CLASSIC, SLEEK AND BEAUTIFUL in just about ever way imaginable, the Zeiss Ikon comes in two body colors, silver chrome or black. Personally, we are partial to the chrome look but you really couldn't go wrong with either choice. Sweeping lines, delicate yet well labeled controls, and solid construction make this camera a pure engineering marvel. It looks equally nice sitting on a showpiece shelf as it does in your hand shooting pictures.
Every aspect of the Zeiss Ikon is fully manual; from film advance and rewind, to focus, to aperture and shutter speed settings. There are photographers out there that might consider this a disadvantage - it's not. Pass two rolls of film through the Zeiss Ikon and you'll be cranking through more pictures then you ever thought possible.
The camera is significantly lighter then most manual rangefinders that we've used, especially the Leica M7. Thankfully this doesn't mean the camera feels flimsy. Quite the contrary in fact, as the body weight inspires one to think they could feasibly walk around with the Zeiss Ikon all day long without growing tired. Film advance is smooth and reliable. So smooth in fact that, when shooting the first roll of film, we weren't entirely confident the camera had loaded correctly after feeling no resistance when cranked forward. The camera is slightly louder then other rangefinders but still leaps and bounds quieter then a mirror flapping SLR. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Zeiss Ikon is that it uses the Leica M mount. Rather than go its own way and create a proprietary mount, Zeiss Ikon instead opted to tap into an existing market. It's an interesting move, because it immediately opens its ZM lenses to the world of Leica users.
It goes without saying that the new Zeiss Ikon is an expensive system. Average street price for the body only seems to be in the region of US$1500 and a couple of lenses will double that price at the very least. Though far cheaper then a Leica M7, for many photographers, the Zeiss Ikon is still well outside of any practical, day to day, price range.
Of course, it is important to remember that this is not the kind of camera one can ever outgrow. Like any finely tuned instrument, the Zeiss Ikon 35mm Rangefinder will last a lifetime, and with a little bit of luck, the lifetime of your children as well.
www.zeissikon.com
