|
|
|
|
Contax / Pentacon camerasProduction period: March 1952 to March 1962 Number of Models: 16 Number of produced items: 160,703 responsible constructor: Walter Henning
On the basis of the Contax S variant "D-2" the Contax D was developed. After important technical changes the camera was presented on the Leipzig'er spring fair. The basic model shows an engraved VEB under the Zeiss Ikon logo on the pentaprism front. The export variants don't show this engrave VEB. Under the pressure of the extensive lawsuit between VEB Zeiss Ikon Dresden and Zeiss Ikon AG Stuttgart the name "Pentacon" derived from Pentaprism Contax was registrated as trade mark during October 1952. The cameras for the home country, GDR (DDR), were signed with Contax, whereas the export cameras shows the engraved Pentacon since 1953. The
Contax D was produced as Pentacon since 1953 and had lost the old Zeiss Ikon-logo
at the pentaprism. From 1955 all Pentacon cameras shows the Pentacon symbol, the
Ernemann tower, at the surface of the pentaprism front. The letters "ZI"
engraved on the basis of the Ernemann tower were an reminiscence on the former
trade mark Zeiss Ikon. Since the start of the Contax E series, the first Pentacon with a light metering system, all cameras were produced as Contax for the home country and as Pentacon for the exports. The Contax F/Pentacon F the auto-diaphragm mechanism were implemented. The series ended with the production of the Contax F/Pentacon F. Further models show an additional letter behind the F, that is FB for metering system, FM for models with split image range finder and FBM for models with metering system and split image ranger finder. The production were suspended in March 1962.
|
|
If you have any questions or comments to this website please send an email
to: webmaster@praktica-collector.de
|
