File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Okay /p/ my grandmother gave me this camera awhile back and I've always wondered if it would be worth the trouble to learn and use.

It's a zeiss-ikon contina III

See those rings around the lens? You use them to set the apeture, range of focus, shutterspeed, iso, etc, not easy to use and is a view finder. However it has a steroscope(?) accessory that I'm highly tempted to hunt down if this is a camera worth using.

Thoughts /p/?
>> Anonymous
The Contina III is a 1950s equivalent of something like, say, Canon A640. A good quality all-round camera for beginners and people who don't take photography too seriously.

There's no more trouble to learn and use it than with any other fully manual camera. If you want to play with an old camera and possibly get some memorable photos in the process, go for it. If you want quality photos and the idea of setting everything manually doesn't particularly amuse you, put it back in the box.
>> Anonymous
You can control ISO with a ring on the front of your camera?
>> Anonymous
>>54953
So you'd recommend a full manual camera for a beginner that does not think serious about photographing? Srsly.
>> Anonymous
>>54965
In 1950? Srsly. Like there was any other choice.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>54954
It doesn't change the ISO. It just tells the camera the ISO of the film so it can take that into account if it has a light meter (or sometimes, just so you can see what ISO your film is, if your camera doesn't have a light meter)
>> Anonymous
>>54967
Then why in god are you comparing it to an a640?
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>54998
Because in 1950, cameras like the Zeiss-Ikon Contina III were marketed at the same sort of user that nowadays buys things like the A640.
>> Anonymous
hurr durr.. most people who call themselves amateur photographers are terribly ignorant of the basics of photography these days.
>> Liska !!LIVFOETqL8j
Forget all the drama. Take the camera. Put in some black and white or color film. Go and PLAY with it. Have fun.
>> Anonymous
I'd say it's a decent camera and well worth the time and effort to learn on.
I can't tell exactly what lens it is, but it looks like a 45mm f3.8-ish so your best sharpness will be around f8. Set the aperature there, drop in a roll of 100 speed tmax and go outside. Now set the shutter to 200 (or 250)for full sun and open up a half stop for shadow detail if you need to.

I liked my old zeiss ikon contaflex, despite the cumbersome film loading.
>> Anonymous
Forget the goofball accessories. Just keep the lens clean (it may be uncoated, so don't use anything but a good lens cloth! Not that stupid paper!) and it'll last you another 50 years.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>55070
A rangefinder accessory might be a good thing to pick up if he can find one, though.
>> Anonymous
>>55072
A good thing mostly for lulz, because a whole rangefinder camera of the cheaper variety probably costs less than this accessory :D
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>55075
Yeah, but if he gets a camera with a built-in rangefinder, we'll just have another Leica thread. Remember what happened last time.
>> Anonymous
>>55072
It'd be useful, but superfluous most of the time. For a beginner, I'd recommend using the DOF marks (that's what they're for) and estimating basic distance units.
>> Anonymous
>>55077
I enjoyed that