Zeiss Ikon CONTINA II User manual

0perational Gomponents 0f the Gontina  ll
         (see illustrotions on the two inner cover poges)
              Shutter releose knob               14 Flosh conloct
           Frome counle r                           l5  Dislonce setting ring
            Ropid wind lever                 16 Diophrogm ond shutter speed
           Computor ring for the exposure                  selting ring
             meler                          17 Synchro-lever  for flosh ond
                                                                     self-iimer          Knob for setting film speed                                                    l8  Scole of ei<posure volues               Pointer of exposure meler                                       19 Shutter speed scole
             Accessory shoe                   20 Diophrogm scole in f/numbers            Rewind knob
                                                        mork for stops ond shuller                                    21 Setting              Viewf inder                    :                                                            speeds
                  1   Knob for setting exposure volues       n  Knob for opening lhe exposure
               1   Distonce setting mork                        meler flop
-\__-    I    Depth-of-field scole                 23 Tripod bush
                l   Locking bor for comero bock         24 Locking knob for film rewind



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The Contina  ll
is o hondsome minioture comero designed lo give you much pleosure ond
greot sotisfoction. One swing of the ropid film wind lever performs severol
simultoneous operotions ond rnokes the comero "reody to shoot" in on
instont. The exposure volue setting helps to sove much precious time. The
built-in photo-electric ropid exposure meter immediotely indicotes the cor-
rect volues for the setting of the shutter. The Contino ll is fitted with either
the high quolity f/3.5,45 mm Novor onostigmot lens or the high-speed f/2.8,
45 mm Novicor lens, both of which ore colour correcled ond equolly suitoble
for block-ond-whiie ond colour photogrophy, giving needle-shorp pictures.
In order to moke every Contino exposure o success right from ihe very
beginning we suggest thot you should reod these instruciions with utmost
core before you lood the comero with the first film. Once you hove mostered
the vorious mechonicol movements ond operotions, the comero will remoin
q source of undiminished pleosure.  lf you still hove doubts or difficulties,
do not hesitote to osk your deoler for help.

Determining the Exposure Value (sometimes called .rlight Valuerr)
      The built-in exposure meter will yield correct exposure volues for oll block-
       ond-white ond colour films, both negoiive ond reversol. First the meter musl
      be set to the speed of the film in use. Turn the inner disc by meons of rhe
       smoll knob (5) until the relevont speed volue oppeors opposite the block
        stroke of the DIN or ASA window. The disc con olso be set to infermediote
        film speeds (Fig. l).
          lf o film monufocturer hos quoted the film speed occording io o roiing
       other thon the ASA or DIN sysrem, the corresponding volues con be found
        in the conversion toble on poge 28. Since the speed of colour film connot be                                    i
      meosured in the some woy os thot of block-ond-white, the colour film monu-                 I
       focturers ore unoble io give exoct speed numbers in ASA or DIN indices       1I
       but recommend their films to be exposed "os o block-ond-white film of DIN
      or ASA".'ln most coses ihis will ensure sufficiently occurote exposure, but
        in order to be obsolutely sure the photogropher should check the colibrotion
      of his equipment by moking severol test exposures oi differing opertures
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ond thus determine the octuol speed of the film in question ond the correcl
selting for the built-in exposure meter.
To meosure the lighi ond determine the exposure volue, the flop of the
exposure meter should be opened by      Ii9.  I
gently pressing the knob (221 to the left.
(To close it, press the flop slighily to the
left with the right forefinger.) Point the
Contino ll towords the subiect so os to
f rome it in the viewf inder. The white
pointer(6) will then be seen to deflect.
By turning the computor ring (4), the smoll
white circulor mork should be moved
until it is olongside the pointer when seen
from obove. The exposure volue to be
used (red figure) con now be reod off
from the computor ring opposite the red                              'i-:]atriongulor mork on the film speed setting

disc. lf the lighiing conditions ore poor, the required exposure times in full
seconds (green figures) con be reod off from the scole opposite the f/numbers
(block figures on the inner disc to the right of the red friongle mork).
once the exposure volue or the stop ond shutter speed required f,ou" be"n
                                   oscertoined, they must be tronsfered to the
                                    shutter of the Contino  ll.
                                   Setting the Exposure Value
                             By pressing lightly on knob 10 (Fig.3), the
                                reor setting ring con be iurned until the
                                required exposure volue (red figures on
                              the right-hond side) is opposite the red
                                    triongulor mork l8 (Fig. 2). lt is olso pos-
                                      sible to set holf-volues.
                        As this setting ring con only be rototed
                               through o limited rodius, in some coses
                                                it will be necessory to move the oper-
                                   ture/shutter speed setting ring (.|6) olso

Shutter Speed: The correct shutter speed to choose depends on whether or not
the subiect is moving, ond if so, how ropidly. The foster ihe subiect move-
meni, the shorter should be the exposure time. The silver figures on scole (19)
denote froctions of seconds (60 meons r/eo second, etc.). When set to the
green "8", the shuiter will remoin open os long os the releose knob (1)
remoins depressed (see poge 16).
The green figures denote whole seconds, os on the compuior disc of the
exposure meter, ond connoi be set ogoinst ihe setting mork (21); their im-
portonce will be exploined loter on.
Aperlure Setting (f/number): The correct operture of the lens diophrogm, or
"stop", for short, depends on the depth of field desired (see poge 10). The
smoller the f/number, the lorger is lhe octuol opening of the diophrogm.
To set the f/number required, the some operotion should be performed os
for setting the shutier speed. The desired volue should be set ogoinst the
setting mork (21).
So long os the exposure volue obtoined from the exposure meter remoins
sei, ony combinotion of shutter speed ond lens operture will result in o
correctly-exposed negotive. The operture ond shutter speed setting ring (16)

lis.4
                               On fhe underside of this dislonce-selling  ring, lhe
                                              Conlino  Il hos lor lechnicol reosons o second scole
                                         which hos no beoring on lhe ocluol operolion ol
                                                the comero.
                                          Depth-of-field scale
                                 Every lens, when focused on o definite
                                         distonce, will only yield o shorp imoge
                                 of obiecis within o limited spoce before
                               or beyond the plone on which it   is
www.butkus.us                       octuolly focused. This zone of shorp de-
                                        finition becomes deeper the more the
                                 lens is stopped down. The "deplh of
                                              field", os this zone is colled, con be reod
                                       off for ony lens operture ond distonce
    from the depth-of-field scole (12). Wiih the distqnce setting mork (11) sei to
     the distonce focused on, the f/numbers to the right ond left of the mork
     representing the stop in use will indicote the exient of the depth of field.
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tig. 5   ..#www.butkus.us
     f n Fig. 5, for exomple, the distonce set is
 I  feel. The deprh-of-field scole indicttes
 thol the zone of shorp definition extends
 from obout 6 feet to l5feet ot on ofurtrr"
 of f/8. Exoct depth-of-field uotr"r-.on Uu
 found in the toble on poge 29.
 Snapshot Setting
 ln crder not to lose time over distonce
ond diophrogm settings when o ,rJa"n
opportunity for o picture presents itself,
ossuming the correct exposure volue hqs
been set, the operture should be sei io fzg
ond ihe distonce to the red dot lf;g- O).
The figure B is morked in red ior. nr"lt"r.
clority. Wirh rhis sefiins oil suLie:is ;e_-butween opprox. 8 ft. ond infinity'w;il
recorded shorply.
                                            ll                         liq. 6

J'
l,
i      Flashlight and setf-timer
I     fn" fully synchronized Prontor-SVS shutter con be coupled to every type of
      flosh gun. lt olso hos o built-in self-timer (deloyed oction r"t"or"j. tn"
       lever (17) permits three vorioble settings, which ore exploined below; to
      ovoid occidentol displocement this lever is on the underside of the Contino
        (Fig. 7).
     With lhe "X" selling the shutter fires the flosh outomoticolly the moment the
      shutter blodes ore fully opened. Electronic flosh iubes snoita only be fired      with the "X" setiing.
     with the "M" serting, the shutter opens ofter o very shorl deloy, which cor-
      responds to the deloy to peok of most floshbulbs.
     The correct settings ("X" or "M") for the vorious fioshbulbs ond flosh cop"
      sules will be found in the mokers' instructions ond olso in the toble on    poge 30.
     with the "v" seiling, the deloyed oction releose (or self-timer) is put into

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  operotion. When the releose knob (l)  is
  depressed, o retording movement is set
  in motion which opens the shutter ofter-(,,B,, oboul I seconds. Time exposures
 setting) connot be mode with the self_
  timer.  lf o flosh lomp is connected to the
 shutter while the synchro_lever is ol  ,,V,,,
 the deloyed oction mechonism will run off
 normolly ond the flosh will be fired os
 ot. the "X.". setting. The lever con orrly be                                                            ,^'r'{
 sel to "V" if the shutter is tensionei.  lt returns oulomolicoily                    to "X,,                       ond must, if necessory,         be set to ,'y,,                          ogoin.
 For, flosh exposures, the Ieod fiom the
                    shu*er                   L ,"r""r"i,                                        rhe ftoshbutb wi,ffiliffibe fired in svn_chronizorion:,:::::l:1_Wn:,nwirh ihe-,rhe shurier.                            Fo.                                      fr.;;;;'a"rllill"J"""'fi"                                                            ,I||,ffi[ilponying lhe vorious flush guns.                                                                        "?.llJ-

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Holding the camera
The Contino must be held firmly during
exposure. The body of the comero
should be held with both honds (Fig.8).
The right hond index finger should
operote the shutter releose  ('l), whilst
the elbows should be pressed lightly
ogoinst the body.
This method should be odopted for
horizontol pictures. For toking ver-
ticol pictures, the left hond should hold
the comero from obove while ihe right
hond octs os o support (Fig. 9). In ihis
cose the releose knob (l) is operoted
with the righi thumb.
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 Hond-held exposures should only be
 mode when the shutter speed is be_
 tween t/roo ond r/:o second (ot the most).
 For longer shutter speeds when the
 self-timer is used, the Contino must be
ploced on o firm support or screwed
to o tripod by meons of the tripod bush
 (23). For verticol pictures, o boll-ond_
socket heod should be interpoloted
between the comero qnd the tripod. To
moke sure of ovoiding comero shoke,
oll tripod exposures should be mode
with o coble releose screwed into ihe
ihreod of the releose knob (l).
                        t5                  lis.9

lig. t0
                                   Releasing and Cocking the Shutter
                            The shutter should be releosed by gently
                                 depressing the releose knob (1) with the
                                  index finger (Fig. 10). After eoch exposure,
                                 the shutler must be cocked by meons of
                                 fhe ropid wind lever (3). Holding the Con-
                                     tino in the toking position, the ropid wind
                                     lever should be swung round with o swift
                             movement of the right thumb until it stops
                                      (Fig. '11). This qlso odvonces the film by
                         one frome ond the frome-counter (2)                                                                              -                          which registers the number of frqmes
                             exposed   moves on to the next num-                                              -ber. lt con be seen whether or not the film is being odvonced correctly  if
ihe rewind knob (8) turns whilst the film is odvonced.
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 As the shulter con be releosed only ofter
 b-eing tensioned by the ropid winj lever
  (3), on the other hond, the ropid wind lever
  itself con only be operoled ofter lhe shut_
 ter hos been releosed by depressing the
 releose knob (l); in this woy toth dJuble
 exposures ond blonks ore prevented. lt is
 importont to ensure, thougfr, thot ihe ropid
 wind lever is swung until it comes fo q positive stop. The shutter con remoin
 cocked without ony risk of domoge.
Loading the Camera
 'fhe
    Contino ll con be looded with oll com_
merciol cortridges conloining Utoct_ona_
y"j'Ti;?':[                        exposures; the ociuor rrome size, is,             ItJl^l':i":":'^:iit
Theii",,o,"1lr!,^,l,2TT;l*:.:i:^,1^"-,191il9;i;;"d';"iliJili",l,"?nibock or rrre comero con be oo"*j ilr'rl,,iii"""1,1",1J",jJi,.U                                                                              ;:?"fi!i.
                                                 t7

Pull out the rewind knob (8) ond insert the
                                  film cortridge into the empty chomber  (12),
                           with the beginning of the film pointing
                          towords the toke-up spool. Push bock the
                           rewind knob until its prong engoges cor-
                                   rectly with the recess ot the top of the film
                                  cortridge.
                    Now turn the toke-up spool by meons of
                         ihe milled flonges until the slit with o
                            smoll lug is pointing upwords. Hook ihe
                              film on to ihis lug. Wind the film on to
                            the loke-up spool until the sprockets en-
                        goge the perforotions on both sides (.|3),www.butkus.us
                           ot the some time depressing the locking
                       knob (24). Now close the comero bock,
                              tension the shutter ond odvonce the film
                              fiq. l2    twice by meons of the ropid wind lever
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 (3) ond releose the shuiter twice. This will
 odvonce the unexposed film to the film
 gote. Set the frome counter (2) lo ,,0,, by
 turning the block ring in the direction of
 the orrow. Swing the ropid wind lever
once ogoin fo cock the shutter ond the
 Contino is reody for the first shot.To moke
sure whether the comero is looded or noi.
turn lhe rewind knob (8) in ihe direction
of the orrow: if the comero is looded, o
resistonce will be felf olmost immediotely.

Unloading the camera
Before opening ihe comero, the exposed
film should be rewound into its originol
corlridge. Depress the locking knob (24)       Iig. l3
                          l9

ond ot the some time turn the rewind knob
(8) in ihe direction of the orrow (Fig.'14);
lo moke for eosier hondling, this knob
will outomoticolly unscrew o little. After
some time, o slight resistonce will indicote
lhot the film end hos ported from lhetoke-
up spool. Then open ihe bock of the co-
mero, pull out the rewind knob (8) os for
os possible ond remove the cortridge
confoining the exposed filrn. Film chips
which occosionolly occur should be re-
moved immediotely from the comero.

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      Accessories
       Ever-ready case
      The.Contino  ll is protected from externol stroins ond domoge by its olroclive
        te.oJ!e1 ever-reody cose. The comero is herd inlr," i.."'il'''"on,    of o screw
      which is screwed into the iripod bush (23); the comeio n""a not be removed      from the cose for hond-help
                                    "*porrrur.
      Zeiss lkon Precision Filters
     To improve the tonol volues in brock-ond-white photos, Zeiss lkon precision
       Filters.(Q27 mn) should be screwed into the rens molnt. These firters ore      ovoiloble                      yellorv,                in                                           oronge                                                                   (rkoror-B)                                              brue                                                     ond                                                                                             urtro                                                      , red,                          -yellow-green,       violet. The                  lkolor-B                                 filter                             should olso                                 bJ urea                                                    io,                                                               colour                                                        l.ri"s                                                                   shots       ortificiol light on dovrishr-tvpe corour firm. For alvi,siri';hois on ortificiotby
       light colour film the lkoror-A firter shourd be useJ.'Wn"n  firters ore used,
      the exposure should be increosed in occordonce with ihe filter foctor, which
       is engroved on fhe rim. of every Zeiss lkon filter. When four filters ore      ordered, o hondy cose is supplied free of chorge.

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Gontapol Polarising Filter
To reduce or even eliminote reflections in highly polished, non-metollic sur-
foces ond to dorken blue skies in both colour ond block-ond-white  pictures,
the Contopol Polorising Filter con be slipped on to the lens (@ 28.5 mm). For
porticulors see the instruciions supplied with lhe frlter.

Supplementary Lenses for Glose-ups (Zeiss Proxar Lenses)
To toke short-ronge photogrophs with the Contino ll, cooted Zeiss Proxor
Lenses should be slipped on to ihe fronl of the 28.5 mm diomeier lens. These
lenses ore ovoiloble in four different "strengths". The correct lens setting
for different distonces con be found in the toble on poge 31. Noie thot the
oistonce betureen subiect ond comero should be meosured from the front
rim of the mount of the Proxor Lens. Moke sure of sufficient depth of field by
stopping down the comero lens to. ot leost f/8. When using close-up lenses,
porticulorly those of very short focol lengths, consideroble viewfinder porol-
lox will be encountered, which con be compensoted for by either tilting the
comero o" moving the subiect slightly.

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     Glose.Up Viewfinder
    There is o speciol close-up viewfinder ovoiloble for the Contino which  is
     supplied together with the 0.5 m Proxor Lens in o combined plostic cose.
   To determine the octuol distonce between subiect ond comero, this view-
     finder is fitted with o speciol meosuring choin, morked by coloured bolls ot
     50 cm ond 30 cm (opprox.12 ond 20 ins). The viewfinder will show the exoct
    oreo covered of these distonces, moking even close-up snopshots possible.

    lens Hood
    The lens hood or sunshode prevents holotion, flores ond fog in bocklighted
     pictures ond is o necessity for colour photogrophy. lt olso protects the lens
    from roin ond snow. The Zeiss lkon lens hood con be slipped over Zeiss
     lkon filters ond Zeiss Proxor Lenses. When not in use, it con be corried in
   o procticol leother cose. There is olso o speciol leother combinotion cose
     io hold the O 28.5 mm lens hood ond three filters.


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