"Zeiss bumps"

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Well, as incredible as it may seem, I have found, by mere chance, the origin and reason of those strange bumps I noticed on the back of my father's Super Ikonta.

Apparently, these are well known to Zeiss collectors, and have been christianized as "Zeiss bumps".

It seems that a strange chemical reaction between three elements (the brass of the camera body, the leather of the cover and the glue used to apply it) causes those bumps, that are reportedly hard to remove.

Can't believe that? Read by yourself about the "zeiss bumps":

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00ALa3

Apparently, the best cure, after (if...) one has managed to remove the bump, is to apply clean fingernail polish over the metal...

rick_oleson · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 4:15 am Post subject:

yep, you've got it pegged.

for the most part, i've just left them on my zeiss cameras, seems to give them an air of genuine-zeiss authenticity.

sort of like leaving the focus helical frozen up on an Agfa, just so everyone will know it's not a counterfeit

to remove the bumps you have to remove the leather (some people slit it with a razor blade, but this seems to me a cure worse than the disease), after which the little pile of green crud just scrapes away easily. sealing the metal with nail polish is probably a good precaution.... then you just glue the leather back on, pressing the stretched spot of leather back into its original shape as you go.

:)=

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Rick, what do you suggest about the rust that developed on the front of camera, on the "port" that opens to reveal the bellow and lens? What is best to do with it?

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Aren't pimples, bumps? Orio, you'll want to snap this up before it gets
away:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zeiss-Ikon-Contax-Ia-2-Pimples-Ext-Rare-Camera-555_W0QQitemZ280162238799QQihZ018QQcategoryZ67376QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Don't thank me, glad to help! Wink

Bill

Farside · Expire: 2013-12-27

rick_oleson · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

Contax I "pimples" are a different kind of bumps, they actually add value. It's a Zeiss thing, normal people wouldn't understand..... : ) =

As for the rust around the edges of the door, this is pretty common at this age.... I would just remove the rust lightly with very fine (400-600) sandpaper to smooth it up and then leave it. There's not a whole lot you can do short of taking the whole thing apart and doing a ground-up restoration, and I think that removes all of the character from the camera.

rick_oleson · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

I'm not real impressed with his pre-emptive threats, but that Contax I really is a remarkable camera, and its value surely must be in the thousands. Whether it's worth $10,000, I guess we'll see soon enough.

:)=

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Yeah, the guy seems overly defensive and high strung...I was going to
ask him a question like "since it is so much money, would it be OK to
paypal you $9000 and mail the rest to you in food stamps?" or something
like that. LOL

Puplet · Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 410

How about 'Does it have to be real money, or can it be pretend money which we draw?'

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Omigosh! At first I didn't pay attention to the price! Shocked

rick_oleson · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:15 pm Post subject:

I don't know how you'd place a fair value on that camera... it's too rare to have much to compare it to. 27 years ago (my most recent price guide) McKeown listed the Ia at about $600, but this one is special even for a Ia (2 pimples instead of 1) and it's in very uncommonly good condition.... and 1990 was before the Japanese got really active in collecting historic cameras and the prices started climbing rapidly. I don't think it will sell easily at 10 thousand, but at a few thousand it would probably go quickly.