Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515
Big things come in small packages...



A petite medium format camera?



You bet!
Here's the 515 next to another small camera--a Zeiss Contina.  Only
thing is, the Contina is a 35mm camera.  The Nettar 515 takes 120
film for 6x4.5cm negatives.  The same size camera, but about 3 times the
negative size.  It makes 16 exposures on a roll of film.




Looks Big Here
But looks can be deceiving.





On the back you can see the sliding window for frame numbers. 
The shutter release is on the wrong side!  Push the button on the right and the lens pops out. 
The viewfinder flips up at the flick of a finger.





The lens (left) is a little slow at f6.3, but totally useable in well lit interiors. 
The shutter cocks on the lower right, self timer at upper left. 
F stops are set behind the self timer lever.  No flash sync, here.  There is a cable release socket though. 
The lens is marked off in feet, and it's all about guesstimation on this little gem. 
As far as I know there were three different lens/shutter combinations on this model. 




It really is small!  Admittedly, I have rather large mitts, but
you can easily stick this little shooter in your shirt pocket.


I love this little camera.  It was a gift from a friend, and that
makes it all the better.  She just walked up to me in the church
parking lot one Sunday and said "Here ya go.  I found another one."
She has an Anscoflex II she'd never used, and I'm trying to de-program
her from the digital cult via the Anscoflex.  (Thanks Gail!) ;-)

I loaded it up with Tri-X with a mind to do some indoor available
light shooting and headed to town.  When I finished the roll I ran it
 through some Diafine and printed on Agfa RC paper.  So, here we go...




 This is Mike, the manager of our local NAPA auto parts store.
He's a great guy, and is married to my youngest sister.  This was
taken at f8 and 1/25 sec.  He was moving a little bit.





 Another one of the NAPA guys, Eric.  Same camera
settings as the shot of Mike.





The vegetable grocer at one of our local markets.  f6.3 @ 1/25 sec.
I'm not very good at "in your face" photography, so I tried to be sneaky.
I pulled the Nettar out of my pocket and popped it open, made a quick
guess at the distance setting and shot from the hip.





 Not really paying attention here, I was just after a simple perspective
shot.  I guessed a distance a little past half way down the aisle and tripped
the shutter.  I didn't realize someone had walked into the frame until I looked
up from the camera.  I didn't use the view finder & just tried to hold the camera level.





 On the way home I stopped to take a shot of this birdhouse near my mailbox.
These houses are strewn about the prairie.  There are lots of them out there,
waiting for new spring tenants.





 This last one is of my dog Tip.  The hairiest, fattest Sheltie in the county.
About eight feet away, top shutter speed (1/125) and smallest aperture (f22).
This shot in bright sun was overexposed to beat the band.  Especially with
Tri-X in Diafine and a indexed film speed of about 1250.

Thanks for looking in on my new favorite.  Little camera, and big negatives.
Gotta love it...

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email:  deanw@bmi.net

copyright 2005 Dean Williams