Zeiss Ikon Kolibri

Style, film format	Zone focus with collapsible tube lens taking 127 roll film
Lens, shutter	Uncoated f/3.5 5cm Tessar, Compur
Photo quality	Very good
Ergonomics	Read text

One book describes this as "the poor man's Leica." Of course, the same book describes half of the cameras as "the poor man's [insert either Leica or Contax here]."

This particular camera came from the Ukraine. It appeared on eBay several times over the course of a month, and finally I decided that I couldn't stand it any longer and paid more than I should have.

Zeiss Ikon introduced this camera in the early 1930s, and supplied it with either the Novar or Tessar lens. This is just one of a few fixed-lens cameras that featured a collapsible tube, rather than bellows. Certainly, this lens style isn't unique to the Kolibri, but it's somewhat uncommon among fixed-lens cameras.

Twist the spring-loaded lens about five degrees, and the lens will pop out and snap into position. The camera's two-piece flip-up viewfinder is located on top of the camera and allows for the camera to be grasped lengthwise for horizontal shots.

Like many of the Zeiss Ikons, much attention went into the camera's design. The Kolibri is attractive with its sculpted shape. The rounded corners, which look great, makes the camera a bit tougher to hold. This camera is slightly different from other half-frame cameras in that the camera is held upright for landscapes and horizontally for portraits.

The truth is that I usually seem to have a tough time finding a comfortable way to hold the camera, especially for landscape shots. The viewfinder is the primary impediment, because it's located on the end of the camera -- an untraditional position.

The camera includes a small post that lets the camera stand upright. Another accessory is a very short cable release, though I've not found either it to be useful yet.

The camera takes 16 shots per roll. The Tessar lens is very sharp, especially at f/8 and smaller, just like most Tessars. It's a very capable camera, despite the issues I have with how to hold it properly.