ZEISS IKON CONTRAFLEX BETA User manual

INSTRUCTION BOOK

Gontrols
of
the
Gontaflex
beta
I Filmwind knob B Knob operoting exposure
2 Fromecounter meterfloP
3 Shutter
releose
knob
. I Eyeletsfor corrying
strop
4 Pointerof exposure
meter l0 Floshcontoct,
5 Exposr.lre
meter computor
disc i'v' lv"rlevrvl ll Reoding..morks for stops
6'Fil'm"speed
setting
knob ond'shutter
speeds
'12
Exposurevolue control
7 Rewind
knob knob
Forfurthercomero
cohtrols
see
inside
bockcover.

!
I
i
The
Contaflexbeta
mode by Zeiss
lkon AG. Stullgort,
combines
oll
ihe odvontoges of the two most populor lypes
of comero: minioture ond reflex. Behind this
ochievement lie yeors of experience in the
monufocture
of precision comeros. The Conto-
flex wos originolly designed for the odvonced
omoteur,
but its omozing versotilityhos ropidly
mode it indispensoble
to professionol,
scientific
ond technicol photogrophers.
We connot promise the impossible: but we do
boo.stihot the Conioflex betq is fitted with every
conceivoble sofeguord to ensure ihe success
of
your pictures. The built-in Zeiss lkon Ropid
photo-electric
exposuremefer,
compleiely
enclosl
ed in the comero body for moximum protection,
gives relioble exposure figures for oll films,
including colour. Two coupled rongefinder
sysiems
ensure occurote focusing of the high-
speeded 45 mm Pontor f/2.8 lens, wiih oll its
inierchongeoble
converter
uniis.Thelorge,
cleor
viewfinder imoge is unoffected by irorollox ot
even the shoriest distonces.The Contoflex is o
ropid oction comerq, thonks to ihe ingenious
ouiomotic coupling of mony operotions. With
the extensive ronge of Contoflex occessories
ot
your disposol (see
the lost poges
of this
booklet),
there is virtuolly no limit to the foscinoting
subiects you con sofely cover.
So thot you con get the best out of your Conto-
flex ond enioy the pleosuresof corefree photo-
4

grophy, pleose study ihis instruction book
thoroughly.
Open out the front ond bock covers
ond follow the monipulotions
with the oid of
the detoiled diogroms. Stort by proctising the
vorious
operotions
without o film in thc comero.
lf you still hove difficultibs, see your photo
deoler
for free informotion.
We con only congrotulote you on buying o
Contoflexbeto. You hove mode o wise choice -
your comero
will give you lifelong pleosure.
We
would like to shoreyour enioyment,
ond would
oppreciote it if you were
to send us some of the
most outstonding pictures
you hove token with your
Conloflex beto.
The picture inside the froni cover wos token with the
Contqtlex in bright sunlight of f/ll ond 1/oo
second.
H
W
"%
fft

w
ii Gontaflex
beta
features
The lorge, bright finder shows the finol picture
in olmost noturol size right up to the moment
of exposure.
The built-in Fresnel
lens
renders
o
finder imoge thot is bright even in the corners;
furthermore,
it is seen
ot eye-level,
upright ond
the right woy round,thonks to the pentoprism.
Another odvontoge of ihrough-the-lens
sighting
is thot the finder imoge is olwoys free from
porollox, even when supplementory
lensesore
used. Whot you see,
you loke!
The built-in Zeiss lkon Ropid photo-electric ex'
posure
melercorrectly indicotes
exposure
settings
even in poor light. Zeiss lkon's twenly yeors of
experience in moking exposure meters ensure
its unfoilingoccurocy.
The focusing syslem shows cleorly in the view-
finder the point of shorpest definition by meons
of o split-imoge rongefinder ond ground gloss
screen, both coupled with the lens.
The slondqrd lens is the fomous Pontor f/2.8,
45 mm. By exchonging the front element for
either the Pontor +/4 30 mm or the Pontor f/4
75 mm, the complete lens is converted to o
wide-ongle or tele-lens respeclively.The Steri-
tor-D stereo ottochment con olso be used os
o front element. All ihese interchongeoble
elements ore fifted with boyonet mounts. All
opticol components ore cooied ond colour
corrected, ond yield high-definition photogrophs
in monochrome or colour.

The Prontor-SVS Shutter, with deloyed oction
releose mechonism,
is fully synchronized for
flosh ond hos o ronge of speeds from I to
1/roo
sec. ond o "B"selting for time exposures.
It employsthe exposure
voluesystem
of coupled
operture setlings ond shutter sp-eeds.
All scolescon be cleorly reod from obove. The
spring-looded pre-set diophrogm ond the cou-
pled
film-windond shutter
tensioningmechonism
moke the comero reody for immediote oction.
Thecomero
tokes 24x 36 mm negotiveson 35
mm
minioturefilm, ovoiloble in stondord
coriridges,
doylighr refills,dorkroom refillsor os bulk film.
By using speciol cqsselles the film con be
chonged in doylight ofter ony numberof expo-
sures,
without rewinding.
The removoble bock simplifies looding ond un-
looding oswell os cleoning of the comero.
Handlingthecamera
Measuring
theexposure
Before ioking o picture, you should delermine
the exposure volue, using the built-in photo-
electric exposure meter (FiS. 1), which gives
occuroie reodings even in the poorest lighi, for
block-ond-white or colour film, boih negotive
ond reversol.
First set the speed of ihe film in use. Turn the
inner disc by meons
of fhe smoll knob (6)
until
the speed of the film in use oppeors opposite
7

Fig.
Ithe block strokein the left-hond
window (for
films roted in ASA indices)
or opposite the
stroke
in the right window (f
or fi
lms rqted in
DlNo).
The
disc
con
olso
be set
to intermediote
volues.
For more convenient
hondling,
the re-
wind knob (7)
moy be pulled out slightly
(see
Fig.27on poge 32).
When the film speed is quoted occording
to
o roting other thqn the ASA or DI
N systeffis,
the correspond
ing equ
ivo
lent con be fou
nd in
the conversion
toble on poge
9.
To meosure
the intensityof the light,first open
the flop of the exposure
meter by pressing
knob
(B)gently
to theright
(to
closeit,
press
the
flqp itselfto the right with the left forefinger).
TheContoflex
betoshould
then
be qimed
of the

Conversion
Table
of the most commonly used film-speed roting syslems
Since the speed of colour films connol be meosured
in the some woy os for monochrome moteriol, monu-
focturers ore obliged to odvise thot their films should
be exposed
"like
o film of ... ASA or ... DlN".
Generolly this is perfectly relioble odvice, but to be
on the sofe side, the conscientious
photogrophershould
colibrote his equipment by moking o series of test
exposures
of vorious opertures ond lhus determine lhe
ocluol speed of the fi.lm in question ond the correcl
exposure
meter selting.
9
,.il,io
|
;;n::l
l"$B'i"' |*",'on
I llS
5
6
8
10
12
16
20
25
32
40
50
61
80
100
125
150
N
250
320
N
2l
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
l3
14
t5
16
17
't8
t9
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
3l
4
5
6
8
't0
12
16
20
24
32
40
50
64
80
100
125
160
200
250
12
t3
14
15
16
17
18
't9
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
---. -**-

subiect so os to frome it in the viewfinder. The
white pointer (4) will be seen to deflect; turn
the computor disc (5)
until the smoll white cir-
culor mork is exoctly over ihe pointer when
viewed from obove (see Fig. 1). The exposure
volue to be used is the red figure on the com-
putor disc opposite the red iriongulor mork on
the film-speed setting disc. In poor light, ihe
required exposure times in full seconds (green
figures)con be reod opposite the corresponding
f/numbers
(block
figureson the innerdisc to ihe
right of ihe red triongle mork).
Once theexposure volueor opertureond shutter
speed required hove been oscertoined, they
must be tronsferred to the shutter of the Conto-
flex beto.
Setting
the exposureYalue
By pressing lightly
on knob
(12,
Fig.
3),
thereor
settingring con be turneduniil the reqired
exposurevolue (red figureson ihe right-hond
side)is oppositethe red lriongulormork (19,
Fig.2).lt is olso possible
to setholfexposure
volues.
As the ring with the red dot con only be moved
through o limited rodius, it will sometimesbe
necessory
to movethe operture ond shutterspeed
setting ring (18)
os well, in order to set the
exposure
volue required.
By setting the exposure volue, ihe diophrogm
ond shutter speed selector mechonisms ore
coupled. The omount of light necessory for

correct
exposure
is
controlled
by the
lens
open- Fig'
2
ing (opertu
re or f
/num
ber) o
nd the time the
film is exposed
to light (shutter
speed).
The
exposure
volue obtoined,
which con be reod
off from the setting
mork (l
I
) (see
Fig. 3), re-
presents
o definite
omount
of light,
thot
remoins
the some no motten
who
t f
lnumber
or shutter
speed
is chosen.
lf, ofter hoving determ
ined
ond set the exposure
volue,
the shutter
speed
setting
ring (lB)
is turned
to o higher
or lower
volue (20),
the lens operture(21)
will be quto-
moticolly
re-odjusted
to give
the
some
exposure.
The shutter
speed
is likewise
re-odiusted
outo-
moticolly
when
the
operture
is
chonged.
shutter speed: The correct shutter speed to
choose
depends
on whether
or not the subiect
il
E-

Fig.3
is moving, ond if so, how ropidly"The foster
the subiect-movement,
the shorter should be
the exposure
time. The silverfigures on scole
(20)
denote
froctions
of seconds
(60
meons
1lrclh
second,
etc.).
When set to the green aBtt,
the
shutter
will remoin
open
os long
os thereleose
knob (3) remoinsdepressed
(see
poge 20).The
green figuresdenote
f
ull seconds,
os on the
computor
disc of the exposure
meter,ond con-
not be set ogo
inst the setting
mork (l
I
)
; their
significonce
will be exploined
loteron.
Aperlure setting: The correct operture of the
lens diophrogffi,
or "stop",for short, depends
on the depthof fielddesired
(see
poge
16).
The
smoller
the flnumber,
the lorger is the octuol
t2

operture
of ihe diophrogmopening.
Therequired
volue on the scole (21) should be set ogoinst
the setting mork (11).
The operture is set by
the some operotion os for setting the shutter
speed.
So long os the correct exposure volue remoins
set, ony combinotion
of shuiter speed ond lens
operture
will resultin o perfectly-exposed
nego-
iive. The setting ring (18)
con only be turned
sufficiently to ollow the mork ('l'l) to be set
ogoinst the finol volues of the operture ond
shuiter speed scoles. The finol volue ot the
right-hond
end of the shutterspeed
scoleis "B".
lf, ofter setting the exposure volue, the lens is
siopped down until the shutter speed is set to
the green "B", on exposure iime of 2 seconds
will be required.lf it is necessory
io stop down
even further, the required exposuretime in full
seconds (green figures) con be reod off oppo-
site the selected operfure. Then set the dio-
phrogm to the required figure; to do this,
depress the knob (12)
os when setting the ex-
posure volue. The exposure iime con ihen be
controlled by depressing the shutter releose
knob (3)
for the required number of seconds.lt
is olso possible in such coses to reod off the
exposure time directly from the exposure meter,
os described
on poge '10.
When chonging from
time exposures
on "8" Io outomotic exposures,
the exposure volue must be reset.
13

Tensioningthe Shutter
The Prontor-Svs shutter is tensionedby turning
the film wind knob (l
) in the direction of
the orrow qs fqr qs it will go. Th
is one
operotion olso odvonces
the film by one frome
ond mokes the viewfinder imoge visible. This
coupling mokes double exposures
ond blonk
fromes o thing of the post. lt does not motter
whether the shutter
speed is set before or ofter
odvoncing
the film. Keeping
the shutter
tension-
ed does not horm it in ony woy.
A useful
hint: when turning the film wind knob
don't iust
twiddle it round with two fingers
like
o screw; o much more convenient method is to
swing both honds in opposite directions,
hold-
ing the comero body with one hond ond grip-
Fis.4
14

unshorp sho
rP
ping
the
winding
knobwith
the
other
(Fig.4).
The
soving
in time is reqlly surprising.
Setting
the
Distance
The built-in coupled rongefinder system outo-
motico
lly focuses the co
mero for the correct
distonce.When you look through the viewfinder
eyepiece (25),
you will see in the centre of the
field of view o cleor circulor oreo enclosed
within o ground gloss ring. The cleor circle is
divided into two holves by o horizontol line
(see
illustr.
on left). The subiectdistonce con
be meosured in two wols:
1. Select o verticol line (such
os the edge of
o woll or o lree trunk)
seenin the finder imoge.
On turning the focusing ring (.|5) the imoge
in the upper holf of the circle
will move in relo-
tion to the lower holf. When the two holves of
the imogeore exoctlyoligned,the lens
issetfor
the correct distonce.
2. lf the subiect hos no distinct verticol lines,
observe the imoge in the ground gloss ring.
Tu
rn the focusing ring (1
5) to ond f
ro u
nti
I the
imoge oppeors perfectly
shorp.

It is immoteriol which method of focusing you
use;
in either cose
ihe lensis ouiomoticolly set
io ihe correct distonce, which con be reod off
opposite
the setting
mork (14).
Depht-of-field Scale
The lens does not only define shorply those
obiects ot the exoct focused distonce; it will
olso produce o shorp imoge of obiecis
o certoin
distonce
in front ond behind.
This zone of shorp
definition, known os the depih of field, is com-
porotively norrow ot full operiure (t/2.8) but
becomes greoler ihe more you stop down the
lens.
The depth-of-field scole (13) shows the extent
of this zone of vorious operture settings ond
distonces. Locote the operture setting to be
used from omong the f/numbers to ihe right
ond left of the distonce setiing mork (14).
The
distonce volues on ihe distonce seiting scole
opposite the chosen f/numbers represent the
neor ond for limits of the depth-of-field
zone.
For exomple: ossuming
you ore usingon oper-
iure of f/8 ond hove focused on o distonce of
9 ft. (Fig.
5),ihe figure 8 on ihe left is opposite
6 ft. while the figure 8 on ihe right is opposite
l5 ft. This tells you thot ot o distoncesetting
of 9 ft. ond on operture of f/8, everything will
be shorp from 6 ft. to 15 ft. Exoct volues con
be found in the ioble on poge 18.
16

You con equolly
well meosure
with the ronge-
finder the neorest ond forthest points of the
zone to be recorded shorply, ond then select
the oppropriote
stop on thedepth-of-field
scole.
Do not, however, stop down further thon is
necessoryto ensure the depth of field you
require.
Otherwise
you moy needlong exposure
times,
which increose
the risk of comero shoke
(see
poge24).
Fis.
5
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Fig.6
Taking
the
Picture
Holding
the camera
Alwoys hold the contoflex beto perfectly steody
whilst toking o picture.support the body of the
comero with the polms of both honds ond grip
it firmly with the fingers (Fig.6). The thumbs
should be pressedogoinst
the comero bock,
ond
the middle finger of both honds should rest on
the focusing ring (.|5).Use the index finger
of the right hond to pressthe shutter
releose
(3).
Press your elbows lightly ogoinst your body
(Fig.
7).
You con use either the left or the right
ey; to look through the finder. This is the
normol position for toking horizontol pictures
with the Contoflex beto.
19

Fig.
7Fig. 8
ffi
It',:,,'
For upright pictures, turn the Contoflex beto
through 90 degrees,
ond press
it lightlyogoinst
the foreheod with ihe right hond. The middle
finger rests on the focusing ring (.|5),
whilst
the index finger works the shutter releose.
The
left hond supports the comero from below; it
is olso possible to use the index finger of this
hond to operote the focusing ring (.|5)
(Fig. B).
Upright pictures con, of course, be token with
the comero supported by the right hond. In
this cosethe shutteris releosed
with the thumb.
Releasingtheshutter
The shutter releose knob (3) should be de-
pressed gently with either the tip of the index
2A

Fis.
9Fis.10
finser (Fig.9) or the first
ioint (Fig.
l0).This
method of releosing the shutter is speciolly
recommended
os being the leost
likely
to couse
comero shoke.lf, by ony chonce,
the film wind
knob (l
) hos not been Wound to its f
ullest
extent,
meoning
thot the film hos not been od-
vonced by o full frome, the shutter connot be
releosed.This effectively
prevents
double expo-
s
u
res.
21