Help me identify (and open) this camera

Justiceiro

My upstairs neighbor dug this out of a dusty cabinet. It's some sort of zeiss Ikon, i'm guessing a plate camera.








One side opens up to a viewport with ground glass.


We can't figure out how to open this, without applying a ton of pressure. Can anybody identify this machine, and help me find out how to opent he thing?

photodoug

my press camera had a hidden button underneith the outer skin...look for a slight bump instead of an obvious button. Had me perplexed for days.

Justiceiro

photodoug wrote:

my press camera had a hidden button underneith the outer skin...look for a slight bump instead of an obvious button. Had me perplexed for days.

there is something that looks like a bump, but it won't open the camera. I wonder if it might be jammed.

ziggy53

PhotoDoug is right. If the hinges are where I indicate they seem to be, the latch should be either a "bump" or an actual push-button at one of the locations shown. You may need to squeeze the camera a bit to make the latch easier to operate. It may also be rusted, as they were often plain steel, as opposed to brass or stainless.

You may also be able to insert a thin piece of shim, or even a dental pick, if you can figure which way the latch operates, and open by sliding the shim against the latch.

ziggy53

ziggy53

If you go to this site, and look on the right, and click on the Zeiss Ikon tab, you may be able to at least identfy the model.

http://www.amdmacpherson.com/classiccameras/index.html

ziggy53

henrytd

Opening this camera
It looks like the question may have been answered, but in the mean time I forwarded the question to my cousin Peter Dechert (who has written several books about early cameras), and he responded as follows:

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There's usually a button on the top end, most often under the leather cover so that you can't see it but can feel it. Press the button and the front will drop. Then pull out the lens standard usually freeing it by pinching together two clamp releases under the standard.

Peter
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Skip

Justiceiro

I found the button, and with the aid of a trusty shim managed to get the thing open. Now it opens pretty easily. The inside of the camera is pristine.

Does anyone have any idea how to put new plates in?

Thanks

ziggy53

Justiceiro wrote:

I found the button, and with the aid of a trusty shim managed to get the thing open. Now it opens pretty easily. The inside of the camera is pristine.

Does anyone have any idea how to put new plates in?

Thanks

It is likely that the leather on the back and the leather on the rear of the camera have "bonded". You may need to find someone familiar with the problem who can supply emollients to soften the leather and help split the two pieces, otherwise you risk tearing the leather and reducing the value of the camera.

In addition to the link I provided above, here is another link to help identify which camera you have, as Zeiss made a wide variety of plate cameras in the early 1900s.

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/zeiss/zeiss.htm

If you take some additional photos of the camera opened, give the camera dimensions and supply the name of the lens, plus focal length plus aperture and shutter information, we might be able to help more.

ziggy53

ziggy53

From the limited images you have taken, it looks like it could be a Zeiss Ikon Maximar, and if so, you can get a free manual here:

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/instructionmanuals.html

(note that the username and password are supplied at the top of the page)

ziggy53

Justiceiro

Zig you are a genius! It's exactly a maximar. I'll have to dig up a leather expert now. As far as "value" goes, I think I am going to try and use this one rather than sell it.