Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super repair & common faults
Excellent coverageThe Contaflex Super is a leaf-shutter SLR from Zeiss Ikon's late 1950s line, built around a Synchro-Compur shutter sitting behind a mirror rather than a focal-plane curtain. It pairs that shutter with a coupled selenium meter needing no battery, and a front-element lens system that swaps the front component rather than the whole lens.
Synchro-Compur leaf shutter behind semi-automatic mirror · Coupled selenium meter, no battery · Interchangeable front lens elements · Manual diaphragm coupling
Common Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super faults
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super shutter won't fire
The leaf shutter, mirror and diaphragm on this camera are mechanically interlocked, so a jam anywhere in that chain locks the release. It is rarely the shutter blades themselves failing outright, more often ageing grease or a snagged linkage. Check the wind lever is fully through its stroke before assuming a fault, but this is a mechanism-level repair either way.
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super meter not moving
This meter is selenium, self-powered, so there is no battery to check. A dead or sluggish needle almost always means the cell itself has weakened with age and light exposure, which is normal for a camera this old and not something that can be revived by cleaning contacts. Confirm the meter window isn't shaded or covered before assuming the cell has gone.
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super slow shutter speeds sticking
Compur-type shutters rely on a small delay train for the slower speeds, and old lubricant thickening with age is the usual culprit when 1/8 and below hang or drag while faster speeds sound fine. It is a common, well-understood fault on this shutter design rather than a sign of serious damage, but it does need the shutter opened to address.
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super front lens element won't seat or focus is off
This camera takes interchangeable front lens elements rather than a full lens swap, and the coupling between element and body can wear or seat slightly out of true over decades of use. A loose or misaligned front component will throw focus off even though the rear group and shutter are fine. Worth checking it's pushed and locked fully home before assuming a deeper fault.
Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super viewfinder dim or hazy
A dim, cloudy or spotted finder image on these usually points to the mirror's silvering deteriorating with age rather than dirt on the outer glass. It doesn't affect the shutter or exposure, so the camera may still be working correctly even though composing through it is difficult. Wiping the eyepiece is worth a try, but it won't touch this fault.
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Try it now ›Scatto is a reference tool for people who service film cameras. It explains mechanisms and quotes service data, but it cannot see your camera at the bench, so verify anything load-bearing before you act on it.