Zeiss Ikon – Camerapedia

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Just looking up an old camera my father gave me when I was in high school. It was ancient even then.

Zeiss Ikon is a German company that was formed in 1926 by the merger of four camera makers (Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann, Goerz and Ica), and an infusion of capital by Zeiss[1] The company formed one part of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, another part being the optical company Carl Zeiss. Logically, most of the Zeiss Ikon cameras were equipped with Carl Zeiss lenses and the formerly independent companies, in particular Goerz, had to shut down their own lens manufacture. The merged company was also obliged to use Compur shutters for 80% of its cameras. Thus only the simplest cameras could get cheaper shutters like the Klio. Soon AG Hahn für Optik und Mechanik, Kassel, and Goerz Photochemisches Werk GmbH, Berlin, joined the Zeiss Ikon syndicate. The group became one of the big companies in the phototechnical capital Dresden, with plants in Stuttgart and Berlin. Until WWII Zeiss Ikon was the world’s market leading maker of 8mm movie cameras.

via Zeiss Ikon – Camerapedia.

Update: an even better Zeiss Ikon link… Thanks Microcord!

3 thoughts on “Zeiss Ikon – Camerapedia”

  1. Congratulations on a father with taste, and on the camera. Fine construction and fine lenses. (Does the shutter on yours make the famed wheezing sound?)

    You’ve credited the commercial successor to the original article at camerapedia.org. The noncommercial successor, which currently seems to be growing more quickly, is Camera-wiki.org (you’ll find its Zeiss Ikon article at http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon ). Try comparing the two sites and seeing which you prefer.

  3. Good luck with it — but it’s a complex camera and I fear that a repair may be expensive. Dean Williams http://www.deansphotographica.com/ used to charge very reasonably and be a pleasure to deal with, but he says there that he’s no longer taking business; I don’t know whether he’s related to any other photographer called Dean Williams that google shows.

    On the other hand maybe all it needs is some exercise. Just treat it gently and don’t force anything.

    Drop in at camera-wiki.org some time if you’re in the mood.

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