Zeiss Super Ikonta 534/16 Review - Compact 6x6 Medium Format Camera

My first few rolls of film through the legendary Zeiss Super Ikonta 534/16 medium format camera.

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[oldfilmguy]

I have a Zeiss Ikon which I purchased on eBay last year - it is from 1929 - a 6x9 folder. I am absolutely amazed that the bellows is still in good shape! I had to disassemble the lens to clean it, once I did (with much trepidation!) the images are great, As you say, they can fit in your back pocket, and for me, a camera like this is as much about taking a step back in time as anything else. I didn't expect much more quality than a Holga, but was very pleasantly surprised by this 90 year old camera.

[Klopizza]

I have an Ikonta 520/16 from 1938, grandfather used it a lot. It's in a VG++ Shape and I love it!

[Ry_Gordon]

Just when I thought I couldn’t get more! I binge listened to every episode of the contact sheet today while I worked. Great work on the podcast and channel!

[melonenstrauch]

I'm currently starting Photography with an Ikonta 521/16 that my grandpa gave to me, and I absolutely fell in love. This incredibly low tech way of shooting is wonderfully calming, and the 6x6 format lends itself so well to image composition in the style of album covers.

[pedrobortoli]

Coming back to this video just to thank you, Kyle! Bought a Zeiss Super Ikonta 532/16 today, and i'm really anxious to shoot with it! Without your video i probably would've not given a folder camera a shot, but being compact, having a nice rangefinder and being medium format just sold it for me.
Thanks again, and keep up the aweasome work!

[yojicr]

the automatic film stop is an old feature, which appears in their 533 and 532 models. Coupled range finder exists in even early 531 models, which could be dated back in the early 30s. What makes me like 534 is its built-in light meter and its compact size.(Compares to 533)

[riffraffselbow]

Your review matches somewhat with my experience with a first gen Super Ikonta 530 "A" (6x4.5, 1934-1937, uncoated 75mm Tessar; my 1935 model has an Albada finder), except I love mine. Sharp, beautiful images, a simple, no-nonsense way of working, dead simple mechanics, and mine folds up even smaller to boot. I paid ~$115 for it and it's been perfectly capable both in black and white and even color (if you keep the lens out of direct sunlight and avoid extremely glare-ridden scenes). I love that it's a truly pocketable MF camera that turns heads with its unique and vintage styling, is whisper quiet, simple to use, beautifully built and engineered, and more economical than the 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9 ratios. You indeed will struggle to precisely frame your images, and sometimes even to just get them perfectly level in hand, but that's why you're shooting medium format! Just frame with a bit of extra margin, then crop in. losing 5% off the edges isn't a big deal at all (these tessars are pretty soft at the edges before f/11 or so anyway) and it lets you put together far more precise compositions than someone shooting with an SLR without cropping.

It's decidedly NOT a modern approach to MF shooting. You slow down. You stop down, generally to f/8 or more but rarely less than f/5.6. you're relatively unconcerned with critical framing or critical focus (you stopped down to the tessar's sharpest stop anyway, you've got plenty of depth of field to work with). I understand people not enjoying it but for people looking for an _alternative_ to the modern digital-driven workflow, not a continuation of it, it's a fantastic workflow, especially for b&w, especially if you darkroom print.

Never knew about this camera, it's nice to see smaller medium format cameras for travel.

[coastalartistlivingonislan]

I love working with 50s era cameras. i just stumbled on a Retina 2A at an estate sale on Friday. Occasionally I find 6X6 TLRs or 6x9 Folder.
It's not for everybody, I love the thrill of the hunt and then using these beautiful cameras.
Even if its not a camera I like to use, I rescue them from the trash pile and trade with other collectors.

[IreneRudnyk]

I'm on a hunt for a perfect small medium format camera for travel. Thank you for this review

[ribsy]

Fair points. Can’t beat the portability and lens quality - maybe I’ll buy it from you 😀

[nitinb]

I have this one in my collection, beautiful piece of equipment.

[paulg]

Great video. I just bought the 645 version of the Super Ikonta with the Tessar lens. What a fun little camera to walk around town with.

[aussiecryptomaniac]

Use a Zeiss KONTUR 6x6 finder, it is amazing and solves all your framing problems.

[inevitablecraftslab]

awesome, i ve got the 532/16 for a year now, excellent camera

[p.]

I do love the folder-design, too.
Own a Super Isolette with the Solinar, just a superb lens in sharpness and contrast.
But I do miss the paralax-compensation...
I did missalined few shoots.

As a attachable finder I can recommend a Voigtländer Kontur 6x6 Finder, does its job well and the rangefinder of the camera only to focus the frame.

[mdbdoc]

I’ve been wanting one of these forever for hiking trips. Thanks for walking through the pros & cons.

[wotajared]

Nice and honest review Kyle! Almost mere coincidence I recently got one of these from a dealer, mysteriously nobody else bid and I got it for the equivalent of 170€.

Meter is dead but everything else works nicely, aside of a good condition, it seems CLAd. Loaded and just developed a roll of D3200. Haven't gotten to do critical tests but I like it and it's not as awkward as I imagined. Late season, so colour will have to wait till Spring and I hope to run through it some slide or Ektar.
My idea is to take in the near future a long trip bringing along medium format, my main machine is a Fuji 6x9 RF and a folder makes sense as a "B" camera. Unlike many, I never got so much GAS and accumulated cameras instead bought film and covered other costs.
Until the want of a backup camera, the 6x9 just does everything I want and sharply, except fuel -ahem- film consumption 😂I got a Nettar from an exchange. But with my non-existant focus estimation technique I also wanted more "critical sharp" results than a triplet that must be stopped down, and Tessar f8 and be there seems promising.

This is very nice and now I have the two original "Brownie" formats, 6x9 and 6x6. I Foresee using much more medium format now as the Super Ikonta is truly portable for what it is.

[paulhyde]

Great stuff! I love these cameras- just like my uncle Arthur would have had in the 60's!!

[spincity]

When I realised you where in the UK it made me happy, good to see a Canadian surfing these grounds making some magic on the English streets