# Why does my Super Ikonta have 2 red windows



## pete_6109 (Apr 2, 2013)

I bought a Ikonta Super Six from an antique shop and was wondering if anyone would know why it has been retro fitted with an additional red window. It seems that some previous owner drilled another film window hole right in the middle of the camera back. Anyone know why they would have done this? This model does not have provisions for alternate film masks to my knowledge. Did 120 film makrings change at some point after WWII? I haven't run film through it yet so I 'm not sure which window will show the film numbers.


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## dxqcanada (Apr 2, 2013)

Hmm, based on the position of the windows ... the one in the middle is for 6x6, and the one in the upper left is 6x45.

They must have used a mask of some sort to do 6x4.5

Edit: is that an A or a B model ?
The A is 6x4.5 and the B is 6x6.


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## pete_6109 (Apr 2, 2013)

dxqcanada said:


> Hmm, based on the position of the windows ... the one in the middle is for 6x6, and the one in the upper left is 6x45.
> 
> They must have used a mask of some sort to do 6x4.5
> 
> ...



It's a B model and embossed in the leather it says "Super-Six". The lens is marked in meters only and it has a European tripod thread. I read that this model was meant for sale in Europe only.


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## dxqcanada (Apr 2, 2013)

Hmm, I am confused now ... if it is a 120 film 6x6 camera, the window should be in the middle.


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## compur (Apr 2, 2013)

On the back does it say "Super Six 530/16" ?


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## pete_6109 (Apr 2, 2013)

compur said:


> On the back does it say "Super Six 530/16" ?


 Yes, it says 530/16. Also odd is the inside says 6x9.


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## pete_6109 (Apr 2, 2013)

I think I may have figured out this mystery. The camera back is from a different camera? Perhaps a 6x9 Super Ikonta and to make it work on this camera they had to drill the new hole?


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## dxqcanada (Apr 2, 2013)

Well, that makes sense now.


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## compur (Apr 2, 2013)

Yes, that was my thought too.


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## vintagesnaps (Apr 2, 2013)

I've seen cameras that had two red windows but were manufactured that way and the windows were side by side. With the paper backed film having numbers placed at different distances along the paper, that would give the photographer an option with some cameras to advance the film for different frame sizes and be able to see numbers for whichever size was chosen. I wonder if someone did this to adapt it to shoot using a different frame size than intended.


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## IanG (Apr 3, 2013)

The markings inside the back Zeiss Ikon Film BII8 6x9 2¼x3¼in are just the film size, it says the same almost -B2 not BII8 but 6x9 & 2¼x3¼ - in the smaller 6x4.5 Super Ikontas. It's the original back the 6x9 Ikontas are much longer cameras and there's no way any back of a different 120 format would fit,

Sometimes these cameras had a mask for other formats like 6x4.5 and two windows as has been mentioned but this one is different. These 530/16 Ikonta cameras had the left hand window near the top, but that doesn't match the convention used now for numbering for 6x6 so the back has been modified at some stage.

Ian


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## pete_6109 (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the feedback.


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## bsinmich (Apr 3, 2013)

One of my first cameras was a Rolfix from Montgomery Ward im 1953. That takes 120 and has a mask that fits in the film track to make 12 ex. The viewfinder has a flip up mask to give the correct field of view. My enlargers will take up to 6X7 but not 6X9 so I have to be careful if I go full size. That cameras was made by Franka with a Prontor shutter and Schneider lens.  There are 2 red windows on that.


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## greybeard (Jun 14, 2013)

Is the opening that the film stretches over square or rectangular?


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