Danger: More GAS and the Zeiss Ikon ZM Rangefinder Camera

Self-control Failure

Yes, I utterly failed GAS control again. I bought another rangefinder camera, a Zeiss Ikon ZM. I used Leica M3 and M2 cameras for 40 years. They did not have built-in light meters, and I wanted extra convenience in a busy setting, such as city photography (or when the relatives were impatient). What camera body would provide auto exposure with M-mount lenses? Choices in 2025 were limited.

1. Minolta CLE from the 1980s. No, too old.
2. Leica M7. The luxury option - tempting! Nice!
3. Zeiss Ikon ZM from 2005.
4. Bessa R2A or R3A. My friend in town said repairs were an ugly experience, and he thought they felt rather discount. And now they cost $1200+ from the Japanese vendors. No.
5. Konica Hexar RF. Rare and may not be totally compatible with Leica M lenses (a controversial topic among internet warriors). No.
6. Rollei 35RF "Classic Edition," 2002. Special edition of the Bessa R2 camera. Rare.  

In 2025, Glazer's Camera in Seattle, Washington, listed a clean ZM for an acceptable price. I drove north and bought it. 

Zeiss Ikon ZM with 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss C-Biogon lens and Leica 21mm viewfinder

Zeiss Ikon ZM

Zeiss started selling the ZM in 2005-2006. The camera was about the same size as a Leica M but was a bit lighter. It has a brilliant clean viewfinder. The auto-exposure function allows quick field work. Cosina in Japan manufactured the body, but it was significantly different than the Bessa bodies that Cosina also built. I will not review the technical details of the ZM because they are available on sites such as at Camera-Wiki and Casual Photophile. 

Some users complained that the rangefinder patch blanked out if their eye was not directly centered in the finder. This seldom was a problem for me. 

Zeiss also introduced a series of ZM lenses in Leica M mount. Many reviewers say the ZM lenses offer similar performance to Leica lenses but at lower price. I have the Zeiss ZM 21mm ƒ/4.5 Biogon lens and love it. As of 2026, some of the ZM lenses are still available new. The 50mm ƒ/1.5 C-Sonnar is a modern update to the classic Sonnar formulation. 

Alas, despite the technical excellence, the ZM body did not sell well, and Zeiss ended production in 2012. Their timing was rough because the digital tsunami was overwhelming the photography world during the early 2000s. Very few new film cameras sold then, and the market was awash with used film cameras that people were clearing out from their homes and studios. (That was the time to buy great bargains.)

 

But today, the ZM appears to be selling well. It is an alternative to the much more expensive Leica M7. 

 

Zeiss Ikon body with 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens

Top view showing large shutter speed control

 

Incompatible M-mount Lenses 

The Zeiss Ikon body will accept most Leica M mount lenses as well as older thread-mount lenses with the appropriate LTM-M adapter. I have used mine with my 1950 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens and a 1962 Soviet Юпитер-8 lens. In fact, the Summitar performs better on this ZM body than it does on my Leica IIIC body (the latter has some problem in its lens mount). 

Leica M bodies have a rangefinder base length (meaning the distance from the middle of the viewfinder window to the middle of the rangefinder window) of 69.25mm. Leitz set this in 1954, and all Leica M cameras since then have used 69.25mm. The ZM has a base length of 75mm. Therefore, Leica lenses with auxiliary goggles will not work properly because the goggles will not align with the ZM's windows:

• 35mm ƒ/3.5 Summaron-RF
• 35mm ƒ/2.8 Summaron-RF (6-element design with lanthanum glass)
• 35mm ƒ/2 Summicron-RF (the famous 8-element design)
• 135mm ƒ/2.8 Elmarit

From personal experience, I know that the 50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR (dual-range) lens will not mount correctly on the ZM body. That is my favorite 50mm lens. Instead, I can use the Type 4 Summicron.

 

The body of the ZM is about the same width and depth as a Leica M. But the ZM is a bit taller. The film rewind is on the bottom, so the left side of the ZM is smooth. A Pentax MX camera is smaller in all dimensions except for the hump of the prism. 

 

The Pentax MX really is a gem of compact engineering. (I like geeky pictures like this. But, of course, they have little to do with real photography out in the field.)

 

Minor Repair

 

The shutter speed control lost its click detents. I do not know what shutter speeds it set, and I ruined part of a roll of film. Fortunately, the technician at Camera Solutions in Portland, Oregon, was able to repair it. But this was a simple mechanical issue; what about a more major failure, such as the electronic shutter?? 

Film Examples

 

Here are samples from Oregon and western Washington with various lenses. Click any picture to enlarge it.

 

 

Gift store, Newport Beach, Oregon (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Post office, Menlo, Washington (5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens)

House with posters, Naselle, Washington (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Attack flamingos guarding the property, Central Street, Olympia (21mm Biogon-C lens)

Graffiti, below Henderson Park Lane, Olympia (21mm Biogon-C lens)

Rail line, Henderson Park Lane (90mm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens)

Motel, 1st Street, Shelton (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron (Type IV) lens)

Alley off Broadway, Aberdeen (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Former Reliable Steel, West Bay Drive NW, Olympia (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Zenker Valley Road, Centralia (90mm ƒ/2.5 Leica Summarit lens)

Autumn on Zenker Valley Road, Centralia (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

 

Summary

 

This camera is fun. The Zeiss Ikon ZM is easy to use and is lighter than Leica M bodies. All my lenses focus correctly. Even my 1950 Summitar lens performs remarkably well when mounted on this body. The auto exposure system seems foolproof. 

 

Final thought: Highly recommended so long as you can accept the fact that the ZM is an electronically controlled device. It does not seem to be as robust as Leica M film cameras. If the ZM breaks, possibly only Zeiss in Germany will repair it (and at quite a price). 

 

Grunge and Color in Olympia, Washington, Winter 2025-2026 (Oly 29)

Olympia is fun to walk and check for new stores, signs, and graffiti. Fourth and Fifth Avenues are rich with material, if you like grunge and messy American city vibe.

 

Thurston County Food Bank (Oct. 2, 2025, Ektar 100 film, 90mm ƒ/2.5 Elmarit lens)

Some mornings, I eat breakfast at Bread Peddler on Capitol Way N. and then walk home along 4th or 5th Avenues.

Parking lot, Capitol Way at State Ave.

Parking lot, Capitol Way (Feb. 28, 2026, 50mm F/2 Summicron lens)

Thai restaurant, not open yet?

Voyeurs, 404 4th Ave. E. (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Vintage clothing, 707 4th Ave. E (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Espresso Station, corner of 4th Avenue and Plum Street

More random scenes around town.

The Flamingo House! 503 Central Street.

Surviving wood traditional houses, view south from Legion Way

Alley, Legion Way 314 (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

Pink restaurant at 430 Legion Way

Gas meters, Olympia Ave, (50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens)

I took this photograph with my 1962 Soviet-era ЮПИТЕР-8 lens. It has field curvature and is therefore is more suited to scenes with depth. But I continue to be impressed with how well this Sonnar design works in mid-distance scenes. It is a thread-mount lens, but with a Leica M-LTM adapter, it mounts perfectly on my Zeiss Ikon ZM camera. 

Massage shop, Fir Street

A friend told me that this little building might be a Sears kit home. It definitely resembles some of the Sears houses with the raised attic room on one end. But I checked with SearsHouses.com national database, and one of the curators wrote that Sears did not sell houses this far west. However, there were west coast kit house manufacturers, so who can tell about the origins of this modest little house on Fir Street. 

 

 

Smoke shop, 3730 Pacific Ave., Olympia

When you are done exploring and photographing, where do you go? Why, to Ranch House BBQ on Rte 8 west of Olympia. Brisket, ribs, sauce - for the hidden carnivore inside.

 

 

Ranch House BBQ (Portra 160 film, 50mm F/2 Summicron lens)

 

This ends our winter 2025-2026 random exploring around Olympia. 

I took most of these photographs on Kodak Ektar 100 film using my Zeiss Ikon ZM camera with various lenses. The ZM has a remarkably accurate aperture priority automatic exposure function, especially when the light is soft. Point, focus, click. I will write more about the ZM in the future.

Small Towns in western Washington: Pe Ell

Pe Ell is a former lumber town in Lewis County, Washington. It is on the Chehalis River. Heading downriver from town, the river flows north, then, via amazing twists and crooks, east to the city of Chehalis, then back west towards Grays Harbor. 

Main Street is, well, the main street. It is also Route 6, which takes you from Chehalis to Raymond. Most drivers just zip on through town. If you are a bicyclist, you can ride on the Willapa Hills Trail from Chehalis to Pe Ell. West of Pe Ell, the trail has not been fully developed yet. 

Let's take a quick tour of Main Street.

Traditional commercial buildings on Main Street at Sixth Ave.

This big wood building was once a hotel or boarding house. One Facebook post noted that a bank once occupied part of the building. It has a modern metal roof, so the owners are taking care of their historic property.

The Pub and Post Office are functioning, but what might have been a garage or car showroom to the left is boarded up.

The liquor/grocery store is at the corner on Route 6 where you turn right to head west towards Raymond. The overhead traffic signal is the only one in town.

The former gas station is across the street from the grocery/liquor store. The motoring machinery on display must change occasionally. The Willapa Hills Trail is beyond the fence in the lower picture.

 

Later, I will show some black and white frames from southwest Washington, including more in Pe Ell.

 

Technical Note

 

I took most of these photographs on January 14, 2026, on Kodak Portra 160 film. The light was soft and overcast, so colors are muted. I used my Zeiss Ikon ZM camera with a 1950 Leitz 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens. This was my dad's Summitar lens, and has been with us around the world. With a genuine Leitz LTM-M adapter, it mounts and focuses perfectly on the modern M-mount body. It is impressive optical quality for a ƒ/2 lens computed in the late 1930s. This unit has perfect coating, but I still use a hood to prevent flare.

Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder camera with 1950 5 cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens

More Exploring in Astoria, Oregon (2026)

 

Astoria is fun! This historic trade and fishing city is near the mouth of the Columbia River. Despite its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, it largely protected from ocean swells by the Columbia jetties, the ebb tide shoal, and by sand bars in the river. The town has become trendy, with great restaurants, plenty of hotels, and other tourist paraphernalia. Winter must normally be gloomy and wet, but my last two visits were sunny. In January 2026, the sun was glorious - just for me? 

 

Astoria in Mono 

 

Astoria–Megler Bridge (opened 1966) (135mm Pentax-M lens, yellow filter, tripod-mounted)

11th Street view north (135mm Pentax-M lens)

The Columbia River flows majestically past the city. It dominates the scenery and the emotional feel of the community. Houses climb the hills and have spectacular views.

This was interesting, a Quonset Hut shed where a locomotive foundation is restoring a steam locomotive. No one was at the project the day I stopped. But I want to return and see how they are progressing with their locomotive. The tracks in the picture above run into a mound that supports a parking lot, so the train group will need to lay new rail out the back. 

 I wonder if this is a surplus WWII Quonset Hut? Thousands of them were available after the war. 

 

Astoria in Color

  

 Here is the locomotive shed taken on Kodak Ektar 100 film with a Zeiss Ikon ZM camera and a 35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens. 

Riverwalk mural

Bigfoot drinks coffee??

Dear Readers, you know the inevitable end to vigorous exploring and walking:  Go eat some of the best fish 'n chips I have ever tasted at Astoria Brewing Company. Plus, have some ales or beers. Mmmm....

 

The square black and white photographs are from Kodak Tri-X 400 film via my Rolleiflex 3.5E twin lens reflex camera with its 75mm ƒ/3.5 Xenotar lens (5-element version). The color rectangle frames are Kodak Ektar 100 film from a Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder camera with 50mm and 35mm lenses. I will write more about the ZM later.