Zeiss Ikon Ikonette (504/12) (1929–1931)
The surviving record on the Ikonette 504/12 is thin. What is documented comes largely from French-language sources and a single enthusiast blog, and even the production dates carry a caveat. French Wikipedia, citing McKeown’s, places production between 1929 and 1931. Another cited source, collection-appareils.fr, gives 1928. The Wikipedia article itself notes the discrepancy and observes that no source supports the logical alternative - 1926, the year of the Zeiss-Ikon merger. The conflict stays flagged here rather than settled.
What is clear: the 504/12 was a simple, economical folding camera using 127 roll film, producing 4 x 6.5 cm images. Its lens was a meniscus Frontar, made by Goerz, 80mm at f/9. That is a modest optic, and it tells you this was an entry-level camera. The shutter was a guillotine type, described as simplistic, without cocking, offering only bulb and instantaneous settings. The camera measured a compact 12 x 6.5 x 2.5 cm and weighed 300 g. Setting it up took two steps. Open the front flap, then pull the lens/shutter carriage out to one of two detents - infinity or two meters. There was no focusing in between.
The Ikonette came from the Goerz catalog, absorbed into Zeiss Ikon production after the merger. John’s Cameras adds that it was introduced in 1929 as a tiny folding camera marketed to women as a handbag camera, which fits the dimensions and the simple operation. A rarer bi-format sibling, coded 504/18, added a second red window in the back. With a removable mask fitted during loading, it permitted 3 x 4 cm images alongside the standard 4 x 6.5 cm.
Beyond that, the record thins out quickly. No original price is documented. There are no detailed shutter speed values beyond “pose et instantané.” There are no viewfinder specifications, no film advance details, and no aperture range beyond the f/9 maximum. No owner reviews or market values have surfaced. If you own a 504/12 and can fill in any of these gaps, the Archive would welcome the details.
Known specs, such as they are:
- Type: Folding camera with bellows, 127 roll film
- Image format: 4 x 6.5 cm
- Lens: Goerz Frontar meniscus, 80mm f/9
- Shutter: Guillotine, bulb and instantaneous only
- Dimensions: 12 x 6.5 x 2.5 cm; weight 300 g
- Production: 1929–1931 (per McKeown’s; one source suggests 1928 start)
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