Zeiss Ikon Cocarette
I found this Cocarette on a flea market in Harjavalta. It changed the owner at a very modest price of six Euros. However both, the seller and I were satisfied. Characteristic of a good deal.
The Cocarette was originally a Contessa-Nettel model which Zeiss Ikon inherited in the merger.
A medium quality rolfilm camera, that was available with Zeiss markings from 1926 until 1929.
It can be found with Frontar, Dominar, Periskop, Nostar and Tessar lenses in Compur, Klio and Derval shutters. There are 64 known lens and shutter combinations. This particular camera is has a Nostar 1:6,8, f10,5cm lens and a still working Derval shutter.
The backs of these cameras do not open, they load from the side by releasing a catch and then the entire film holding mechanism slides out of the camera. Obviously this construction makes the body more steady. As you can see this one is almost in mint condition. The only marks of use are a slight blemish on the handle and a little brassing on the opening lever. You may also take a look at an older version of Cocarette, which was bought in Tradera.com, a great Swedish online auction house. |
Contessa Nettel Cocarette
A 120 6x9cm roll film folding camera made in 1920's by Contessa Nettel Stuttgart. The lens is Nettel Conastigmat F6.3 105mm and the shutter is Derval, B, T, 1/25-1/100sec. Very common with Zeiss Ikon models. In some details you can notice a use of older and not so strict quality standards. This might also be a consequence of smaller production volumes.
Contessa Nettel is one of the German camera manufacturing companies in a row of mergers which at the end lead to Zeiss-Ikon/Voigtländer. The lenses were made in Braunschweig and the cameras in Stuttgart. The plant in Stuttgart was finally closed in 1972. |
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Contessa Nettel Piccolette
"For Perfect Vest Pocket Pictures. New model, made entirely of aluminum with removable loading device. Lacquered finish."
Piccolette was introduced five years before than Cocarette and was apparently inspired by Kodak Vest Pocket cameras. Just like Cocarette, Manufacturing of Piccolette was also continued after the merge of Nettel and Zeiss.
For some years I have hunted a decent Piccolette for my collection. Here it is now. A 95% succes. The right side plate is missing (you see the left one) it is almost similar only the screw holes are on the different places. If someone happens to have one Piccolette wreck , please contact me, I will be preciated. My interest in Piccolette comes from the fact, that we had one many years ago but it has disappeared in the shadows of history.
This is not similar because the lens and perhaps also the shutter is different. Piccolette has been sold, as usual in those days, in several combinations of lens and shutter.
It was offered at least with a 75/4.5 Tessar, 75/6,3 Teronar and a Compur shutter (Carl Zeiss Ic), a 75/6.3 Novar, Nettar and Citonar and a Derval shutter and as in this case with a single lens f/11 Achromat. The shutter is Acro 1/25, 1/50, 1/75, B, T.
Piccolette is ~300g in weight and W63 x H120 x D30 in size. It takes eight 4 x 6,5 cm exposures on 127 film. |
