Contina

Ikonta 522/24 image by Alf Sigaro (Image rights)

During WWII Hubert Nerwin of Zeiss Ikon began planning for a new 35mm folder. His concepts were developed after the war to become Zeiss's first completely new postwar product. This series soon carried the name Contina.

Development

The first model introduced in 1948 had the Zeiss designation Ikonta 522/24. As Zeiss was unable to produce sufficient Tessar lenses (due to war damage to their production facilities), this is one of the few Zeiss models ever to feature a non-Zeiss (Schneider Xenar) lens. The model was continued in 1953 as Contina, as one of the first cameras of the new Contina series of 35mm viewfinder cameras (one was a rangefinder). After the initial series of folders, later models were rigid-bodied. Some had linked shutter/aperture rings, using the Light-value system. The folding models had knob wind, frame counter and rewind fitted to the bottom; the later ones had top-mounted 180° lever wind, knob rewind and frame counter around the shutter release.

Specification

Contina Ib c.1956 (526/24) image by AWCam (Image rights)

Contina Ic 1958–60 (10.0603) image by Mario Reisner (Image rights)

Contina II with selenium meter, 1956-8 (527/24) image by Rick Soloway (Image rights)

Contina II with Pantar 1:2.8 f=45mm lens image by Kris Tralewski (Image rights)

Contina IIa image by Alf Sigaro (Image rights)

Contina III image by Wigwam Jones (Image rights)

• Manufacturer: Zeiss Ikon
• Origin: Stuttgart, Germany
• Introduced: 1951 (folder); 1954 (rigid)
• Film: 35mm
• Shutters: Prontor-SVS, 1sec-1/250 or 1/300 with X & M sync & self-timer, Prontor-SLK or Synchro-Compur

Models

Name	Date(s)	Cat no.	Lens	Features
Ikonta 522/24	1948-53	522/24	Novar, Tessar, or Schneider Xenar 45mm/2.8	Folding
Contina I	1951-55	522/24	Novar 45mm/3.5 or Tessar 45mm/2.8	Folding
Contina II	1952-53	524/24	Opton-Tessar 45mm/2.8 or Novar f3.5	Folding, Rangefinder Contina II (524/24, 1952-53) image by Alf Sigaro (Image rights)
Contina Ia	1954-55	526/24	Novar 45mm/3.5	Rigid
Contina Ia	1955-57	526/24	Novicar 45mm/2.8	Rigid
Contina Ia	1958	526/24	Pantar 45mm/2.8	Rigid
Contina "Ib"	c.1956	526/24	Novicar 45mm/2.8 or Pantar	not labelled as "Ib"
Contina Ic	1958-60	10.0603	Pantar 45mm/2.8	name in script on front
Contina II	1956-58	527/24	Novar f3.5 or Novicar f2.8	Light meter
Contina IIa	1954-56	527/24	Novar 45mm/3.5 or Novicar f2.8	have a twin range light meter, identifiable by a slot machined through the meter cover, and a colored meter dial.
Contina III	1955-58	529/24	Pantar 45mm/2.8	Light meter + convertible lens
Contina	1962-65	10.0626	Color Pantar 45/2.8	updated, rounder styling; crank rewind, second viewfinder window for bright-line
Contina J	1964-65	10.0604	Color Pantar 45/2.8	no self-timer
Contina L	1963-65?			coupled meter Contina L image by Peter Wenzel (Image rights)
Contina LK	1963-65	10.0615	Color Pantar 45/2.8	coupled meter Contina LK image by Romuald Swieconek (Image rights)
Contina-matic II	1958-59	10.0613		light meter
Contina-matic III	1959-60	10.0622	Pantar 45/2.8	meter

Links

In English:

• Contina IIa at Chris's Camera Pages
• Contina II (not a IIa as stated) among classic cameras on Karen Nakamura's Photoethnography
• Contina II (not a IIa as stated) on The Camera Site by Reijo Lauro
• Contina II page at Camera Portraits

In French:

• Pages on www.collection-appareils.com by Sylvain Halgand:
  • Contina I (522/24)
  • Contina II (524/24)
  • Contina III (527/24) with Pantar
  • Contina II (527/24) with Novar
  • Contina LK
  • Contina-matic II (10.0613)

In Spanish:

• Zeiss Ikon Contina Ia, by Daniel Jiménez, at Del infinito al plano focal