Summary: A Worthy Rival to Current Leica M Rangefinder Cameras
Comment: The Zeiss Ikon M-mount Rangefinder Camera is a stylish, classic update of Zeiss's great rangefinder cameras from the early to mid 20th Century, most notably its venerable Contax line. Designed by Zeiss, but built in Japan by Cosina (Voigtlander) under strict Zeiss supervision, the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder camera remains a viable, attractive alternative to those wishing to use a M-mount rangefinder camera, but can't afford purchasing either a used or new Leica MP or Leica M7. It can be regarded as a cheaper alternative to the aperture priority automatic and manual exposure Leica M7, but unlike the M7, it has a few intriguing features of its own which should appeal to M-mount rangefinder camera photographers.
The Zeiss Ikon rangefinder camera has an extremely bright, high eyepoint viewfinder that has the best viewing (especially for someone like myself who wears glasses) I have seen yet from a Leica M-mount rangefinder camera that isn't the venerable Leica M3. The viewfinder has a 0.74 X magnification that accounts for its excellent viewing (It also has a built-in diopter correction.). The viewfinder also has frame lines for 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm lenses, which display the focal length of the lens in use and are completely compatible with Leica M rangefinder lenses, except for 75mm lenses (Only the frame line for a 50mm lens will appear if a 75mm lens is mounted; for 90mm lenses, the 85mm frame line appears automatically.).
The camera may seem a bit too light for those accustomed to Leica M rangefinder cameras, but it has a very well built magnesium-alloy body. Opening and closing the camera is through a latch key-like knob at the base of the camera (It also functions as a film rewind crank, so unfortunately, there is no option for attaching something like the Leica M motor, a Leicavit manual winder, or Tom Abrahamsson's Rapid Winder.), but unlike Leica Ms, the camera back swings open to allow for film loading. The camera's shutter isn't nearly as quiet as those of past and current Leica M film rangefinder cameras, especially the M7's, but it is certainly less noisy than the M8's. It is based on a proven Japanese design that allows for shutter speeds in Aperture Priority or Manual Exposure modes from 1 to 1/2000 seconds, plus a flash synchronization speed of 1/125 second (Both the camera's meter and shutter are powered by two MS76 silver oxide batteries, as is the case for every Leica M rangefinder camera from the M6 to the M7 and MP; however, if the batteries die out, the camera will cease to function.).
As a long-time user of Leica M rangefinder cameras and lenses, I regard the Zeiss Ikon as a cheaper, more reasonably priced, alternative to the Leica M7. Others, however, may find it the perfect M-mount rangefinder camera for their collection of M-mount lenses, including the new Zeiss ZM line - virtually all of which are built in Japan by Cosina under strict Zeiss quality control - which are optically as superb as their more expensive Leica M equivalents, and in a couple of instances, optically superior.