Description
Zeiss Ikon Contessamat camera **not tested but shutter working and with original case
Zeiss Ikon Contessamat is a really interesting camera in the Zeiss Ikon lineup, sitting between their simple viewfinders and the high-end Contax rangefinders/SLRs.
Zeiss Ikon Contessamat – Overview
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Type: 35 mm viewfinder camera
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Made by: Zeiss Ikon AG, Stuttgart, West Germany
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Era: Early 1960s (around 1961–1968)
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Film: Standard 35 mm cartridges (36×24 mm format)
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Target market: Serious amateurs who wanted Zeiss quality but without the price tag of a Contax.
Key Features
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Lens: Typically fitted with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 45mm f/2.8 lens (a four-element design famous for sharpness). Some versions had Novicar lenses.
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Shutter: Prontor 500 LK or Compur shutters with speeds from 1 s – 1/500 s + Bulb.
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Metering: Built-in selenium light meter (no batteries needed).
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Exposure settings could be read directly in the viewfinder or on the top plate.
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Film Advance: Lever wind, single stroke.
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Viewfinder: Bright frame finder, later models with projected parallax correction marks.
Variants
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Contessamat – Original version with uncoupled selenium meter.
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Contessamat SE – Improved version with coupled light meter (you set aperture/shutter directly to match meter reading).
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Contessamat Rapid – Used Agfa Rapid cassettes (a different cartridge system), popular in Europe during the mid-1960s.
Collectibility & Use
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The Contessamat sits in the same “class” as Kodak Retinette, Agfa Optima, or Voigtländer Vito, but with superior build and Zeiss optics.
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Tessar-equipped versions are the most desirable today.
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Prices are generally modest compared to Contax or Super Ikonta models — usually in the $50–150 USD range depending on condition.
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Selenium meters often no longer work reliably (they lose sensitivity with age), but the camera can still be used fully manually.
