C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Zeiss Ikon Nettar is a family of folding 120-film cameras produced from 1934 through 1957, positioned as the affordable alternative to the Super Ikonta (which added a coupled rangefinder). The Nettar uses scale-focus, a direct-vision finder, and a triplet Novar Anastigmat lens as standard — with Tessar 75/3.5 available on better-specified examples. Bodies were produced in 6×9 (Nettar 515), 6×6 (Nettar 515/2 and later 518), and 4.5×6 formats, with the 6×6 square format becoming more common in postwar production. All shut flat to a thin, pocketable profile.
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C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
Zeiss Ikon's entry-level folding medium-format camera. A clean 120 folder without a rangefinder, available in multiple formats from 1934 to 1957.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 (6×9, 6×6, or 4.5×6 depending on model) |
| Lens (standard) | Novar Anastigmat 75mm f/4.5, 3 elements |
| Lens (better) | Zeiss Tessar 75mm f/3.5, 4 elements |
| Years | 1934–1957 |
| Shutter | Compur or Vario leaf (varies by model/year) |
| Speeds | B + 1s–1/200s (Vario: 1/25–1/175s only) |
| Focus | Scale (symbols or distances engraved on lens) |
| Weight | ~420 g |
| Battery | None |
Zeiss Ikon launched the Nettar in 1934 to compete in the growing market for folding 120-roll cameras without the complexity — or price — of the rangefinder Ikonta and Super Ikonta models. The name "Nettar" was applied to a loose family sharing a similar strut-body folding design but using simpler lenses and no rangefinder. Model numbers shifted across the prewar and postwar periods: the Nettar 515 (1934–1942) covered the prewar 6×9 and 6×4.5 variants; postwar production resumed around 1949 with refined models running to 1957, by which point the 6×6 format dominated. The Vario shutter (found on cheaper examples) lacks Bulb and has only three speeds; Compur-equipped bodies are strongly preferred. Late-period examples gained X-sync flash contacts.
The Nettar defines the "budget Zeiss folder" archetype. For its era, a Novar-equipped Nettar was the accessible entry point to Zeiss Ikon quality — the company name and the legendary Zeiss optical heritage at a fraction of the Tessar/Compur price. For modern buyers, a Tessar-equipped Nettar in clean condition is a remarkably capable 6×6 or 6×9 folder: the Tessar resolves well stopped to f/8, the bellows folding mechanism stores flat, and a roll of 120 yields 12 sharp square negatives. The 6×9 format (8 frames per 120 roll) produces enormous negatives that enlarge beautifully.
Novar-equipped examples are less sharp wide open but still satisfactory stopped down. The trade-off vs. the Zeiss Super Ikonta: no rangefinder means zone-focus guessing, which is the primary limitation for street and portrait use.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Zeiss Ikon Nettar
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