I have put a cheeky bid on another sad camera.

[John Farrell]

This time a Zeiss Ikon "bullseye" Contarex. I visited the auction house to check it this morning. The mirror in the camera is up, and winding doesn't bring it down. I didn't check the mirror lock up, though. The camera looks really good, but any mechanical faults would make it a paperweight.

[John Farrell]

To my surprise, I won this auction - I now own a Contarex and a Pentax Spotmatic II. The lens was the next lot.

[John Farrell]

I have picked up the cameras. The Pentax has a stuck battery compartment lid, and the lens (an f1.4) is missing the filter ring, and the beauty ring. The Contarex has a problem with the mirror. Both cameras came with cases - the Contarex case is a beast!

This auction cost me $141 - the equivalent of around 70 pounds. If I sell the Pentax (I already have one) I should get around 40 pounds - I have spare Takumar lenses, so I would put one of those on it. This would give me a dead Contarex for around 30 pounds.

[John Farrell]

I have sold the Pentax, with one of my Takumar lenses fitted, and it has left me with the Contarex for about 31 pounds...

[John Farrell]

I found a series of videos covering the stripdown and curtain replacement of a Contarex


www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPX2TydOgHfyQ-4RtzwjnGJoldCaFLkYj

It looks simple to remove the body sleeve of the camera - I may try this, to see if there is something obvious wrong with the mirror.