Wich old Zeiss camera should I buy?

[jnash67]

I have a Zeiss Ikon Contessa, and it is a great camera. I am lucky in that my dad bought it new. It has a 45mm f/2.8 tessar lens. the meter still works correctly. It takes wonderful pictures, sure teaches you the basics.

[Dan Fromm]

My favorite is the Contax IIa black dial. Take your time and find a nice one. As for service - Henry Scherer is very good, but his wait list is about 2 years. WW Umbach is also very good - he serviced a Contaflex that I used to own.

Pardon the late response. I spoke with Mr. Umbach a few minutes ago. He told me that he'd retired as of the first of this year (2007) and no longer works on cameras.

[dynachrome]

If you think you might be interested in a rangefinder I would suggest that you try another RF camera first. Greg Weber at webercamera.com should be able to set you up with a serviced Konica Auto S2 or S1.6 for a fair price. If after using it for a while you think you like RF cameras then look for a Contax. You should be able to get Ken Ruth at Photography On Bald Mountain to work on a Contax RF. Lenses for the Zeiss Contarex SLR camera are indeed very expensive and difficult to service. You can have some fun with a fully overhauled Contaflex SLR and a few spare lenses. A later model Contaflex is recommended. A Contaflex which isn't overhauled will be all gummed up and no fun at all. The older Zeiss folding and box type cameras are nice to look at but might require a lot of work to be usable.

[Robert Budding]

I have a restored Contax IIa (Henry Scherer) that works perfectly. Shutter speeds are accurate to 1/10th of a stop. And the 1950's Zeiss glass really is superb. The wides in particular. And the 50/1.5 Sonnar has a wonderful signature.

Great cameras if you can get one that is properly serviced. just be aware that many have been butchered by bad technicians and amateurs over the years.