A dear friend gave me a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 510. It shoots 120 Film and creates a 6x9cm negative. The crop factor is about 0.4 and thus it’s 7.5cm lens is equivalent to about 3.2 cms on a regular 35mm camera. The camera is quite small and fits easily in my pocket, when folded.
The camera is from the 1930’s; this model was made in about 1936. The lens is rather slow, with apertures ranging from f/6.3 to f/22. 5-6 feet is the closest distance it can focus on. I expect to shoot mostly hyperfocal. Shutter speeds range from 1/25 to 1/125th of a second, reminding one of the slower film speeds of the day.
The camera came in a leather case, which probably explains the generally good appearance of the equipment. Some of the black paint is scratched and chipped, but the leather on the body, and importantly the bellows, are in fine condition. Only the timer seems not to work. My initial shutter-speed tests suggest it is running a bit slow. I’ll be redoing these test later when I upgrade my testing equipment. I shot a roll of film that I’ll get developed shortly.
The camera case shows it was purchased at James A Sinclair & Company Ltd. 3 Whitehall, London. The company started in around 1904 and continued in business until the 1950’s. James A. SInclair lived between 1864 – 1940.
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