Contaflex III
Zeiss Ikon’s compact 35mm SLR.
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex III with 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. (Color photos of the camera were made with a Nikon F, 55mm f/3.5 Micro-Nikkor-P.C, and Portra 400.)
35mm SLR in the 1950s
The Contaflex is a leaf shutter SLR that was in production from 1953 to 1972, with the Contaflex III variant made from 1957 to 1959 (McKeown, 1996). It was an innovative design in an era when the rangefinder was the dominant design of the 35mm camera, and when focal plane shutters were the norm in SLR cameras. In 1953, even the Hasselblad had a focal plane shutter rather than a leaf shutter.
At less than half the price of the Leica IIIf and Contax IIa, the target market was advanced amateurs, and professionals for use as a back-up camera (Small and Barringer, 1999).
Halloween cookies at Breads Unlimited, Bethesda, Md. Contaflex III, 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar, FP4+, 2023. The store clerk exclaimed, “Oh, what a cute camera!”
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex III with 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens.
The leaf shutter adds complexity
Leaf shutter SLRs are more complex than those with a focal plane shutter. The leaf shutter is forward of the mirror, so it has to be open to let light in for framing and focusing. So there is another shutter in the rear, behind the mirror and in front of the film, which is closed, to keep light away from the film. This rear shutter is a door-type design and is not timed like the front (leaf) shutter.
When the shutter button is pressed, this is what happens: :
Leaf (front) shutter closes
Mirror flips up
Rear shutter opens
Leaf shutter opens and closes (exposing the film per the selected shutter speed)
Upon advancing the film, the rear shutter closes, the mirror returns to its down position, the leaf shutter opens, and the camera is then ready for the next exposure.
In addition to the complexity, Interchangeable lens capability is more problematic with a leaf shutter. The leaf shutter is located between lens elements, so each lens normally requires its own shutter (as with a Hasselblad). That adds cost. The alternative is to provide for different focal lengths by interchanging front lens elements only, with the lens elements behind the shutter kept fixed. The Conraflex adopted the latter design.
Carl Zeiss Tessar lens and Synchro-Compur leaf shutter Despite the small maximum aperture, viewing is very bright and focusing is easier than some 1960s Japanese SLRs that lack a split image.
Ceremony Coffee Bethesda, Md. Contaflex III, 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar, FP4+, 2023.
Why was the camera designed with a leaf shutter?
The leaf shutter design made the Contaflex more compact than focal plane shutter SLRs. But it was an engineering dead end in the 35mm SLR world.
Japanese competitors opted for the focal plane shutter design which was simpler, sturdier, and enabled a greater variety of lens focal lengths to be fitted. That turned out to be the correct decision.
Ceremony Coffee Roasters Bethesda, Md. Contaflex III, 50mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar, FP4+, 2023.
My Contaflex is not the most reliable…
The complexity of the Contaflex shutter operation is similar to that of the Hasselblad, but its reliability is not. My Contaflex suffers from intermittent light leaks, apparently caused by the rear shutter not completely closing.
Rear shutter closure is easy to test: remove the back, fire the shutter, wind the film advance, and see if the read door closes completely. Mine does not always do so. When I hold the camera facing up while winding, then gravity seems to help the rear shutter close, maybe that’s a practical work-around!
Matanle (1996) likes Contaflexes, describing the original model which is very similar to mine, as ‘a beautifully simple, classically engineered camera capable of superb results’. However, ‘To use Contaflex equipment on a regular basis, you need to be fairly devoted to the marque and prepared to own several and meet repair bills as they arise’ — not encouraging!
The Confaflex has lens-centered controls. Everything’s there, including shutter speed. The Hasselblad is similar. Which makes sense, since they’re both SLRs with Synchro Compur leaf shutters.
… but I like it
When the Contaflex works, maybe 2/3 of the time, the results are excellent. The lens is top notch, and I especially like the viewfinder which is exceptionally bright. It is almost like a rangefinder camera viewfinder, in that only the central portion indicates focus while the rest is crystal clear:
In the center is a horizontal split image, surrounded by a ground glass focusing area. Outside of that is a non-focusing fresnel which is very bright and clear.
The Contaflex is a compact, good looking camera with superb ergonomics.
Ready for film loading The rear door-type shutter is visible here, it is in the same location as a focal plane shutter would be. Here, it is in the closed position.
Maintenance and repair
No maintenance yet, but it needs to go in for some work as discussed above.
References / further reading
Camera manual: orphancameras.com
More references:
Matanle, I. 1986. Collecting and Using Classic Cameras. London: Thames and Hudson.
Matanle, I. 1996. Collecting and Using Classic SLRs. New York: Thames and Hudson.
McKeown, J.M. and J.C. 1996. McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 1997-1998. Grantsburg, Wis.: Centennial Photo.
Small, M.J. and C.M. Barringer. 1999. Zeiss Compendium: East and West — 1940-1972, 2nd ed. West Sussex, England: Hove.