The front cover drops down and clicks into place securely. The film advance and rewind knobs operate smoothly. The back swings open for easy loading, and the shutter release (photo, ten o'clock ) is nicely placed.
The Ikonta features, also, a self timer, as well as flash synchronization with an old style connector that wouldn't be a problem for me because I never use a flash unit. Another plus is that, unlike many other vintage cameras I've seen, this one has strap lugs.
That said, I have to admit that the Ikonta isn't a camera everyone would fall in love with. The lens, for example, is a 3.5/45mm Novar Anastigmat, which is not exactly the gold standard among lenses. And the camera's top shutter speed is an uninspiring 1/300 second.
Because the camera has no rangefinder, you must estimate distances when you focus on a scene. Fortunately, however, the 45mm lens offers excellent depth of field. Finally, you must cock the shutter manually either before or after you wind the film forward.
It takes fairly nimble fingers to operate this camera. Notice how crowded the controls are. But there are advantages. At least the shutter release at the right in the photo (left) is substantial in size, and the focusing ring that encircles the lens is easily accessible and moves smoothly.
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On the right is another unit that seems to be merely decorative. I think the camera's designers added this disc to help achieve a sense of balance.
Obviously, if speed, convenience, and automatic gizmos are your middle name, the Zeiss Ikon Ikonta isn't the camera for you. But if, like me, you enjoy the challenge and sense of satisfaction offered by this historic image producer, then you'll probably enjoy using it
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