Using a Zeiss Ikonta 521/16

[edz]

Hi, I'm going to try out my Zeiss Ikonta 521/16 soon. I haven't used a folder before, does anyone have any tips? Also the lens is slightly milkish inside, so I thought I might give it a gentle clean before using it.

[Mos6502]

Check for pinholes thoroughly both from the inside and outside.
Also don't open it super fast or you can suck the film out of flat.

[Attila]

http://forum.mflenses.com/how-to-buy-a-folder-camera-t36489.html

[David]

That's a 120 camera, right? Check and see the negative size and how to use it. My Voigtlander is a 6X6 and shoots 12 shots per 120 roll. The Balda Baldax I sued to own shot negatives half that size so the roll I shot with it was half wasted.

To check for pinholes, take the camera and a flashlight into your bathroom, open it, and shine the flashlight into the bellows from behind. Then look into the bellows and shine the light at it from the outside. If you have pinholes, you'll know.

Also, the 120 film starts when the number 1 (preceded by three circles of descending size) appears in the red circle.

Finding 120 film developing is pretty easy still as most or all specialty labs do it. Your local Walgreens won't, but Photosmith in New Hampshire, for instance, is a good option for mail-order 120 developing. Here in CA a lab in Berkeley that I forget the name of does it in-house. Any major metro should have at least one lab that will do 120.

[Bogie]

The only extra advice I can add is to beware of the parallax when taking pictures at a short range.
As soon as you get the hang of it you will find that old folders are a joy to use!

[Bogie]

[luisalegria]

I have a very similar model, the 4.5x6 cm format 515, with the same lens.

Every time I have taken one of these front-lens focus folder lenses apart for cleaning I have had to reset infinity. The reason is that I can't trust myself to get the front lens cell into its thread exactly the same way as it was before unscrewing it.

Its not hard to reset infinity, but you will need a groundglass or a good substitute. I made an excellent one by cutting a piece of clear acrylic plastic (get one at least 2mm thick so it wont bend much) about 6x10cm and rubbing one side with very fine sandpaper. Other people get a similar effect by covering one side of the plastic with Scotch tape.

You tape that groundglass (or whatever you are using) over the film gate, exactly where the film would go, with the scratched or taped side facing the lens. Screw the front cell on - try to get it in as best you remember it was before. Then point the camera at something far off - over 100m if possible. Adjust the focus until the image on the groundglass is sharp. I usually use a loupe at this point to get the best focus I can.

Then check the range on the bezel of the front cell. If the marked range is not infinity (I can almost guarantee it wont be), loosen the screws that hold the bezel on the front cell (on yours these are the very tiny screws on the knurled ring - and for Gods sake do not unscrew them completely as you will never find them again) and turn it (without turning the cell in its focus thread) until its marking infinity. Then tighten the tiny screws.

[Nesster]

when messing with the tiny screws I find two things help: I keep the cam inside the lid of a shoebox or some other low lipped container - and when I inevitably lose the damn screw anyhow, a pair of good magnets to sweep the surroundings...

I use an alternate method to set infinity - I've converted a CD case into the ground glass bit, but have ended up using it as the pressure plate for a strip of film. I use the 'bringing infinity indoors' method where we use a second known good SLR to peer through the camera to be adjusted. Google what I have in quotes and you'll see an excellent explanation.

On most front cell focusing cameras the front bezel (sometimes together with a screw-post sticking out from the shutter) is used as infinity stop. To amplify what Louis says, you first get focus to infinity, and then without moving the lens, tighten the bezel etc into place in a way that points to infinity.

In cleaning the lenses often you can leave any middle element in, as you can reach both sides from front and back.

I'm excited for you, these folders don't have a huge learning curve but are a lot of fun.

[std]

That's a wonderful camera.

Before running film through it try to measure the shutter speeds - sometimes they are very good, sometimes not. usually the 1/125 is fine.

The Tessar is a very fine lens, even if you do not clean it it will make outstanding pictures, just put the camera on tripod and have fun