Zeiss Ikon Contessa Matic E User manual

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           The
                         : - -
                       E


             embodies every  possible feoture  of  moking  photogrophy
              eosy for you. Right from the very  stort, the outomotic ex-
              posure control will ensure thot  oll your pictures ore foult-
                lessly exposed, even under unfovouroble lighting conditions.
             The built-in rongefinder which is combined with the bright,
                cleor luminous-fromeviewfinder will enoble you to toke your
                pictures olmost os soon os you put the comero up to your eye.
             The most exceptionol feoture  is the "eogle eye"  of  your
              comero, the ZEISS TESSAR f/2.8, 50 mm  lens. You  will  be
            omozed ot the quolity of  the pictures, both  in block-ond-
               white ond colour, thot this lens provides.
              Leorn your woy obout the comero before inserting your first
                  film.  First proctise the vorious operotions os described ot
                leisure, ond you  will  o lwoys enioy using your CONTESSA
               motic E.

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Focusing                                    0peratingthe automaticexposurecontrol
                                                       The coupled exposure meter con be  relied upon to  selectHold the comero up to your eye. In the centre of the view-
                                                                   the correct shutter settings for  block-ond-white ond colourf i n d e r y o u w i l l  s e e o  b r i g h t , c i r c u l o r r o n g e f i n d e r f i e l d ,   i n                                                                         films, both negotive ond reversol. The speed of the film  in
w h i c h  t h e o b i e c t s i g h t e d w i l l o t  f i r s t o p p e o r w i t h d i s p l o c e d                                                           use must first be set on the comero: this operotion is described
outlines. By moving the block distonce setting knob (l) bock-      on poge 17.
words or forwords, you will be oble to moke the rongefinder     The most effective procedure is to pre-select the shutter speed
imoges coincide. Your subiect will then be focused shorply      before meosuring the exposure. To do  this, turn the ring (3)
( F i g .I ) .                                                                      until the desired speed volue clicks-in ot the red mork. The
                                                                       ring connot be set to intermediote volues between the click-
                                                                          s t o p s ( F i g . 2 ) .
F i s .I

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The correcl shutter speed to choose depends on the movement
                                                         Under certqin conditions, it is odvisoble to select o different
of ihe subiect. The foster the subiect is moving, the shorter                                                                         '10).
                                                                    shutter speed/operiurepoiring (see "Deplh of field". pogemusl be the exposure time. The figures on the scole denote
froctions of seconds (60 meons r/eoSecood, etc.). When you use      The lorger the operiure (lower figure), the smqller will be the
the oronge-coloured figures, the comero must be ploced on       depth of field. By turning the setting ring (3), you con select
o  tripod  or  other  rigid support for moking the exposure.        tl^ie most suiioble speed/operture poiring.
At the "B" setting (green), the shutter remoins open for os            lf, when setting o desired operture volue, the red mork on the
long os the releose is depressed. The meoning of the green        ring (3) should indicote the green "B", on exposure time of
figures will be exploined loter.                                 two seconds will be required.  lf you then slop down  still
To meosure the exposure, hold ihe CONTESSA motic E to your         further, you  con  reod  off  the  required exposure time  in
eye ond direct  it ot the subiect. At the top of ihe viewfinder       whole seconds (green figures) opposite the chosen operture
you  will see the pointer of the exposure meter. By moving       volue; then you must turn the two knobs (2) ro  return, the
the setting knobs (2), you con set the pointer occurotely to       desired operture volue  to  "B", which remoins of  the red
the iriongulor mork. This outomoticolly sets the correct oper-        setting mork on the ring  (3). The exposure time  is then con-
ture required, ond you con toke ihe piclure siroighlowoy.            trolled by keeping the releose (8) depressed for  the oppro-
                                                                          priote length of time. The previously sei exposure-meosurement
The indicotion of the exposure meter con olso be reod off from                                                                volue ist thus concelled. After moking time exposures on the
the comero body. The correct setting position  is then in the                                                                    "B"  setfing, yoU must meosure lhe  light once ogoin before
centre of the triongulor mork (5).
                                                                using the outomotic shutter speeds.





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     Top edge of subiectot 3 ft distonce.                                                                )



     Releasingandwindingon                                    pressing the  releose knob, double  exposures ond  blonk
      Hold the comero firmly  in both honds. On  looking lhrough       fromes simply connot occur. You must olwoys toke core lo
       the viewfinder, whoiever you see wifhin the brightline frome        press the ropid-wind lever (22) right up to  its stop. You con
         will be recorded on the film when you moke the exposure.       leove the shutter in o lensioned stote for long periods without
     When toking piciures ot dislonces of obout  i metre (3 ft), you       cousing ony horm.
              ld only utilize the finder imoge up lo the two poinlers
 fi8S          th the iop edge of fhe frome. To releose the shutter,     Flashanddelayed-actionexposures
i t t l              ress ihe  releose knob  (8). After  every exposure,      The fully-synchronized Prontor SLK-Speciol s         n b e
            the ropid-windlever (22)right up to its stop.This both      connected to every type of  flosh equipment.        h o s o
          on the film by the lengthof one frome ond furns bock        built-in deloyed oction mechonism.The lever (l          ts three
               e counier to the next number (Fig.4).                         different settings.
                 shutter con only be releosed ofter operoting the      On the X-setting,the firing impulse is given o
                                                 lensioned ofler        shutter blodes ore  fully open. Electronic
                                                                    lomps) should olwoys be fired on the X-setti
                                                        On  ihe  M-selting, ihe   f iring impulse is given         the
                                                                           shutter opens, lhe intervol corresponding to the d           k
                                                                                      of most floshbulbs.
                                                              The most suitoble setting (X or M) for   fl                             f l o s h
                                                                    copsules con be found in the insiruction provid         h ese
                                                         F i s .4                   l i g h t s o u r c e s .
          VXM

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C n  t h e V - s e t t i n gt,h e d e l o y e d - o c t i o nm e c h o n i s mi s b r o u g h t i n t o
o c t i o n .W h e n t h e r e l e o s e( B )i s d e p r e s s e dt ,h e d e l o y m e c h o n i s n r
i s s e t  i n m o t i o n , o n d o f t e r o b o u t B s e c o n d s t h e s h u t t e r i s
r e l e o s e d . T i m e e x p o s u r e s ( " 8 "  s e t t i n g ) c o n n o t b e m o d e .
l f o  f l o s h u n i t i s c o n n e c t e dw h e n t h e s h u t t e ri s s e t f o r d e l o y e d
c c t i o n r e l e o s e ,i t w i i l b e  f i r e d o s o n  t h e X - s e t t i n g .
                                                                        t t V t tT h e   l e v e r  ( . l 5 ) c o n o n l y b e s e t  t o     w h e n  t h e s h u t t e r i s
t e n s i o n e d o n d o l s o w h i l e k e e p i n g t h e   l o c k  ( . l 0 ) d e p r e s s e d .
A f t e r  t h e s h u t t e r i s  r e l e o s e d t h e   l e v e r o u t o m o t i c o l l yr e t u r n s
t o  " X " o n d m u s t , i f  r e q u i r e d ,b e  r e s e t t o  " V " .
F o r  f l o s h p i c t u r e s ,t h e  I K O B L I T Z4 w i t h c o n n e c t o r p l u g c o n
b e   i n s e r t e dd i r e c t l y i n t o  t h e  t w o s o c k e t s ,o f t e r r e m o v i n g t h e
s c r f e t yp l u g ( 6 ) .O t h e r f l o s h g u n sw i t h n r o u n t i n gf o o t o r e c l i p p e d
i n t o  t h e o c c e s s o r ys h o e o n d  t h e c o b l e  i s   i n s e r t e d i n t o  t h e
c o n n e c t i o nn i p p l e ( b e n e o t ht h e s o f e i y p l u g ) . T h e s o f e t y p l u g
c o n b e o c c o m m o d o t e di n  t h e e v e r r e o d y c o s e .
Insertingthe f ilm
I n y o u r C O N T E S S A n r o t i c E y o u  c o n u s e o l l n o r m o l  f i l m
c o s s e t t e sc o n t o i n i n gb l o c k - o n d - w h i t eo r c o l o u r f i l m , g i v i n g 3 6       Fiss.5-7



1 4

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                                                                      F i g . 8



or fewer pictures 24 x 36 mm in size. The film should be  in-      the ociuol number of exposuresstoted on the film cossette.
serted by subdued light.                            Now swing the ropid-wind lever (22) ond releosethe shutter
Press the cotch ('13)on the norrow side of the comero down-      iwice.Whilst doing this moke sure thot the spindle(18)of the
words. The bock will then spring open. Insert ihe film cossette    rewindcronk(19)rototes:this indicotesihot the film is odvoncing
into ihe film chomber, with the beginning of the film pointing      correctly (Fig.8). On the third swing of the ropid-wind lever,
towords ihe toke-up spool;  first introduce the lower end of      ihe morker of the frome counter disc will indicote 36 or 20,
the cossette,so thot the slit between lhe two pins in the film     ond you ore then reody to toke your first picture.The frome
chomber engoges with  the bor  in the bose of  the cossette     counter olwoys shows you how mony fromes ore still to be
(Fig.5). Then press the locking knob (17) (the rewind cronk     exposed.
will spring out) ond turn the flonge of the toke-up spool until      After insertingthe film, you musf set ihe speed of the film
the slot in the spool foces upwords. Insert the beginning of     you ore usingon the comero.To do this,move the smoll lever
the film into this slot, until the smoll lug hooks into the 3rd.      (14)to the right or left -  ot the some time pressingit ogoinst
or 4th. perforotion hole (Fig.6). Continue turning the flonge      the comero body -   until the ASA speed given on the film
of  the toke-up spool  until the teeth of  ihe sprocket drum      corlon is set to the triongulor mork with the sun-symbol(20).
engoge the film perforotion holes on both sides (Fig.7). Then    You con olso set it to intermediolevolues.For dull-weother
close the CONTESSA motic E ond push the rewind cronk     ond ogoinst-the-lightpictures(but only when using colour
(,|9) bock io  its normol rest posiiion.                           reversolfilm), the film speed volue should be sef to the
Turn the knurled ring of the frome counter (7) in ihe direction      figure 2 with the cloud-symbol.The sun-symbolshould thus
of the orrow,  until the morker is set to the red figure before     be used for oll exposureson block-ond-whiteor colour ne-


1 6                                                                                              1 7



                                                                                                                                                                                                          ..,+idi*-r.xiida

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gotive film, ond olso for pictures on colour reversol film  in
good weother.
When you hove looded the comero, set the type ond speed of
the film on the film-iype reminder disc (21)on the bock of the
comero. This device is only intended to ossist your memory
ond hos no influence on the ociuol exposure.
Removingthefilm
When fhe frome counter indicotes the figure  I ond the shutter
is releosed, the lost frome hos been exposed. The film must
now be rewound into  its cossetle, so thot you con remove  it                                                                  F i g .9
in doylight. To do  this, press the locking knob (17) on the
underside of the comero in os for os  it will go. The rewind    Accessories
cronk (19) will ihen spring out ond con be unfolded. Turn the     The everreody cose protecls the CONTESSA motic E from
cronk in the direction of the orrow (Fig.9) until you feel o       externol domoge. The comero is held securely in the cose by
definite resistonce,which meons thot the film hos come free     meons of the tripod screw (16) ond need not be removed for
from the toke-up spool. Then open the bock by pressing on       toking pictures.
the cotch (13) ond toke out the film. Finolly, fold bock the     You con observe ihe spindle of ihe rewind cronk (.|8)through
rewind cronk firmly, so thot you con see the locking knob      the hole in the bottom of the cose. This spindle must rotote
s p r i n g o u t o g o i n .                                                 o s t h e f i l m  i s o d v o n c e d .


r 8                                                                                                          1 9

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                           ]i.,ii                                                                                  j f                                  polished surfoces; under certoin cir-
ZEISSIKON PrecisionFilters                          otmosphereto your                                                     {rotos.                           cumstonces gives more soturoted co-                         "&drThey ore mode of  finest-quoli[rgtoss ond ore. fqy{tlessly                               lour rendering on colour film.
polished, SOthot they do not offdctrthe-*glerfo-rnr:61cp''of your     UV f ilter      (* 1)     For reducing hormful ultro-violet ro-
ZEISSTESSARlens. The filters oi'b,*aiirewdtiii"fo  the lens                               diotion ot high oltitudes ond on the
(diom.27 mm). The followingfiltersore ovoiloble:                                    seoshore.
For black-and-whitefilm                         Forcolourfilm
Yellow f ilter  (x 2l     Emphosisesclouds, mokes blue dorker,     IKOLORA    (x I .5)    For doylight exposure on  ortif iciol-
                       yellow, yellow-green ond oronge                                                                                         l i g h t c o l o u r f i l m .
                          lighter.                         IKOLORB    (x 2.5)   For ortificiol ligth exposure on doy-
Green f ilter  (x 2)     Yellow ond green ore rendered lighter,                                   light colour film (con olso be used
                       blue ond red dorker; good modelling                            os blue filter for block-ond-whitefilm).
                           of clouds.                      IKOLORC    (x l)     To subdue blue shodow-renderingwith
Cronge  f ilter (x 5)        Still dorker blue ond  lighter yellow       (Skvlisht)             d o y l i g h t c o l o u r f i l m .
                    ond red tones; penetrotes light hoze.                                             IKOLORF    (x 1.5)   For doylight exposures on   f losh-type
Red f ilter     (x 8)     Produces on unreol otmosphere; sky                                  c o l o u r f i l m .
                     even do rker. Gives moon light eff ects
                        with intentionol underexposure.
                                             When usingf i lters,the exposure must be increosedoccording
For black-and-whiteand colourfilms                          to the filter foctor. With ZEISSIKON filters, this foctor is
CONTAPOL (' 3)      Polorizingfilter, reducesdistroctingre-      engrovedon the mount.                                               f lections f rom  gloss, locquered ond


                                                                                       21
20

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The toking distonce should olwoys be meosured from the front       Maintenanceof the G01{TESSAmaticE
rim of the supplementory lens. To obtoin sufficieni depth of               I        Cleon the film cossette chomber ond film trock f,rom time to
field you should olwoys stop down  to  ot leost f/8.                                                 III        time wiih o soft brush. The lens should only be d:eoned when
When  toking close-ups, especiolly with PROXAR lenses of                                                                     'necessory, by wiping   it  corefully with  o  cleon, soft linen                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I
shorter focol length, the resulting viewfinder porollox should                           '  cloth. All dust should be removed beforehond wiih o brush.
be compensoted for by moving either the comero or the sub-             i        Also cleon the window  of the exposure meter qnd the view-
iect to be photogrophed.                                                 finder now qnd then with o linen ctoth.
Cablerelease                                           On  the bock of every CONTESSA motic E thsre  is o 'seriol
When toking pictures from o tripod,  it  is odvisoble to use o           number, ond there is o lens number on every ZEISS TESSAR.
coble releose. This is screwed into the threod of the releose         You should moke o note of both numbers, so os to estoblish
knob. The ZEISS IKON  coble releose hos o  locking device           your ownership in coses of  loss or  theft'                              I
for  opplying  continuous pressure during  time  exposures        On   qll  photogrophic moiters, your  photo-deoler wilf  be
("B" setting).                                                       pleosed to give you odvise ond service, free of chorge.
LenshoodThis prevents flore ond veiling in ogoinst-the-light shots.'lt          w-m
olso protects the lens ogoinst roin ond snow during bodweoiher. In oddition to the metol lens hood, there is o rubber                                                  b.* ryjhood which con remoin on the comero when lhe everreody
                                                                                    Subject lo olferolions  in lhe inferesls of  technicol progress.cose is closed.