empty spool and close the back. Using the winding key on the right side, pull the film across until the number one is in the round red window on the left side.

As frames are shot, using the winding key, move the film across to the right. If shooting 6×9, move to the next number in the left red window, but if shooting 6×4.5, move the number from the left to the right window.

Being a folder, the camera folds down of-course. By pushing on the struts, it will collapse back flat. Do be careful so it does not hit the top as it folds in, by pushing the lens assembly down. Again, remember to fold the rangefinder element away first.

The camera offers a delayed shutter function, of about twelve seconds, which is initiated by flicking over the two red levers on the front. Combined with the two tripod sockets on the camera, it is easy to set up a party portrait. You will need a tripod screw reducer for most modern tripods though.

The Experience

The Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2 came to me through an auction where I won a range of cameras in New Zealand. It was in the same auction where I came to gain the Rollei 35 that I recently wrote about. I also got the Super Ikonta D there, which shoots 616 film but is basically a bigger version of this same camera.

Unlike the Rollei, this needed some work to it, the shutter was not behaving well. I took it in for a service, and Jess who does my work here, said it had some rust in the shutter. It cleaned out nicely though. Even the delay timer was brought back up to spec. One thing I really appreciate about Jess, is everything is returned really well cleaned out. The camera looked brand new!

W Hotel Sydney | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Iford FP4 Plus

On my first outing, I really had to come to terms with using the camera. The shutter release is quite a small lever and holding the camera is quite awkward initially. It is especially more so in landscape orientation, as the camera has been designed in portrait orientation. Reaching at the front of the camera is never a natural position.

This was also compounded with the slow shutter speed options. A maximum of 1/100^th second is a bit of a challenge when holding something a little unnaturally. I have gotten used to it and to be honest the position of the release is no longer something that bothers me. If I had to say something I wish was different, a faster shutter speed would be it.

Sydney Convention Centre | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

That is pretty much where my complaints about this camera end. Once I got used to using it and was able to keep it steady, by using some breathing techniques, the results can be breathtaking. It surprised me a lot, considering the Triotar is the less advanced of the lenses. Combine this with using slower speed film, the clarity and detail in the resultant negatives are up there in the wow factor stakes.

I did have to take it back to re-align the rangefinder, I suspect I knocked it out, but since then it has been very accurate. I do have to remove my glasses to use the rangefinder, but it is very clear and easy to line up. Framing the shot is less accurate, but I have not had to shave much off any of the photos.

Magic busker | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Agfa Agfapan APX 25, expired 20+ years

Below is roughly a 100% crop of the photo with the floating busker. For reference, the photo was taken on Agfa Agfapan APX 25, which was expired over 20 years earlier. It was scanned on an Epson Perfection V850 Professional flatbed scanner at 6400dpi, and then reduced to 4000dpi. The scanner’s effective or real resolution capability lies at roughly 2700dpi but requires scanning at full 6400dpi to achieve that. Bicubic reduction was used in Adobe Photoshop.

I must admit that it has become a camera I reach to often when I feel like shooting big negatives. Even having the Fuji GSW690iii, which I love as well, but sometimes it just is too big.

I don’t have the 6×4.5 mask and will probably not ever get one. There are other 6×4.5 cameras in my collection, including a Super Ikonta, so would prefer to use those.

One little user error I have encountered a few times is where I double exposed an image because I did not wind the film forward. I can’t blame the camera for that, as not many cameras had double exposure mechanisms back then. It does bring up a thought that I might try and be creative with it in that sense.

Gravestone | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

The film I mainly used in the Super Ikonta C was primarily slower film, like Cinestill 50D (which sings in this camera), Ilford Pan 50, Agfapan APX 25 and Ilford FP4 Plus. FP4 Plus was a little challenging being a faster film and tended to be used mainly on the smaller apertures.

Image performance overall for this camera, as you might tell, is something I have considered as very good. The sharpness in centre of the image mentioned earlier is one thing, but it does start to fade out a bit towards the edges on anything under f/8. It’s not much, but it can be noticeable.

Post Box | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Agfa Agfapan APX 25, expired 20+ years

The images do also have a noticeable vignetting. For both of these impacts, they are not strong enough to feel like they impact the photograph negatively. It is after all, a 1930s triplet lens and even Zeiss would not be able to have corrected that much. Add that it is a folding camera, rather than a rigid body, and as far as I am concerned, it is a remarkable result.

There is an obvious reason why these Super Ikontas are gaining popularity. They have a very distinct look to the results and when folded are easy to slip into a camera bag. Many people shoot either film or vintage lenses to have a distinct vintage look with the resultant photographs. This camera achieves that, but at the same time produces results which won’t age based on the latest fad.

Crossing | Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C | Cinestill 50D

When I am out shooting with this camera, I do have strangers talk to me, intrigued on how an eighty-five-year-old camera can be used in 2023. It kicks off some great conversations, and in some cases sparks of the thought that this hobby might be fun.

As you might have been able to work out, I really do like and enjoy the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2. I would gladly recommend this camera or one of the other models in the 530 or 531 range, if you are looking for a 6×9 folding camera with a rangefinder. As for this specific model, I am happy to say that I will continue to use it until it reaches its one-hundred-year milestone and beyond.