Weird Contax III

Really no problem, Ulrich. The most important is that somebody here took it so that the discussion goes on.
This question of date: B/G series, so prewar, or 1959, as written on the cell, is of course puzzling. Perhaps the taking to pieces of your second weird Contax will give some light...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

ABOUT PHOTOCELL i PARTICULARLY BELIEVE BASED IN MY EXPERINCE THAT THIS PARTICULAR ONE CAME FROM A BEWI AUTOMAT B OR A GOSSEN X3
REGARDS

I was thinking too of the Ikoflex Favorit, which had a selenium built-in cell with an EV scale, like on the Super Ikonta shown by Luiz.
But these cameras are postwar ones. I don't understand why this cell was adapted on prewar Contax III rather IIIa which appeared in 1951...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

simply jacques the size of Gossen (Sixti) or Bertram (Bewi) have the same size of of this variant Contax III cell wile Ikoflex post war cells are very tiny.
Regards

All explanation, about the cell and the flash mechanism here:

https://mikeeckman.com/2019/11/zeiss-historica-spring-2005/

Thanks to Mike Eckman and Zeiss Historica...

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jacques,

that is a very interesting article, thanks for finding it. As I mentioned before it's a regular conversion made by Zeiss itself.

I have disassembled the second one and made a site of it and added your link to it (only in german until now): http://ritzelkiste.de/kameras/weirdcontaxrepair/index.htm

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Fantastic documentation! And no problem with German for me when it is good language.

Best regards,
Juhani

Juhani,

thanks. It was also a lot of work, dismantling, documentation, text, all together it took a good week. But it's fun, interesting and ultimately helps us all.
I already have the next projects, a Zorki 3 with a defective shutter, 2 defective Droug from which I want to make a working one and maybe I will dare to make a Kristall, also with a defective shutter :-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Thank you much for this precious documentation, Ulrich.
As you know, I have found too one of these weird Contax, and your doc will help me greatly when I can have a closer look at it (even in German!).

Yes, the Zeiss Historica's article is very interesting. It's just a bit frustrating that we cannot have an idea of the number of these cameras.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

So, here is my "modified" Contax III, originally F73385 (1937/38 by Kuc). Visibly, it was well used!


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2542025_IMG_1885.JPG

No apparent change compared to Ulrich's ones.


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2542025_IMG_1882.JPG

By the date, we know that the camera was modified after may 1959. At that period, the IIIa were already on their dial: no production in 1958-59, 25 in 1960 and 4000 in 1961-62. Certainly, the repair of an old III could be interesting...

An interesting detail: the internal part of the flap was painted in black. And one of the six holes was filled with black varnish (regulation of incoming light, probably).


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent2/2542025_IMG_1884.JPG

For the moment, I cannot go farther in the taking to pieces.

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Jacques,

nice to see that it has arrived safe and sound. It's really interesting that the inside of your cover is blackened and a hole has been glued shut. The cameras were apparently all customized.

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Yes, Ulrich. The flash socket is exactly in the same position as on your own cameras. Really, all that was made by the same worshop quoted in Zeiss Historica article.
I will check this very original flash contact as soon as I can, with your perfect explanations on you site!

Amitiйs. Jacques.