Icarette

Icarette B with Novar Anastigmat 1:6.8 F=7,5cm image by Mark O'Brien (Image rights)

The Icarette series of cameras were made by ICA from c.1920 and are non-self-erecting folding bed cameras for roll film. Additionally some featured removable backs for plateholders. After the incorporation of ICA into Zeiss Ikon the camera series was continued. The cameras were subsequently given Zeiss Ikon model numbers.

Specifications

V. P. Icarette (Icarette 500/12)

• Type: vertical folding camera
• Manufacturer: ICA
• Year of launch: maybe 1925
• Film: 127 rollfilm
• Lens: Zeiss Tessar f4.5 7.5cm
• Shutter: Compur with speeds up to 1/300 sec.
• Focusing: lever device
• Viewfinders: Iconometer (sports finder) and collapsible brilliant finder
• Frame size: 4×6 cm

Icarette B

• Type: horizontal folding camera
• Manufacturer: ICA
• Year of launch: maybe 1925
• Film: 120 rollfilm
• Lens: Zeiss Tessar f4.5 7.5cm, Ica Hekla f6.8 7.5cm or Ica Novar Anastigmat f6.8 7.5cm
• Shutter: Ica leaf shutter with speeds 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 sec. plus B and T mode, or Compur with speeds up to 1/300 sec.
• Focusing: lever device
• Viewfinders: Iconometer (sports finder) and collapsible brilliant finder
• Frame size: 6×6 cm

The Icarette B has a back with a pull-out tab. In one tab position the red window is uncovered for checking film advance, in another position the tab served as visor of the sports finder. The back is easily removable by pressing two little buttons at once. When closing the door the brilliant finder collapses automatically to fit in the closed body. The camera has a sturdy metal construction, covered with fine grained leather.

Icarette C (Icarette 500/2)

• Type: vertical folding camera
• Manufacturer: ICA
• Year of launch: maybe 1925
• Film: 120 roll film
• Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena f4.5/105mm Tessar, or Ica Dominar f4.5/105 mm
• Shutter: Compur leaf shutter with speeds 1 sec. to 1/250 sec.
• Focusing: lever device
• Viewfinders: Iconometer and brillant finder
• Image size: 2 1/4 × 3 1/4 inches
• Size: 7 × 3 1/2 × 1 1/2 inches
• Weight: 25 ounces

There was also a Junior Icarette C, fitted with a f6.3 Novar lens and lacking the wire frame Iconometer

Icarette D/Icarette DA (Icarette 500/15)

• Type: vertical folding camera
• Manufacturer: ICA
• Year of launch: maybe 1925
• Film: 116 roll film/DA model also takes 6.5x9cm plates
• Lens: Carl Zeiss Jena 1:4.5/120mm Tessar, or Ica Dominar 1:4.5/120 mm
• Shutter: Compur leaf shutter with speeds 1 sec. to 1/250 sec.
• Focusing: lever device
• Viewfinders: Iconometer and brillant finder
• Image size: 2 1/2 × 4 1/4 inches
• Size: 8 1/4 × 4 × 1 1/2 inches
• Weight: 31 ounces/DA 33 ounces

There was also a Junior Icarette D, fitted with a f6.3 Novar lens and lacking the wire frame Iconometer

Icarette L (Icarette 551/2)

Icarette L with f4.5 Tessar image by Nicholas Middleton (Image rights)

• Type: vertical folding camera
• Manufacturer: ICA
• Year of launch: maybe 1925
• Film: 120 rollfilm/6.5x9cm plates
• Lens: Zeiss Tessar f4.5 10.5cm or Dominar
• Shutter: Dial set Compur with speeds 1 second to 1/250th plus 'B' and 'T' mode.
• Focusing: rack and pinion
• Viewfinders: Iconometer (sports finder), collapsible brilliant finder and removable ground glass screen
• Frame size: 6×9cm/6.5×9cm
• Size: 6 3/4 × 3 1/8 × 1 3/8 inches
• Weight: 25 1/2 ounces

The Icarette L was a late model in the series, and is designed to take either 120 film or 6.5x9cm plates. The camera has a removable ground glass screen for use with 6.5x9cm plateholders, or a back with an orange window and pressure plate for 6x9cm exposures on 120 film. The camera also features rising front movement and double extension bellows.

Links

• images of the horizontal version Icarette B at D. Richert's
• Ica Icarette in Andrys Stienstra's camera collection
• Icarette views and Ica exposure table set from fulvue on Flickr
• Icarette at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr