This page is dedicated to the Zeiss Contaflex SLRs and their related accessories. These images are for reference only.
| The Zeiss Contaflex camera is a wonderful piece of machinery.
My personal favourites are the Super B, Super BC, and the Automatic S.
It seems these last versions of the Contaflex were the most well thought
out cameras of the line. I also find them the most esthetically pleasing
to hold and use. |
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However, when purchasing a Contaflex, you MUST perform
the following test to see if the aperture leafs are operating correctly.
Set the camera to B, 1, or 1/2 second. Then, set the aperture to f22. Wind
the shutter and fire. If set to B, hold the shutter open. What you are
watching for is the aperture leafs to close instantly down to f22. More
than likely, you will find that the leafs take some time to get down to
f22. Be sure to repeat the procedure a few dozen times to get used to this
checking method. |
| What you will find is that many of the early cameras
will not stop down fast enough for the exposure time used. For instance,
at 1/500th of a second, the aperture may be more like f4 even though you
set the camera to f22. The reason is that Zeiss designed the camera to
offer a bright SLR viewfinder. To do this, they made it such that the aperture
does not set until an instant before the leaf shutter opens and closes.
So, the aperture leafs get sticky with age and refuse to co-operate! This
may explain why so many of your pictures came back overexposed! |
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Last updated August 30, 1997
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