Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Beta User manual

Gontrolsof the Gontaflexbeta
  I Film wind knob            B Knob operoting exposure
                               meter floP
 2 Frome counter
                                            .                  I Eyelets for corrying strop 3 Shutter releose knob
 4 Pointerof exposuremeter    l0 Flosh contoct,
 5 Exposr.lremeteri ' v '      lcomputorv " r l e v r v l                                                                                                   l l  R e o d i n g . . m o r k s     f o r  s t o p s
    d i s c                           ond'shutterspeeds
 6'Fil'm"speed setting knob      '12                             Exposurevolue control
 7 Rewind knob                 knob

     For further comero cohtrols see inside bock cover.





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The Contaflexbeta
!
I        mode by Zeiss lkon AG. Stullgort, combines oll
i           ihe odvontoges of the two most populor lypes
             of  comero: minioture ond  reflex. Behind this
          ochievement lie  yeors  of  experience in  the
          monufocture of  precision comeros. The Conto-
            flex wos originolly designed for the odvonced
          omoteur, but  its omozing versotility hos ropidly
        mode  it indispensobleto professionol, scientific
         ond technicol photogrophers.
       We connot promise the impossible: but we do
           boo.st ihot the Conioflex betq is fitted with every
           conceivoble sofeguord to ensure ihe success of
          your  pictures. The  built-in Zeiss lkon  Ropid
           photo-electricexposure mefer,compleiely enclosl
          ed in the comero body for moximum protection,
           gives relioble exposure figures for   oll  films,
           including  colour.  Two  coupled  rongefinder
          sysiems ensure occurote focusing of the high-
         speeded 45 mm Pontor f/2.8 lens, wiih  oll   its
          inierchongeobleconverter uniis. The lorge, cleor
           viewfinder imoge  is unoffected by  irorollox  ot
          even the shoriest distonces. The Contoflex is o
           ropid oction comerq, thonks to  ihe ingenious
          ouiomotic coupling of mony operotions. With
           the extensive ronge of Contoflex occessories ot
          your disposol (seethe lost poges of this booklet),
           there  is  virtuolly no  limit  to  the  foscinoting
           subiects you con sofely cover.
         So thot you con get the best out of your Conto-
             flex ond enioy the pleosures of corefree photo-

                                            4

grophy,  pleose  study  ihis  instruction  book
 thoroughly. Open out the front ond bock covers
 ond follow the monipulotions with the oid  of
 the detoiled diogroms. Stort by  proctising the
 vorious operotions without o film in thc comero.
  lf you  still hove difficultibs, see your  photo
 deoler for free informotion.
 We  con only  congrotulote you  on  buying  o
 Contoflex beto. You hove mode o wise choice -
 your comero will give you lifelong pleosure.We
 would like to shore your enioyment, ond would
 oppreciote  it   if  you  were
 to  send us some  of  the
most  outstonding  pictures                    Hyou  hove token with your
Conloflex  beto.       W
                                                "%





The picture inside the froni cover wos token with theContqtlex in bright sunlight of  f/ll  ond 1/oosecond.               ff





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betafeatureswii      Gontaflex
        The lorge, bright finder shows the finol  picture
            in olmost noturol size right up to the moment
           of exposure. The built-in Fresnel lens renders o
          finder imoge thot  is bright even in the corners;
         furthermore, it is seen ot eye-level, upright ond
          the right woy round, thonks to the pentoprism.
         Another odvontoge of ihrough-the-lenssighting
             is thot the  finder  imoge  is olwoys free from
          porollox, even when supplementory lenses ore
          used. Whot you see, you loke!
         The built-in Zeiss lkon Ropid  photo-electric  ex'
         posure meler correctly indicotes exposure settings
         even in poor  light. Zeiss lkon's twenly yeors of
         experience in moking exposure meters ensure
             its unfoiling occurocy.
         The focusing syslem shows cleorly in the view-
           finder the point of shorpest definition by meons
           of o split-imoge rongefinder ond ground gloss
          screen, both coupled with  the lens.
         The slondqrd  lens  is the fomous Pontor f/2.8,
         45 mm. By exchonging the  front  element  for
           either the Pontor +/4 30 mm or  the Pontor f/4
         75 mm, the  complete  lens  is converted to  o
          wide-ongle  or  tele-lens respeclively. The Steri-
           tor-D stereo ottochment con  olso be used os
          o    f ront  element.  All  ihese  interchongeoble
         elements ore  fifted  with  boyonet mounts. All
           opticol  components  ore  cooied  ond  colour
          corrected, ond yield high-definition photogrophs
             in monochrome or colour.

The Prontor-SVS Shutter,  with  deloyed  oction
 releose mechonism, is    f ully synchronized for
 flosh ond hos o  ronge  of  speeds from   I  to
 1/roosec. ond o  "B"selting for  time exposures.
 It employsthe exposure volue system of coupled
 operture setlings ond shutter sp-eeds.
 All scoles con be cleorly reod from obove. The
 spring-looded pre-set diophrogm ond the cou-
 pled film-wind ond shutter tensioning mechonism
moke the comero reody for immediote oction.
The comero tokes 24 x 36 mm negotives on 35 mm
minioture film, ovoiloble in stondord coriridges,
doylighr refills, dorkroom refills or os bulk film.
By  using  speciol  cqsselles the  film  con  be
chonged in doylight ofter ony number of expo-
sures, without rewinding.
The removoble bock simplifies looding ond  un-
looding os well os cleoning of the comero.

Handlingthe camera

Measuringthe exposure
Before ioking o  picture, you should delermine
the exposure volue, using the  built-in photo-
electric exposure meter (FiS. 1), which gives
occuroie reodings even in the poorest lighi, for
block-ond-white or  colour  film,  boih  negotive
ond reversol.
First set the speed of ihe film  in use. Turn the
inner disc by meons of fhe smoll knob (6) until
the speed of  the film  in use oppeors opposite


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F i g . I
        the block stroke in the left-hond window (for
        films roted in ASA  indices) or opposite the
        stroke in the right window  (for  fi lms rqted in
       DlNo).The disc con olso be set to intermediote
        volues. For more convenienthondling, the re-
       wind knob (7) moy be pulled out slightly (see
         Fig. 27 on poge 32).
      When the film speed is quoted occording to
        o roting other thqn the ASA or D I N  systeffis,
        the corresponding equ ivolent con be  f ound in
        the conversiontoble on poge 9.
       To meosurethe intensityof the light, first open
        the flop  of  the exposure meter by  pressing
       knob (B)gently to the right (to closeit, pressthe
         flqp itself to the right with the left forefinger).
       The Contoflexbeto should then be qimed of the

subiect so os to frome  it in the viewfinder. The
white pointer  (4) will  be seen to deflect; turn
the computor disc (5) until the smoll white  cir-
culor mork  is exoctly over  ihe  pointer when
viewed from obove (see Fig. 1). The exposure
volue to be used is the red figure on the com-
putor disc opposite the red iriongulor mork on
the film-speed setting disc.  In poor  light, ihe
required exposure times in  full seconds (green
figures) con be reod opposite the corresponding
f/numbers (block figures on the inner disc to ihe
right of ihe red triongle mork).
Once the exposure volue or operture ond shutter
speed  required  hove been  oscertoined, they
must be tronsferred to the shutter of the Conto-
flex beto.

Setting the exposureYalue
By pressinglightly on knob (12,Fig.3), the reor
setting ring con be turned uniil the reqired
exposurevolue (red figureson ihe right-hond
side) is opposite the red lriongulor mork (19,
Fig. 2). lt is olso possibleto set holf exposure
volues.
As the ring with the red dot con only be moved
through o  limited rodius, it will sometimes be
necessoryto move the operture ond shutter speed
setting ring  (18) os well,  in order  to  set the
exposure volue required.
By setting the exposure volue, ihe diophrogm
ond  shutter speed  selector mechonisms ore
coupled. The omount  of  light necessory for

Fig'2   correct exposureis controlledby the lens open-
   ing (operture or   f /number) o nd the time the
     f ilm  is exposed to  light (shutter speed). The
  exposure volue obtoined, which con be reod
   off  f rom the setting mork (l I ) (see Fig. 3), re-
  presentso definiteomountof light, thot remoins
   the some no motten whot   f lnumber or shutter
  speed is chosen. lf, of ter hoving determined
  ond set the exposure volue, the shutter speed
  setting ring (lB) is turned to o higher or lower
  volue (20),the lens operture (21) will be quto-
  moticollyre-odjustedto give the some exposure.
  The shutterspeed is likewise re-odiustedouto-
  moticollywhen the opertureis chonged.
  shutter speed: The correct shutter speed to
  choosedepends on whether or not the subiect

     il



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E -

F i g . 3
          is moving, ond  if so, how ropidly" The foster
        the subiect-movement,the shorter should be
        the exposure time. The silver figures on scole
        (20)denote froctions of seconds(60 meons 1lrclh
                                                aBtt,       second, etc.). When set to the green     the
        shutterwill remoin open os long os the releose
       knob (3) remoins depressed(see poge 20).The
       green figures denote f ull seconds,os on the
       computor d isc of the exposuremeter, ond con-
        not be set ogoinst the setting mork  (l I ) ; their
        significoncewill be exploinedloter on.
       Aperlure setting: The correct operture of the
        lens diophrogffi, or "stop", for short, depends
       on the depth of field desired (see poge 16).The
       smoller the flnumber, the lorger is the octuol

                                                      t2

operture of ihe diophrogm opening. The required
volue on  the scole (21) should be set ogoinst
the setting mork (11). The operture  is set by
the some operotion os for  setting the shutter
speed.

So long os the correct exposure volue remoins
set, ony combinotion of shuiter speed ond lens
operture will result in o perfectly-exposednego-
iive. The setting ring (18) con only be turned
sufficiently to  ollow  the mork   ('l'l) to  be  set
ogoinst the  finol volues of  the operture ond
shuiter speed scoles. The  finol volue  ot  the
right-hond end of the shutter speed scole is "B".

 lf, ofter setting the exposure volue, the lens is
siopped down  until the shutter speed  is set to
the green "B", on exposure iime of 2 seconds
will be required. lf  it is necessoryio stop down
even further, the required exposure time in full
seconds (green figures) con be reod  off oppo-
site the selected operfure. Then set the dio-
phrogm  to  the  required figure;  to  do  this,
depress the knob (12) os when setting the ex-
posure volue. The exposure iime con ihen be
controlled by  depressing the  shutter releose
knob (3) for the required number of seconds. lt
is olso possible in such coses to  reod  off the
exposure time directly from the exposure meter,                          '10.
os described on poge   When chonging from
time exposures on "8"  Io outomotic exposures,
the exposure volue must be reset.

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Tensioning the Shutter

       The Prontor-Svs shutter is tensioned by turning
        the   f ilm wind  knob   (l )  in  the  direction of
        the  o rrow  qs  fqr  qs   it   will  go. Th is one
        operotion olso odvonces the film by one frome
       ond mokes the viewfinder imoge visible. This
        coupling mokes double exposures ond blonk
       fromes o thing of the post.  lt does not motter
       whether the shutter speed is set before or ofter
       odvoncing the film. Keeping the shutter tension-
       ed does not horm  it in ony woy.

       A  useful hint: when turning the film wind knob
        don't iust twiddle it round with two fingers like
        o screw; o much more convenient method is to
       swing both honds in opposite directions, hold-
        ing the comero body with one hond ond grip-

Fis. 4





                                              1 4

unshorp                    shorP

p i n g t h e w i n d i n g k n o b w i t h t h e o t h e r ( F i g . 4 ) .T h e
soving in time is reqlly surprising.
Settingthe Distance
The  built-in coupled rongefinder system outo-
motico lly focuses the  co mero  for  the correct
distonce. When you look through the viewfinder
eyepiece (25), you  will see in the centre of  the
field  of view  o  cleor  circulor oreo  enclosed
within o ground gloss ring. The cleor circle is
divided  into two  holves by  o  horizontol line
(see illustr. on  left). The subiect distonce con
be meosured in two wols:
1. Select o  verticol  line (such os the edge  of
o woll or o lree trunk) seen in the finder imoge.
On  turning the  focusing ring  (.|5) the imoge
in the upper holf of the circle will move in relo-
tion to the lower holf. When  the two holves of
the imoge ore exoctly oligned, the lens is set for
the correct distonce.
2.  lf  the subiect hos no distinct verticol lines,
observe the imoge  in the ground gloss ring.
Tu rn the focusing ring  (15) to o nd   f ro u nti I the
imoge oppeors perfectly shorp.





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It  is immoteriol which method of focusing you
use; in either cose ihe lens is ouiomoticolly set
io ihe correct distonce, which con be reod off
opposite the setting mork (14).


Depht-of-field Scale
The lens does  not  only  define shorply those
obiects ot the exoct focused distonce;  it  will
olso produce o shorp imoge of obiecis o certoin
distonce in front ond behind. This zone of shorp
definition, known os the depih  of field, is com-
porotively norrow  ot  full  operiure  (t/2.8) but
becomes greoler  ihe more you  stop down the
lens.
The  depth-of-field scole (13) shows the extent
of  this zone of vorious operture settings ond
distonces. Locote the  operture  setting  to  be
used from omong  the f/numbers to  ihe  right
ond  left of the distonce setiing mork (14).The
distonce volues on ihe distonce seiting scole
opposite  the  chosen f/numbers  represent the
 neor ond for  limits of the depth-of-field zone.
 For exomple: ossuming you ore using on oper-
 iure  of  f/8 ond hove focused on o distonce of
 9  ft. (Fig. 5), ihe figure 8 on ihe  left is opposite
 6 ft. while the figure 8 on ihe right is opposite
 l5  ft. This tells you  thot ot o distonce setting
 of 9  ft. ond on operture of  f/8, everything will
 be shorp from 6  ft. to 15  ft. Exoct volues con
 be found in the ioble on poge 18.


                                       1 6

Y o u c o n e q u o l l y w e l l m e o s u r e w i t h  t h e  r o n g e -
finder the neorest ond  forthest points of  the
zone to be recorded shorply, ond then select
the oppropriote stop on the depth-of-field scole.
Do  not, however, stop down  further thon  is
necessory to  ensure the depth  of  field you
require. Otherwise you moy need long exposure
times, which increose the risk of comero shoke
(see poge 24).



                                            F i s . 5





               E$


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F i g . 6
Takingthe Picture
Holding the camera
Alwoys hold the contoflex beto perfectly steody
whilst toking o picture. support the body of the
comero with the polms of both honds ond grip
 it firmly with the fingers (Fig.6). The thumbs
should be pressed ogoinst the comero bock, ond
the middle finger of both honds should rest on
 t h e   f o c u s i n g  r i n g   ( . | 5 ) . U s e  t h e    i n d e x  f i n g e r
 of the right hond to press the shutter releose (3).
 Press your elbows  lightly ogoinst your  body
 (Fig. 7). You con use either the left or the right
 ey;  to  look  through  the  finder. This  is  the
 normol  position for  toking horizontol pictures
 with the Contoflex beto.


 1 9


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Fig. 7                         F i g . 8
                             fIt'





For  upright pictures, turn the Contoflex beto
through 90 degrees, ond press it lightly ogoinst
the foreheod with ihe  right hond. The middle
finger rests on  the focusing ring  (.|5), whilst
the index finger works the shutter releose. The
left hond supports the comero from  below;   it
is olso possible to use the index finger of this
hond to operote the focusing ring (.|5)(Fig. B).
Upright pictures con, of course, be token with
the comero supported by  the  right hond. In
this cose the shutter is releosed with the thumb.

Releasingthe shutter
The shutter releose knob  (3) should be  de-
pressed gently with either the tip of the index

                               2A

F i s .9                  F i s . 1 0





 f i n s e r  ( F i g . 9 ) o r   t h e  f i r s t  i o i n t ( F i g . l 0 ) . T h i s
method of  releosing the  shutter is  speciolly
recommendedos being the leost likely to couse
comero shoke. lf, by ony chonce, the film wind
 knob   (l ) hos  not been Wound to   its   f ullest
 extent, meoning thot the film hos not been od-
vonced by o  full frome, the shutter connot be
 releosed.This effectively prevents double expo-
 s u res.


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f
                      I
Thefinerpointsof the Contaflexbeta
Theviewfinder
The finder imoge is only visible ofter fhe film
wind knob (l) hos been turned to odvonce ihe
film  ond  to  cock  the  shutler. This ooerotion
simultoneously lets down the reflex mirror inside
the comero; merely by gloncing through ihe
finder you con lell whefher lhe comero is reody
for oction.
So long os you con see the lorge bright finder
imoge, lhe lens operture oulomoficolly remoins
fully open, permitting eosy ond occuroie focus-
ing. On pressing the releose knob, the spring-
looded diophrogm closes immediotely to its pre-            1selected setiing before  fhe  shuiter opens  fo
expose the f ilm. The Conloflex is the first comero
lo utilize this ingenious systems.The finder imoge is completely free from por-  I
ollox ond olwoys shows lhe exoct field of view,
even when using the Pontor for  iele-or wide
ongle  pictures or  supplementory lenses for

                                  72

c l o s e - u p s .F o r r o p i d o c t i o n s h o t s y o u c o n e o s i l y
f o l l o w  t h e m o v e m e n t o f y o u r s u b i e c t w i t h  t h e
c o m e r o , s i n c e t h e   i m o g e   i n  t h e  f i n d e r  i s s e e n
o f e y e   l e v e l , u p r i g h t o n d  t h e  r i g h t w o y  r o u n d .
The block ring on the eyepiece mount (25) con
be unscrewed f or  the insertion of  correction
 l e n s e s  ( O r d e r N o . 9 0 2 )     t o  c o m p e n s o t e f o r
d e f e c t s o f  v i s i o n . E v e n  i f y o u n o r m o l l v w e o r
s p e c t o c l e sy o u c o n  f r o m e o n d  f o c u s y o u r p i c -
t u r e s w i t h o u t t h e o i d o f g l o s s e s W. h e n o r C e r i n g ,
p l e o s e q u o t e y o u r  o p t i c i o n ' s p r e s c r i p t i o n f o r
d i s t o n c eg l o s s e s .
SnapshotSetting
So os to be reody for ropid oction snopshots,
f irst set the correct exposure vo lue o nd   f hen
set the operture to f/8 ond the distonce to l5 ft.
 ( F i g . l l ) . F o r e o s i e r s e t t i n g , b o t h  t h e s e f i g u r e s
o r e  r e d . T h i s c o m b i n o t i o n r e s u l t s i n e v e r y t h i n g
between 8  ft. ond co being shorply recorded.
A n o t h e r u s e f u l  r v o y o f  d e o l i n g w i t h m o v i n g F i s .1 1





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subiects is os follows: if, for instonce,you wont
          to  toke o  shot  of  children of  ploy, set the
        operture ond exposure time qnd focus the lens
         of the most suitoble distonce. Now wqtch your
        subiectsin the viewf inder ond releose the shutter
      when the two ho lves of the imoge in the ro nge-
                f i n d e r f i e l d c o i n c i d e ,o r w h e n t h e  i m o g e o n  t h e
        g r o u n d g l o s s r i n g  i s s h o r p .
       Tripodexposures
       The Contoflex befo con be mounted on o tripod
              ( F i g . 1 2 ) b y m e o n s o f   t h e  t r i p o d b u s h ( 2 4 ) . A
        b o l l - o n d - s o c k e ht e o d o r s i m i l o r t i l t i n g h e o d w i l l
       be required f or upright photogrophs. To ovoid
       comero shoke, use q coble releose (see poge 41);
         this screws into the threoded socket in  the
              r e l e o s e k n o b  ( 3 ) . E x p o s u r e s r e q u i r i n g s p e e d s
        slower thon 1/rosecond or time exposuresshould
       olwoys be  mqde from  o  tripod  or  similqr
         s o l i d s u p p o r t .
        Flash and Delayed Action Shots
       The  f ully-synchronized Prontor-SVS shutter con
       be  used with ony  type  of  flosh equipment.
F i g . I 2    "rr,r,ffi