\iil'.

()l illi ()'\ ll \

l ( n o b f o r o l l r . r r i l t ga r r c l [ ) i a l l h : ' a s r rrri r r g
t losirr{ Lan)t:r';'r ' I l o r a t i n s r t e c l s r so f
litr-trts r ar r g e l i n c l c r
I . c r ts i I ) e p t h - o f - l i e l csl c a l c
-l-lu.carl
l',,i'lilit.; ' S hu t t c r r c l c a s c
l i a s c l ' r , , ;rrc l I i T l r r e a c l[ o r r a b l e r e l e ; r : ; e
l - t ' r r . f o c t r s i r r gr i n g I S l r t r t t er - r r ' i n c l i r r !l -ctv er
I ) i s t e r ) c ( '\ ( ' i r i r r g r r r . t r l t I r Flash soclicr
I ) i s t an c c s c a l c ' l l a r r g e l i r r c l errv i r r c l o r t
l l i n g l o r s t . t t i r r qs h u r t ( , r - ' r V i c u ' l i r r c l c rr v i r r c l o r v
s ;'rt't'cls

I ) ' ' ' - r t l > l t r r l lt r / / , , t r - l r c t r l l l l l l c , r l 0 1 l ) . t t l L f i r t r / ( ( r t , ( ' ,

6\
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www.orphancameras.com
 fl -t/

Jbe
L
CONTESSA
!# a product of zuss rKoN AG. srurrcART, U.S. Zoni of
Germany,is a 35 mm camerafor picture size 1 x lr/z ins.
In
C(

In
4 It takesstandardcartridgesfurnishing 1g or 36 exposures AI
on perforated35 mm {ilm. The camerais equally suited I
I
n(

for black and white as well as colorrrphotography,as its I

i lo
i i
I
fait coatedzErssrEssARIensis excellentlycolourcorrected. lil

{ The built-in rangeftnderis coupleclto the lens.Its rotatirrg- fr re

1 bt
wedgeprismsensurevery accuratefocusing.The camera
i furthermorehas a colour correctedexposuremeter with
t

I
)(
two measuringranges,which givesyou under any lighting ril 'tt
conditions the exact exposuretime for the individual ril
i
be
y(
lens stops.
(
I #l

}
In order to obtain alwagood results with your
rittre
CoNTESSA/ we recommenyouto read carefully these
Instructions.Turn outw: the two leaves of the
cover
and exercisethe variousrerationswhen the camera
is
not loaded with fflm. p,e rememberthat the shutter
lock is tripped and the ger can be releasedonly
when
ftlm hasbeenloaded.J1:roublewill doubtlessbe
richly
rewarded, as you will good pictures from the
verv
beginning.Your photoler will be pleasedto giu.
you
additionalinformatior

'lle
are conoinced tbat fing a camera you could
not make a
better selection tban 11r.{TESSA. Please let
us pdrticipate in
your joy by sending u,tiful pbotograpbs you
made witb tbe
CONTESSA.

www.orphancameras.com
 o

Th
Ittt
t l re
r.illI

Ck
r,rf t
the
cil tt-

I) I

I]t'i,
t l rt '
'"xf)o
off cl

,\t fi
c\pQl

thc /
ca t lll
 O P E N I N GA N D C L O S I N G
THE CONTESSA

Ihe coNmsse is opened !y pushing down the little

knob (1) on the zEISS-rKoNnameplate on the front of
thecamera (ill.2). The baseboard(5) is presseddown
until the openingmechanismclicks into place'

ttor. the coNrrsse by pressing both milled struts (2)

of the self-openingmechanismtogether inward, ancl at
the same time Pressthe camerabaseboarduntil the lock
i
catches(ill. 3).

t
DETERMINING THE
E X P O S U R ET I M E
Before taking a picture with the coNTEssA,determine
i the required exposuretime with the aid of the built-i'
'
.*poru.. meter (ill.6). The exposuremeter can be read
I offdirectlywithout any conversion.

At ffrst set the ftlm speedon the ASA scale (23) of the
i exposure meter. Turn the disc with the two knobs until
I theASA number of the fflm speed appearsat the indi.
i .. r . .l tJ/hen using film
cating mark in the ASA aperture.
I
I
1f"
www.orphancameras.com
 'qi

speedsof another speedrating system''ffnd the corre-

sfonding ASA value in the table on the precedingpage'

Y F C O L O U RF I L M S
SENSIVITO
n
tbe sensi'
Jbere are in existence two principdl systems for rating I
systems'
tioity ol bla& and wbite frlms, i. e. tbe DIN and tbe ASA I
€xposuie meters can be exactly calibrated for tbese systems'
exposuretime gioen by our meters is suffcient for obtaining
Ihe
detail t
also in tbose parts of tlte picture wbose illumination is only
llao of
I
tle aoerageillumination of tbe wbole picture'
Su&t a speed-rating does not exist, boweoer, Jor colour flms'
Io ;I
tbese films must be applied ualues obtained by experience'
wbidt,
'Jo be exposed
I
are dtaracterized by manufacturers by tbe pbrase:
like . . ." Jrom tbis follows tltdt tbere does not exist in tbis field I
Jor.,the
a well-defned basis for tbe calibration of exposuremeters'
meter it will, tberefore' in}ry
'case u;se of one's outn exposure
furtber
by
be recommendable to ascertain tbe sensitiuity of tbe flm
means oJ test pbotograpbs witb oarying cxposure times'
been obtained
Jbe oaluesgioen below for our exposuremeters baue
baue gioen so
by experience,tbey refer to fi\ms made in lg5olst and
far satisfactory results.

1)alues obtained
lilm sPeedindica- by exPeriencefor

II
ftd by manuf ac- ZEISS IKON ex\osure
turers rneters
Iype ol flm
(Only for
dayligbt)
/ r o oD I N ASA /too DIN ASA ilfiI
Agf a-Color,
1/olJen *
tt-12 s-to

l
(reoersibleflm) l3 |
J elcotor t3 t6 ill,o {
to tslro
Koda&trome
t5-16 | zo-zs fr
nt ,
Anscocolor l2

8
 f

\ \ .l r t ' r r t t l e l s t t t - i t t q t h e t ' \ l ) o 5 L t l ' t :t i r l t c , t t t r l l \ ' o t t r C a l l l C r a

-[lrc
r , t I e e l ' l i c c t . - l : \ ( ) t l r , ,i l l c l , , i r r t ; r l i i r r g t h e p i c t L l r c .
',',,.1i..11oI
r , l r i fr , ,rl flrt' ('\llostlrc tllct('r' rt ill lllo\ c alrlttq

1 6 er l i e l , f 1 , \,,n trtrll thc :tttiltq clit. (ll)) tttltilthc

r t ) ! t ' . t rt , c l l t t l t ' l i t J 2 i i s i l l tlrc' r';ltlgc rt ltcrt the irrcli-

r.llo: l)()lllt\

l r r , t l ' o n q l i g l r t , l l l ( ' ; l \ L l l ' (r't i t l r

t l r c r l i ; i p l r t ' i l ( l l l I l t ' r t s o p e l ) i r r qt

t l t c c l i r e Y o t t s i l l t l r t r r l i r r c tt h e
, r p i r o s i t e . rl t ' t t s r r l ) ( ' l ) i r t(qr t t t l l t

t l r t i r r t l i r r l l ; 1 '{ r t t h c t \ l ) o s t t l ' ( '

r ; , - l r 2 - l r i r ( ) P ( ' t t ( ' c al ,l l c l \ o t t

www.orphancameras.com
 thd ring oppositea lens openingin the black, zone
of the disc.
On the hinge of the lid is a greendot which can be seen
only when the lid is closed.\when the greendot is visible
from above,it is a reminderthat the exposuretime must
be read off oppositethe greenzone.
In front of the photo-electric cell you will ffnd a glass
formed like a system of prisms. Ii directs the incident
light in order that the angle of view taken by the ex_
posuremeter be'identical with that of the Tessar
lens.

TABLE OF COMPARISON
for the film speedsmostused

Exp. Ind. Europe weston

USA in / 1oo

6 20 14 5 10
821156 1l
1022168 12
12
' : 1 6 2 4 1 8 l P 23 77 10 73
14
202519rc r5
25 26 20 20 15
32 27 21 24 77
40 28 22 32 18
50 29 23 40 79
64 30 24 50 20
80 31 25 64 2l
100 32 26 80 22
125 33 27 100 23
150 34 28 72j 24
200 35 29 160 25
250 36 30 200 26
320 37 31 250 27

I
10
 &'
S E T T I N G T H E E X P O S U R ET I M E
The shutter speed serting ring (9) is turned until the indi-
cating mark is opposite the previclusly determined ex-
posure time. The ftgures engraved on this scale designate
f r a c t i o n s o f s e c o n d s( i l l . j ) .

The ftgure 25, for instance,corresponds

to the shutterspeedof
l/rs s€c., etc. Vhen setting
the shutter speed of r/soosec. you will
havc to press somewhat harcler. For time exposure, set the shutter
speedsetting-ring on "8" and, if desirecl,use the cable release. For
very long time exposures,the cable releaseis providecl with a special
Iock. The shutter is cocked with the aid of lever (15). It makes no
difference whether the exposure time is acljusteclbefore or after
cocking the shutter. Only when using the shutter speed of r/soo,the
cxposure time must be set before cocking the shutter.

ll

www.orphancameras.com
SETTING OF THE DIAPHRAGM
AND DEPTH OF FIELD

The diaphragm lens opening is adjusted by means of the

diaphragm setting ring (10) in such a manner that the
i n d i c a t i n g m a r k p o i n t s e x a c t l y t o t h e d e s i r e dl e n so p e n i n g .
Lens opening and shutter speed may be checked at a
glance from above (ill. 9).
The smallerthc lens operring,the greaterthe depth of field. The
depth-of-ftelcl scale(12) indicatesfor any distanceand lensopening
set,the nearand far distances rvhidrwill be sharplyreproduccd on
the film. For this purposethereare engravedto the right and left
side of the distancesettingmark (7) the f/stops.- For instance,in
settingthelensfor a distanceof 10 feet,rvhileusinga lensopening
of f/8, you can read off on the left side of the settingmark (7)
oppositethe f/8 the distance6 feet,and on the right side opposite
the fl9, the distance20 feet, showing that any objectswithin a
distancefrom 5 feet to 20 feet from the lens rvill bc sharpin the
llicturc.
THE ZEISS IKON IIEI)-DOT SETTING

I n g o o d l i g h t ( s u n s h i n ef o r i n s t a n c e ) ,t h e z E I S S - I K o N red-
d o t s c t t i n g o n t h e c o N T E S S Ap e r n r i t s c o n s t a n t r e a d i n e s s
for action at all tirnes. Set the lens opening and the
c l i s t a n c eo n t h c r c c l d o t s ,a n d y o u a r e r e a d y a t a m o n t e n t ' s
notice to photograph anything without having to make
f u r t h e r a d j u s t n r e n t s .A l l o b j e c t s f r o m 8 t / s f e e t ( 2 . 5 m e -
ters) to infinity rvill be sharp. (See illustration 7.)
If sctin sucha way, thc CONTESSAmay be closed,fully prepared
for thencxt snapshot. Vhen usingthc red-dotsctting,you will not
missa singlervorth-whilc snapshot of surprisingsituations for rvhich
a n e v c r - r c a d yc amcra i s a n e ce ssi ty.
Vit h t h i s m e t ho d yo u rvi l l p ro d u cc photos r r ' ith a goocl aver agein
d e f t n i t i o n a n r l e xp o su re .

13
www.orphancameras.com
 DEPTH OF FIELD
at oarious-
tlow to makeSooduseof tbe ranQeof sbarpness
lens stops:

The shortfocallength of 45 mm of the zErss-rESSAp.

f/2.8
of the coNrEssAaffords great depth of fteld. Apart frorn
the red-dotfocusingsystem(seepage 13) the following
convenientsettingsare recommended
t

Range of sharpness

Close-Ups 2',4"-4'0"
3' 3" - 4' 71"
4', 2" - g' 10"
3'6"-4',g"

Medium 10 7', 3" - lg' 5"

Distances 20 12' 6" - 46',2"
20 14',2" - 33' 4"
20 9',3"-oo
Inftnity to
20 t't"-@
nearestsharp
10 4',9"-m
point 6 3'4"-o

More detailed information concerningdepth of ffeld is

containedin the depth-of-fteldtable on the next page'

I
n 8:i

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clv
tn Gelts

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F 88 8 i-i-s A
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15
www.orphancameras.com
 CONlI}INED VIE\7
AND IIANGE FINDT:IT

AI)J LISTI NG Tl I E I)lsT,\ N ctl

T[c y i e r v l j n c l e ra n d t h e r a n g e l i n d e r o f t h e c o N r r s s A

arc co'rbi'ecl a'cl coupled to the le.s focusirrg .rccha-

pispr. Lookirrg througft the eyepiece(32), You see the

i ' r a g e a s i t r v i l l b e r e c o r c l e db y t h e c a r ' e r a , a n d r v i t h i r r
t h e l i g [ t c i r c u l a r p o r t i o t l , t u ' o i r l r a g e so f t h e o b i e c t o y e r -
l a p p i p g e a c f to t f i e r . ( S e e i l l t r s t r a t i o r r8 a r r c l9 ) .

lmt(cs t,t rd,Iqc

litrdcr co-incidinq

*cil

Jmadcs itt rntrdt'

fi t t rl t' r (rI'c'r'Ll P P i t t 4
If you now turn the lens focusing ring (6) (see illustration
1 0 ) u n t i l t h e t r v o i n r a g e sm e r g e i n t o o n e ( s e ei l l u s t r a t i o n o n
p r e c e d i n g p a g e , l o r v e r r i g h t ) , t h e l e r r sr v i l l b e a c c u r a t e l y
f o c u s e d .T h e b e s t o b j e c t s f o r o b t a i n i n g a c c u r a t e f o c u s a r e
sharply deftned vertical contours. Precisefocusing is the
n l o r e e s s e n t i a lt h e g r e a t e r t h e l e n s o p e n i n g .

T h e n r e a s u r e dd i s t a n c e m a y b e r e a d o f f o n t h e d i s t a n c e
scale (8). This is especially inrporrant in selectingthe
proper lens opening to obtain adequate clepth of fteld.

17
www.orphancameras.com
HO\(/ TO HOLD THE

TAKING HORIZONTAL PICTURES

T h e c o N r E S S ni s s e c u r e l y h e l d i n t h e p a l m o f t h e r i g h t
hand. The right thumb is placed on the back of the
camera; the right index finger rests on the shutter release
(13). The left hand holds the camera with thumb and
middle finger. The left index ftnger touches and actuates
the milled ring of the lens focusing mechanism (6) which
is coupled to the combined view-and-range-ftnder. To
assure greater steadiness the elbows should touch m-e
body. When taking Pic-
tures rvith longer exposttre
times, it is advisable to
rest both elbows ftrmlY orr
some srlpport.

The left eye is rnost suit-

able for focusing,because
t h e r i g h t e Y en e e d n o t b e
c l o s e d( i l l . 11 ) . I f t h e r i g h t
eye be used,the left must
be closed.The shutter is
r e l e a s e dw i t h t h e r i g h t i n -
dex ffnger.
CONTESSA
TAKING VERTICAL PICTURES

The way of holding the coNTESSAthe position of fittg-

ers, and rnanipulations are the same as when taking
horizontal pictures. According to your liking you may
grasp the camera with the left or the right hand from
above, and you may focus with the right or left eye
, owever, that the camera be not
( i l l . 1 2 ) . I t i s e s s e n t i a lh
moved during the exposure, which is easily accomplished
owing to the coNrpsse's small size and weight and to
its easy controls. Practice
h o w t o o p e r a t et h e c a m e r a
before going picture hunt-
ing. Vhen taking Pic-
t u r e si n r a p i d s u c c e s s i o n ,
keep the coNrE,ssAat the
eye and rvith the left
hand quickll' wind the
ftlm without tal<ing the
camera from the eye. This
way is especially recom-
mended for taking series
and snap-shots.

19
www.orphancameras.com
RELEASING THE SHUTTER
After every exposure, advance the ftlm by means of the
ftlm winding knob (26) until the locl<catches.This can be
done nrost conveniently and fastest with the left thumb.
Thereupon, wind the shutter so that you are ready to
take the next picture. The shutter cannot be releasecl
unlessthe ftlm is fully wound to the next frame. Further-
rnore, the ftlm can only be advanced after having released
t h e s h u t t e r . C o n s e q u e n t l y ,i t i s i m p o s s i b l et o m a k e d o u b l e f *io-
e x p o s u r e so r b l a n k s . - F o r c o c k i r t g t h e s h u t t e r , p r e s s t h e
s h u t t e r w i n d i n g l e v e r ( 1 5 ) u p w a r d s u n t i l i t c a t c h e s .T h e
shutter is released by pressing the release lcnob (13)
s l o w l y d o w n r v a r d s ,w i t h o u t j e r k i n g . P r e s s i t d o w n a s f a r
a s p o s s i b l ea n d d o n o t s t o p w h e n y o u f e e l a s l i g h t r e s i -
s t a n c e . I n c a s e t h e r e l e a s ek n o b c a n n o t b e p r e s s e dd o w n ,
you have forgotten to wind, either the shutter or the fthn.

The picture counter (33) indicates the number of ex-

posures. After having made the last exposure, the ftlm
must be rewound.
 a

INSERTING THE FILM

d o r v t r ,o l l a t a b l e
p l a c e t h e c o N T E S S Ar v h i l e c l o s e c l ,f r o r r t
s i c l e r v i t h t h e f i l r n rvind and rewirrd
so that its lower
cliscsfacesyou.openthebackbypullingoutthecatclr
(29).Pullrewir.rcll.nobout(ill.13),thenplacecartridge
push rewirrcl l<rrobback arrcl
irr feeclirrg spool clranrber,
prons engages fully rvith the
turn it untii the rervirrcl
h o l e a t t h e s i c l eo f t h e c a r tridge'

knob (26) until the blacl<

Now tunr the ftlmrvincling
of the take-up'spool core
tooth trext to the flat spring
1".1 under flat spring and
lics upperrnost. Irrsert {ilnr
of perforation into small blacl< tooth'
hook second hole
(ill. 14) with the camera still
Jurn t h e f t l m w i r r d i n gk n o b
open,untiLtheperforationengagesinbothsprockets
frame'
o n t h e l o r v e r s i c l eo f t h e p i c t u r e

pictrlre counter (33) rvith

Then close the camera and set
( 3 4 ) otr the diamond marli'
the aid of the milled lcnob
t h e filur rvirrclirrg krrob until it
After having turned

www.orphancameras.com
 I

catches,number 1 will appear in the picture counter (33)

and the ffrst picture can be taken.
t
After having loaded the camera,set "tell-tale', indicator
disc (19) at type of fflm in use (black-and-white,
daylight colour, artiftcial-light colour film). In addition
turn the inner disc (23) to the ASA speed of the ftlm
used.
f'tr
RE\TINDING THE FILM {r
g"
tt
After the last exposure the fflm is rewound by turning
the rewindknob (27) in the directionof the arrow. press
down the knob in the center of the fflm winding knob
(26) whenrewinding the film. \7hen nearing the end, the
resistancewill lessen, indicating that the film is fully
rewoundon the feeding spool.To make sure that the fflm
is completelyrewound, removeyour ffnger from the re-
wind clutchbutton. If therewindknob thencanbe turned-
freely, it is an indication that the fflm has been fully
rewound.Now open the back of the cameratpull out the
rewind knob and remove the cartridge containing the
exposed fflm.

THE SYNCHRO-COMPUR SHUTTER

The fully synchronizedSynchro-Compurshutter doesnot
only fire a flash at the very moment the shutter is wide
open (synchro-switchin position "X"), but also perrnits
D
igniting a flash before the shutter opens (synchro-switch

22

- -*41i" .,.* . *.,,*,,, .

 in position" M").Vith the latter settingthe flashreaches
its peak light intensi;y when the shutter is wide open/so
that synchronizedshots can be taken even with shortest
shutter speeds,if the proper flash bulb is used.On the
upper right side the Synchro-Compurshutter has a con-
tact nipple (16) on which the connectingcord of the flash
unit or the electronicflash is slipped.On the lower left
side of the shutter is the synchro-switch(35), which can
be set on "X" ot "M". The Camerabeing readyfor flash
photography whenthe shutter is wound, the'only mani-
pulation to be madefor obtaining perfectly synchronized
:hots is to set the synchro-switchon "X', or ',M".
,
POSITION X
Vith the synchro-switchin position ,,X,,, the ignition
impulse is transmitted at the very moment when the
shutter is wide open.All electronicflashesare ffred with
the synchro-switch in position ,'X',.,

POSITION M
rilZith the synchro-switchin position ,,M,,,
the flash svn-
chronizationmechanismis set on the pre-ignition i-p.rlr.
reQuiredby the majority of flash bulbs.Sfith the synchro-
sw*h in position "M", perfectly synchronizedshots can
be takeneven with shortestshutterspeeds. The following
table indicateswhich exposuretimes are to be used for
the different types of flashesin conjunctionwith the ,,X,,
or " M" positionof the synchro-switch.

23
www.orphancameras.com
 S H U f T E R S P E E D ST O B E U S E D
FOR FLASH BULBS

Synchro-Switch
,.*_

in Position
'l
Type of Flash XM

Osram Vacublitz
xP,xo
F1,F2
. s 0 ,s l , s 2
Philips Photoflux
Pf3
t 1-llso
1 -rlzr
7 -rlzs

7 -rlzs
l/so-rlroo

r / s o- r l n o
;l
,,fi
Pf 14,Pf24
Pf 25, Pf 45
Pf 56
7 -rlzi r l s o- r l i o o
;
' r l z s- r l s o .
Pf 110 7 -rln
ilffi
General Electric
\Westinghouse
SM 7 -rlm
No. 5,6, 11 1-!lz-' rl.so-rlsoo
22,31
. No.50 7 -tln r l z s- r l s o

Sylvania Superflash,\Tabash
SF | -r/so
No.0,2
Press25 | -rlzs r l a o- l / a o o
Press40
l/zs-Llm
&
No.3 7 -rln

Electronicflashes l -tlsoo
ffi;

24
\
\
',\ ':^i,
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ACCESSORIES
FOI{ THE CONTESSA

TIIf: CABLE Ittrl-EASI:

is screwecl i r r t o t h e s o c k e t ( 1 4 ) b e l o w t h e l e n s . I t i s
r n a i r r l y u s e c lf o r t a k i n g p i c t u r e s f r o n r a t r i p o d . T h e c a b l e
r e l e a s eh a s a l o c k i n g d e v i c e f o r k e e p i n g t h e p h u t t e r o p e n
c l u r i n g l o n s t i m e e x p o s u r e sw, ith the shutter speedring
set on "l\" .

TI I I: T]VEREADY CARITYING CASE

f o r t h e c o N r E s s . rp r o t e c t s t h i s h i g h q u a l i t y c a r n e r a f r o n t
d e t r i m e n t a l e x t e r n a l i n f l u e n c e s( s e e i l l . 1 5 ) . T h e c a n l e r a
n e e d n o t b e t a l < e no u t o f t h e c a s e f o r t a k i n g p i c t u r e s .
A f t e r h a v i r r g p r e s s e ds l i g h t l y o n t h e s p r i n g s o f t h e t w o
hooks, the carrving case can be attached to the eyelets
( 3 0 ) o f t h e c o N r E s s a .( S e e i l l . t O ) . I n d o i n g s o , t u r n t h e
l j l r n r v i n c l i r r gk n o b o f t h e c a s e s o t h a t i t s t r v o p r o n g s

l5

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engage with the winding knob of the canlera. Through
an aperture on the lower side of the case you can see
the picture counter (33).

TIIIr SPECIAL CASE ( F i g .1 7 )

T h e r e i s a v a i l a b l ef o r t h e c o N T E S S Aa l s o a n e v e r e a d yc a s e
which accomodates,besides the camera, two filters (or
supplementary lenses) and the lens hood, so that these
irnportant accessoriesare always' at hand when a photo
is to be made, and need not be taken out of the pocket
or knapsack. The coNTESSAis fastened in the Special
Case by hooks, just as in the normal Eveready Case.

1'IIE LENS HOOD

is slipped on the lens, ftlter or supplementary lens
(A 28.5mm) and protects the lens from incident light
\-{../
^5.

when the sun is shining or artiftcial light is used. It also

protects it from rain and snow when the weather is bad.
 THE COLOUR FILTERS

In order to obtain certain effects,you may screw zErss-

rroN colour fflters on the thread (a) of the lens. They
neednot be removedwhen the camerais closed.There
are available yellow, yellow-green, orange, red, and
ultraviolet filters. The ftlter factor, which is engravedin
the mounts of zrrss moN fflters, has to be taken into
accountwhen settingthe exposuretime.
rT H E P O L A R I Z A T I O NF I L T E R
(zEtss BERNOTAR)
.
I'eliminates
reflexeson brilliant surfacesof the subject. It
is slipped on the lens (@ 32 mm). The Instructions
1
I supplied with the fflter contain details regarding its use.

t'
' THE
S U P P L E M E N T A R YL E N S E S
, ( z E r s sp R o x A R )
fI F
a.e .rr.d on the coNTESsAfor taking pictures at distances
of less than 2' 7Llz". pRoxARlens f :1 m servesfor i
; photographsat distancesdown to l' 4r/2", and rnoxen
lens f : 0.5 m, for photographs at distances down to
II
7l8l+". They are slipped on the lens or the fflter (@.
28.5 mm). The lens setting,scale of reproduction,and
I
size of the area reproducedcan be ascertained.fromthe
table for the use of zerss pRoxARlensesfor close-up
photographyon p.33.

27
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 t# I
HO\T TO TAKE PICTURES
S t r I T HT H E C O N T E S S A

Snapsbots
Snapshotsare easy to make in goocl weather, $'
Lens opening/exposuretime, distancescale,are f,
simplyset on the red dots.Then anything beyond $i{
a distance of 81/a feet can be photographed tr
without trouble. Sidelighting will furnish a pleas- ['
ing effect. Photographingagainst the light re- *,
quiresgreat carebut with the camerashadedcan tt
producea pleasanteffect.Approachthe object as &
much as possible.Never forget that the nicest #i
snapshotare taken when a personis unaware-of
being photographed. \-

LandscapePbotograpby
In almost any casea yellow ftlter is required for f
landscapephotographyespeciallyif cloudsare in
the scene.Distar-rtviews aloneare not impressive; f
I
only a well chosenforegroundwill give depth to
a picture.
Landscapephotography at sunrise or sunset is
most impressivebecauseof long shadows..lr4ist,
haze and snow will furnish an interestingmotif
. for effectivephotographs. *
*
Animal Piclures
Our fourlegged pets are not bashful in front of
a camera.They are always natural in their be-
haviour. It is advisableto take unposedpictures
$,
2B

-,,;'....:*sas&!e&tbltunr-
 of animals; never try to teach them special tricks'
It is advantageous to use the lens wide open in
order to obtain a soft back-ground' Accurate
focusing is essential.

Cbildren
Children ,should be unaware of being photo-
graphed.Th. .u.. ready coNTESSA is well suited
photographing children. Close-upsof children
for ^".p".iully
u.. deiirable. There are uncountable
occasionsto take portraits: Children playing in
sunshine,bathing, sledding, eating, or standing
by the Christmastree. Little funny incidentsmay
evenbe recordedin serial.shots.

SportsPltotograPhY
Objects in quick motion are best recorded by
using shortetl .*pot.t.e times and wide lens aper-
turelThe distancemeter is an invaluable aid in
sports photography.Pictures of moving objects
sirould not bi taken at a right angle. Best results
are obtained by photographingthese objects at
an oblique angle. Focusin advancethe spot where
you intend to take the picture of the object or set
the scaleon a certaindistance,let the objectmove
up to you and at the predetermineddistancere-
leasethe shutter.

Portrait
yourfriends
Photograph
Donotposeyoursubjects.
when they are engaged in a conversation, in some

29
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& ''-.ti

activity, at sports or at work. Avoid bright sun_

l
shine in making outdoor portraits, ,oft'iiehtine
is preferable.Indoors, besi results are obiainej
near the window or the source of light. \il/hen
shootingportraits always remember, iurg" i.n,
opening,focus a.rurately on the subject{ eyes.
Move closely,to the subject to get large pictrlres
of your friends.

Qroup Pbotographs
Often when friends meet they wish to have a
picture of the whole group. Do not pose your
friends but try to assembL them around some
n
9bje9t, assign them to sornetask, or even better,
let them sit or standaroundfreelyas,forinstance,
in a conversation. d_*=
/
Artifcial figbting
It does not require expert knowledge to take
good interiors with artificial lighting. th. p.op.,
' gxposuretime is automatically obtained with the
built-in exposure meter of ihe coNTEssA.For
indoor photography/ use most sensitiveftlms and.
large lens openingsto permit you to take pictures
even with shutter speedsof r/s sec. or i/,0 ..c.
Support armsholding the camera.If you use high_ --.
wattage photo flood lamps/ you can reduce ihe
. exposuretime considerabley.

Jlasb Photograpby
Vith the aid of the Synchro contact it is very
convenient to shoot good flash pictures. If you l.
t,
'$
use flash bulbs, follow instructionson page 23
$
i

30
 ,!

and those supplied with the bulb. Everything else

is routine work. In order to avoid unnatural ex-
pressionof the subjects,room lamps should not
be turned off.

NiqbttPhotograpby
Owing to the TESSAR lens of the coNrnsse,action
photographs in brightly illurninated streets can
be taken with shutterspeedsof 1/r sec.or 1/rosec.
(Some supportmay be necessary).Use the most
sensitivefflmsfor nightphotography.Rainystreets
with illuminatedneon signsmake wonderfulnight
pictures.Employa tripod for long time exposures.

7 COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Often we think how nice it would be to have'a lasting

record in colours.Loaclyour coNTESSA with colour {ilm !
This miniature camerawith its built-in exposuremeter
and its highly correctedrEssARis excellentlysuited for
It colour photography.You will surely be fascinatedby
the resultsobtained.
The main requirementfor good colour-photographyis
,rccurateexposuretime. This ned not bother you at all,
as the coNTESSA is equippedrvith a photo-electricexpo-
sure meter of highest accuracy.Set the ASA index of
your fflm in the small window of the expcsurelneter.
Measurealso the dark areasof your object.
Brilliant and highly saturated colours are rendered if
the sun is exactly behind the photographerand shines
directly upon the object.Shadorvsalways have a hue of

www.orphancameras.com
I
!

I
the predominant colour of the object' Therefore a-vo]d
large shadows. Colour photography against the light
involves great difffculties. It requires practice and ex-
perience.Do not record too many colours at one time,
unt;l your techniqueof composingcolours is perfected'
Colours of high brilliance and low saturation are most
suitablefor an ideal colour picture.

Colour pictures in artificial light require special colour

fflms, the emulsion of which is made for artiffcial light-
ing conditions. Here too, the source of light should be
oppositethe object to be iaken. Avoid large shadows'
tnioo, colour photographswith artiffcial light may well
be prepared by proper arrangement of clothes, back---^
g.o.rnd, urrd uil the other colour areas of the rgoif, f*
which,are included in the Picture-

If you take colour pictures by using the negative-posi-

tive procedure,which is customary in Europe, you may
ur. yorr colour fflm negative also for black-and-white
enlargements.
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-.-:' -,
 Iwo lmPortantjlints

Serial numbersare engrauedin tbe acces-

sory sltoe of your miniature coNTEssA
cAmeraas well as on tbe lens.Jt is adois-
able tokeep a recordoftltesetwo numbers,
in casetbe camerais lost or stolen.

1l the lens is dusty or dirty, neoer rub it.

Dust it witlt- a fine brusb or utipe it qently
witb a soft,cleanlinen clotb(not chamois).
Once in a wbile also clean the inside of

. the cctmerdwitb a soft brusb, particulaily =--

tbe fiIm guide anf tlte spool(hambers.

Jbe te&tnical deoelopment may reQaire slight &an'

& ' ges on tbe camera as compared to tbe description'
F

iEgfGd-l 31g1533t24 Printed in Germany 20 7152-3 Fo

a!*i

35
 PArfs oF THE CONTESSA -35
in ',/ll-tale" ftlm indicator
tting disc for exposure
meter
21 Exposuremeter d.ial
22 Indicating mark of ex-
posuremeter
23 ASA settingof e:xposure
meter
24 Exposuremeterlid
25 Shoefor accessories
)(; Film windingknob with
rewirrdingreleasebutton
27 Rewind knob
2fi Support
29 Back lock
30 Eyelets
31 Tripod bushingco erecl
by protectionscrew
32 Viewftnder eyepiece
.3.1Picture counter
3+ Setting knob for frame
counter
3) Synchroswitch

Nunrl,ersrefer in part to lront oiew on pale 3

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 -f
I)r\l{TS C)lr ll I- (,()NTIiSs,
I Knob for operrirrgand 1 o D i a p h r a g mr i n g
closingcatltera I I Rotating wedgesof
I Struts rangeftnder ) a

'.?t
,|
.] Lens l 2 D e p t h - o f - f t e l ds c a l e
-i Thread for filtei- 13 Shutterrelease +{

I
{ Baseboard l + T h r e a d f o r c a b l er e l e a s e I

{y Lertsfocusingrirrg I i Shutter rvindinglever

D i s t a r r c es e t t i r r gn r a r k 1(t Flash socket
D i s t a n c es c a l e 1 7 R a n g e f t n d ew r irrdow
(l
R i n g f o r s e t t i r r gs h u t t e r l8 V i e w f t n d e r v indow
speeds

ictnot' pttrtscotrlinuetlon patlcza of cL)t)cr

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