Zeiss Ikon Contax Camera Repair
A home for your Zeiss Ikon Contax, Contarex or Super Ikonta camera!
Of Interest...
Welcome, Contax Lovers, to our new website!
Zeisscamera.com is the premier site for restoration, repairs, maintenance, custom modifications, advice and information about your Zeiss Ikon Contax cameras, lenses and accessories. Custom machining and repair parts are available in conjunction with service and overhaul work performed here. In depth information about the operation and inner workings of the Contax cameras is freely available.
I provide the highest possible quality services to the Zeiss Ikon Contax line of cameras. These services range from cosmetic repair to complete overhauls. Your service needs for your camera can be completely fulfilled here. You will find the highest possible quality and service available anywhere in the world for your valuable Zeiss Ikon Contax cameras, lenses and accessories.
Whatever service you need for your ZEISS IKON Contax I, II, III, IIa or IIIa Black Dial or Color Dial Model - you will find it here.
The Early Illustrated History of Carl Zeiss by Carl Zeiss
Recently a very rare postcard printed by Carl Zeiss in 1921 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding came onto the market and was obtained by Zeisscamera. It is so unusual in its information and printing quality that high definition scans of its illustrations have been provided for you to enjoy. The postcard was intaglio printed from an engraving in the same manner as U.S. Currency and the quality is amazing. Please use the provided link to go to the Zeiss Postcard Page.
Carl Zeiss 1921 75th Anniversary Postcard Detailed Pictures
The Best USA Photolab For Black and White and Kodachrome
It has become common practice for regular (drug store type) photo finishers to print black and white negatives onto color paper. The results of this image degrading practice is dull and lifeless prints that do not have that Zeiss sharpness, contrast and zip. If you shoot true black and white film, want your film properly hand processed in black and white chemistry, and printed onto genuine black and white paper at a reasonable price try Dwayne's Photo. They are also the last Kodak certified Kodachrome processor in the USA and are the best place to send your precious Kodachrome. Their prices are very reasonable, their service is fast and extremely good and so I highly recommend them if you don't want to set up your own darkroom or if you want to continue using irreplacible Kodachrome. Here's a link to their site:
Dwayne's Photo Processing Service
They are a good old fashioned full service shop that does just about anything and deserve your custom.
Zeiss Quality Camera Leather in Many Colors Now Available
I have recently obtained a supply of the highest possible quality bookbinding leather for use in recovering Contax, Super Ikonta and other Zeiss Cameras. The leather is the finest quality available in the world. It is hand vegetable tanned goatskin available in many colors and hand vegetable tanned calfskin and thinly pared sheep available in black for now. This leather is equal to or exceeds the quality to the original and is totally luxurious. I also have Zeiss Ikon stamps so that the replacement leather will bear original Zeiss Ikon stamping embossments. Because cameras vary slightly in size from batch to batch, the leather must be hand fit very precisely, and because it is extremely expensive and must be purchased in entire skins, it is not possible to sell the leather separately. With many colors to choose from you can customize your camera with a covering that is factory original in every respect. Here's a link to the color palette if you are interested:
If your Contax back leather has been ruined by being cut, slit and butchered to temporarily remove the Zeiss bumps it can be recovered and completely restored to original new condition. When this is done the Zeiss bump problem will be permanently and properly cured so that it never returns. If you have a back that needs attention contact me using this link: Mail To Superwide.
Back recovering is done quickly and is not subject to the waiting list.
Here's a link to a page containing pictures of a Contax IIa back that has been recovered:
Contax IIa Leather and Recovering
Lens Cleaning Cloth Warning
The popularity of "microfiber" lens cleaning cloths is not a good thing. These cloths hold the dirt they pick up and become lens sand paper over time. It seems that every generation of new photographers gets marketed some lens cleaning solution which is lens ruination in disguise. If you want to clean your lenses properly use dustoff or a fine sable hair brush to remove loose particles. Then, if this is not enough, gently use a new cotton swab moistened with clean water containing a small amount of soap or detergent. If you want a deluxe solution to the lens cleaning problem obtain a Zeiss lens cleaning kit and keep it close. DO NOT USE MICROFIBER CLOTH - IT IS LENS RUIN IN DISGUISE.
Camera Source Warning
Please DO NOT buy any Contax II or III camera being sold on Ebay out of the Netherlands that has been advertised to have been restored or cleaned, lubricated or adjusted. These cameras are kievs in disguise with Contax front plates and are worth no more than $25.00.
Every camera or lens that I have seen over the past five years whose source has been the Netherlands has been a wreck inside. They have all been carefully prepared with very expertly applied fresh exterior paint and expertly made modern plastic leatherette to look very good on a Jpeg. But inside they have been ruined. There have been absolutely no exceptions including, and most especially, cameras, accessories or lenses sold on Ebay. I have also noticed a very peculiar coincidence that whenever I am forced to tell a camera owner about the actual internal condition of the camera, and the extra charges for necessary repair parts, the next thing that happens is that my email in-box is bombarded with malicious email originating from russia. Please take my advice and DO NOT under any circumstances, no matter how good it may appear, buy a camera, lens or accessory from any source in the Netherlands. My experience is that a great many of these cameras and lenses are actually sourced out of russia where they have been butchered. This advice also applies to sending your camera to russia for repairs. I have seen enough of these victim cameras to know that any camera sent to russia for a cheap repair is butchered. These cameras are extremely difficult to repair, are frequently impossible to restore completely, and are just not worth all the time, trouble and expense involved. Just DO NOT DO IT. Please keep in mind that Shills and Touts working for russian camera repair outfits operate regularly on the Internet and most especially on the Rangefinder forum. If you are in doubt just ask me and I'll tell you what I think about a source.
Please understand that if you buy a camera from the Netherlands, and you send it here to be repaired when it fails, it is extremely likely that the additional charges for necessary repair parts is going to be somewhere between $100.00 and $300.00 if not more. For the Contax I and Contaflex TLR it is possible that repair parts will not be availalbe at any price.
The camera models I have seen from russia and the Netherlands are the Contax I, II, III, IIa, iIIa and Super Ikonta along with the Contarex Bullseye and Super.. All of these cameras were inaccurate, inconsistent, and unreliable. They all looked good on the outside and had been wrecked on the inside. I've also seen oiled separated lenses along with scratched and hazed lenses "improved" with clear lacquer applied to the front element surface.
The New Carl Zeiss Contax Mount ZM 50mm f1.5 Sonnar Investigated
I purchased several of these wonderful lenses and have performed a very detailed and thorough examination with the conclusion there has been a big factory mistake and they are not Nikon lenses as advertised, but have been made for the Contax camera.
Limited Edition Carl Zeiss 50mm f1.5 T* ZM Sonnar In Contax Mount
New Custom Hand Made Leather Contax Cases Now Available:
Arrangements have at last been made with a custom leather case manufacturer to provide new extremely high qualty leather cases for the Prewar Contax II and III and the Postwar Contax IIa and IIIa camera models. Both half and full cases are available and all cases come with a leather strap. The strap attaches to the case and not to the camera lugs. The cases are internally lined with soft velvet and fit the camera just like a glove.. Cases are available in black and brown leather. Because each case is individually hand made to your order delivery will be approximately three weeks after the order has been placed. Shipping will be from the United States and so shipping costs will be very reasonable. If you are interested in ordering a case please send me an email using this link: Mail To Henry Scherer, Here are pictures of the front and back of the case:
Cases for the Contax I are now available in black or brown and come with a strap. Half and full cases are available:
New Camera Website:
There has been a problem for many years where special, new, exciting and custom made photographic products are available in Japan but not exported to the USA. There are also American made products exported for sale there which are not available here such as Kodak ASA 100 Ektrachrome and Ilfochrome chemistry and special and large format Fuji films. Many of us have discovered that most Japanese camera dealers and sellers will not deal with customers from the USA and simply ignore our orders. Now there is a source for everything photographic available in Japan.
Because the Contax is a special area requiring specialized knowledge, if you are interested in gear or accessories such as cases, filters or lenses from Japan for your Contax or Contarex camera I am the person to contact at Mail To Superwide. For all other cameras or the many other unique products such as film and chemistry please contact this site directly. The owner of this site is Dirk Rosler. He's from Germany and is fluent in German, English and Japanese and he's a real camera person in Tokyo who knows what's available now in all the big Tokyo camera shops. He's familiar with all the manufacturer's there and the catalogs. He's an insider who will completely understand what you have to say, what you want and how to get it. Here's the link:
Japan Exposures Camera Web Shop
Please let Dirk know that you found his web site on Zeisscamera.com.
Note that Dirk prefers payment in Japanese Yen. The best way to do this is to use PayPal. PayPal can directly convert Dollars to Yen at a very attractive conversion rate.
New Lens and Camera Body Painting Available
I have recently been able to compound and hand manufacture two paints which are in all respects the equal in appearance and charasteristic of the paints used by Zeiss to paint the Contax I, II, III, IIa and IIIa cameras. These paints are not modern but are of a very old classic formula used before WWII. One paint is high gloss black and the other is the very fine matte finish black. Both finishes are hard, chip resistant and solvent proof. These paints are very difficult and expensive to produce so it will not be possible to sell them individually, they can only be applied here. Both paints require a three day elevated temperature baking schedule to fully cure and so painting will only be available as part of a regular complete overhaul of the equipment involved.
If you have a Sonnar lens or any black painted lens by any manufacturer with a black painted front end that has been dented the chances are very good it can be repaired without any sign it has ever been damaged.
If your desire is to have your Contax I repainted please keep in mind that when Zeiss engraved the camera body it engraved through the paint. This means that when the camera is repainted the original engravings into the metal, which are very shallow, may be overcovered.
Tricked up lenses warning
I have been seeing a substantial increase in Sonnar lenses with Surface Defects and Internal Separation that have been tricked up with wax to temporarily hide surface defects and oil to temporarily correct internal separation. Find out all about how to protect yourself against being cheated by someone selling a tricked up lens.
What a CLA leaves out
The recent upsurge of interest in the German made Contax camera has resulted in confusion regarding the kind of service needed to allow these rare and unique cameras to be put back into regular operation without running the risk of damage caused by insufficient lubrication.
I have been asked numerous times recently what is the main difference between a complete overhaul and a CLA and why an overhaul costs more and is more time consuming than a CLA.
Since this article was first written it has become the practice of many operators who sell their Contax camera services on Ebay and elsewhere to use the word "overhaul" to describe the things they do to a camera at a lowball price. I've seen several of these "overhauled" cameras along with their receipts. The receipts have the word "overhaul" repeated all over the page, but inside the cameras all I found was work constuting a cheap, fast and superficial CLA.
The one sure sign of a real complete overhaul where the worker has true confidence in the correctness and thoroughness of his work is a ONE YEAR WARRANTY. If you can't get a ONE YEAR WARRANTY don't have the work done there. The key is confidence. Why should you have confidence in work where the worker has none in what he has done? A nice long no-nonesense quick turaround warranty is the certain and sure sign of real craftsmanship, thoroughness and care.
Service For Modern Kyocera Japanese Made Contax SLR Cameras:
I've been getting a lot of inquiries about modern Japanese made Contax SLR cameras. I don't service these cameras but here is the contact information for the factory successor servicing company for these cameras:
ToCAD America Inc.
300 Webro Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone: 973-428-9800
Fax: 973-887-2438
Web Site: www.tocad.com
