Walter Ulreich in Seoul: Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 520/16

For a colleague with first name 'Franka' I provided a nice 'Franka Rolfix' folding camera from the 1950s and a fitting 120 roll-film. She wants to learn to use the old film foto technique. This reminded me that in my teen years I used for some time a 6x9 cm roll-film camera, most probably a Zeiss Ikon of the 1930s. The photos shot with that folding camera were from very good quality, at least in my memory.

As folding cameras are well available in numbers and even in good condition not expensive, I thought about giving that old fashioned and quite reduced camera concept a try for me too. My only selection criteria were Zeiss Ikon and 6x6, because I like the square format more and more.

Quickly I found a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 520/16 with original leather cover and cable release in - as it seemed - perfect over-all condition. The 520/16 has been manufactured between 1937 and 1939 and was available with three different shutters and lenses. Mine is equipped with a Compur Rapid shutter and the famous and fast Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:3.5 f = 7.5 cm lens. This version was in 1937 the most expensive one. As my Tessar is still uncoated, I think my Ikonta is an early one.

The Ikonta 520 series were available as 520 (4.5x6 cm), 520/2 (6x9 cm), 520/14 (5x7.5 cm), 520/15 (6.5x11 cm), 520/16 (6x6 cm) and 520/18 (3x4 cm). That means my teen years version was most probably a 520/2.

Roll-films are still available, I bought an inexpensive Fomapan 200 for a first test. Strange feeling to load a roll-film in such a camera after some fourty years. Seeking the film numbers through the little red window on the back of the camera - nostalgia!

Handling of the little Ikonta is quite back to the routes. No range finder, the view finder on top is only for framing, focussing is done by estimate. Of course no light metering, but by some of my other cameras I am familiar to use a hand-held light meter.

The quality of the first shots is surprisingly good. Most of the frames are sharp and well exposed. I used different exposure times, so I think the shutter is still in good condition. The visual perfect condition of the camera is not only on the surface, the mechanics work still perfectly too. The optical quality of the Tessar I never doubted.