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/4 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. The 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). 

 

Autumn in Olympia (Oly 27)

 

It is spring of 2026 in Olympia, and an amazing profusion of flowers and leaves are bursting forth. What a spectacular display of nature. But wait, how did winter zip by so quickly? And what about autumn? I did wander around in November and December of 2025. Therefore, Dear Readers, this time I will impose on you some "pretty" pictures. Enjoy the colors and patterns. 

 

Olympia

  

Percival Landing, Nov. 11, 2025

Rail line under Interstate 5, off Henderson Park Lane, Nov. 15, 2025 

(Zeiss Ikon ZM, 21mm ƒ/4,5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

View SW towards tunnel under Capitol Blvd. SE (90 mm ƒ/4 Elmar-M lens)

Along the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Sunset from my balcony, East Bay Drive NE (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

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

Skeleton man on watch duty, Bethel Street (Leica M2, 35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

  

Tumwater

 

Capitol Blvd. SE (historic Route 99), view north (50mm Summicron lens) 

Former Olympia Beer brewery (50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens at ƒ/8)

 

The buildings that formerly housed the Olympia Beer ("It's the Water") brewery remain unused, an eyesore. The grounds are patrolled by a security guard. He and I wave to each other when I set up my tripod on the Capitol Blvd. bridge.

 

Seattle

 

Shed next to Connections Museum, Corson Avenue, Seattle

East Marginal Way South, view south (50mm Summicron lens)

In autumn, even East Marginal Way does not look too bad. Cancel that; it still looks very industrial and grungy.

I took these pictures with Kodak Ektar 100 film exposed at EI=80 using my Zeiss Ikon ZM camera with various lenses. The view of the Olympia brewery was with my 1962 50mm ƒ/2 Jupiter-8 lens from the Soviet Union. This is a Sonnar type of optic that is usually acclaimed as a portrait lens because of its pleasing signature. But stopped down to ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/8, my copy does exceptionally well with distant subjects.  

Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine, developed the film and scanned it with a Noritsu system. The Noritsu colors tend to look very warm, and I adjusted color with Photoshop Elements 2024.

 

Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder camera with 21mm ƒ/4.5 C-Biogon ZM lens

 

Mid-Century: The General Administration Building of Olympia, Washington (Oly 25)

The now-empty 1956 General Administration Building is a significant International Style building on the Washington Capitol Campus in Olympia. According to the nomination for the National Register of Historic Places,  

The building is also historically significant…as an intact example of Modern architecture in Olympia, Washington. The building was designed by prominent Tacoma architect, A. Gordon Lumm, in the International style distinctive for its horizontal cubical form and spare ornamentation. Its exterior minimalist appearance and interior architectural flexibility, including movable aluminum wall panels, demonstrate a growing aesthetic for modular space able to easily accommodate changing space and technology requirements. In this case, a building that needed to serve a diversity of state agencies housed in one structure. 

The building has been unoccupied since 2018 for many reasons. The wiring, plumbing, and structure no longer meet building codes. And more important, it is not seismically stable. During the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake (M_w = 6.8), the building developed cracks, and some employees refused to enter. It was not built to modern seismic standards and is close to the bluff overlooking Capitol Lake. Considerable liquefaction occurred during the earthquake along Deschutes Parkway and at the southern end of the lake.  

The state determined that it was not cost effective to renovate the GA building and would demolish it, despite its architectural significance. As of this writing (January 2026), no work has started. For now, the state plans to replace it with a parking lot and toilet (yes, really!). Eventually, a new executive office complex may be built on the site. But will they save the toilet?

Poor George has mildew, Nov. 19, 2025 
(Fuji Acros II film, Pentax 28mm ƒ/3.5 shift lens, yellow filter) 

2024 view from Columbia Street SW (Leica M2, 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Compared to some mid-century architecture that I have seen, this one does not look bad to me. The eye is drawn horizontally along the windows and the concrete panels with the corrugated pattern running sideways. I prefer this to most 1960s brutalism concrete buildings. 

Visitors during the No Kings protest (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

These two photographs are from the east side of the building from Columbia Street SW. I used Panatomic-X film in my Hasselblad 501CM camera with the 40mm ƒ/4 CFE FLE lens, tripod-mounted.

The building is closed, but I took two interior views by placing my Samsung phone against rather dirty windows. I like the tubular lights in the 2nd picture above.

Status: Unknown. I will monitor progress.

Update May 6, 2026:  A tractor is crunching part of the north side. Demolition is underway. The demolition company saved the limestone panels above the former front door and saved the circle with George Washington's outline. 

South Park Neighborhood, Seattle, Washington (Sea 09)

Seattle's South Park district is a compact neighborhood tucked between the west side of the Duwamish Waterway and the bluffs that rise steeply to Highland Park. The main thoroughfare running north-south is 14th Avenue South. Several Boeing factories are next to the Duwamish, and Boeing Field is across the River. 

South Park (from Google Maps)

The earliest Europeans settled the bottomlands along the Duwamish river in the 1850s. In the late 1800s, South Park was an agricultural community of Italian and Japanese immigrants. Industry developed along the banks of the waterway in the 1920s, with Boeing's first factory just to the north. World War II brought rapid growth of aircraft at Boeing Field and shipyards along the river. In the 1960s, the area began to attract Hispanic immigrants. 

During my short time looking around in October 2025, I could see the strong Hispanic influence in the stores and restaurants. Here are some examples.

Unicorn Ranch, 9021 14th Avenue S

The owner here had some interesting sculpture on the Unicorn theme.

Multiservisios, 9011 14th Avenue S (21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon-C lens)

Multoservisios, 9011 14th Avenue S (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR lens)

Werner's Auto Repair, 9001 14th Avenue S (50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR lens)

Werner's Auto Repair (25mm ƒ/4 Snapshot Skopar lens)

Time for lunch, 8709 14th Avenue S (25mm ƒ/4 Snapshot Skopar lens)

Closed shop (25mm ƒ/4 Snapshot Skopar lens)

Pros Tires, 8620 14th Avenue S (25mm ƒ/4 Snapshot Skopar lens)

This ends out too-rapid cruise through South Park. 

I took these photos on Kodak Portra 160 film exposed at EI=100. I used my Leica M2 camera with 21, 25, 35 and 50mm lenses (yes, I take too much equipment with me on an outing). 

The 50mm lens is the ƒ/2 Dual-Range (DR) Summicron from 1968. This is version 2 of the Leitz Summicron series. It was made as either a single range focus body or a more complicated dual-range version. I rarely use the close-up function but take the goggles with me in the camera bag. 

Many photographers love the way that these Version 2 lenses render their subjects, especially portraits. Mine has pristine coating and is totally clean inside. The contrast is a bit softer than modern lenses. 

50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR lens with close-up goggles to allow close focussing

This Summicron-DR lens will mount on all of the original film M bodies, the M3, M2, M4, M4-2, M4-P, and M6. I have read that it will not mount on the digital Ms, but do not have details. It will not mount properly on the Zeiss Ikon ZM camera, and the goggles would not line up with the viewfinder windows. 

The 25mm is the surprisingly competent little ƒ/4 "SnapShot" thread-mount lens from Voigtlander (made by Cosina). It is contrasty and, yes, of course it is "sharp."

1700s Cavanserai or Han, Eminönü District, Istanbul (Nov. 2024)

The Ottomans conquered Constantinople on May 29, 1453, after a 55-day siege. Unlike the exhausted, bankrupt (financially and politically), and demoralized Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans were energetic and militarily more sophisticated. The Ottomans already controlled the vast hinterland of Anatolia and swaths of the Middle East. To encourage trade, they built caravanserai, protected and safe trading posts, where merchants could shelter over the night or during bad weather and exchange goods. They were safe from bandits. Many semi-ruined caravanserai are still found in remote areas, attesting to trade routes. (As an aside, my dad, a hydraulic engineer, often asked where these remote outposts got drinking water. Were areas of Anatolia wetter in the Medieval period?)

Some of these caravanserai, also known as han, are in the Eminönü district of Istanbul. They were originally intended to serve as inns and trading centers, where merchants operated shops and warehoused goods. Hundreds of years later, these hans are still in use.  

Büyük Yeni Han, completed in 1764 (Leica M2, 21mm ƒ/4.5 Zeiss Biogon lens)

Büyük Yeni Han (note the air conditioners)

From Wikipedia:

The han' is located in the central historic market district that extends from the Grand Bazaar to the Eminönü neighbourhood on the shore of the Golden Horn. Since the founding of the first bedesten by Mehmet II in the mid-15th century, the Grand Bazaar developed into the city's main hub of international trade, spawning entire districts of shops, warehouses, and merchant lodgings. A han, a type of urban caravanserai, was a common type of commercial structure in Ottoman architecture (and more broadly in Islamic-world architecture) which served a number of functions including lodging for foreign merchants, storage for goods or merchandise, housing for artisan workshops, and offices from which to conduct dealings. A number of hans were built over the centuries in and around the Grand Bazaar district. The Büyük Yeni Han was completed in 1763 or 1764 CE (1177 AH) on the orders of Sultan Mustafa III.

A structure from the 19th century bridges across the courtyard, unfortunately blocking the grand expanse of the original rectangle han.

Entrance archway to Büyük Yeni Han (35mm ƒ/2 Summicron lens)

I stumbled into the Büyük Yeni Han somewhat by accident. I was looking for a balcony or platform to take some pictures of the rooftops. I walked into the arch and saw some steep dark steps leading upwards. That seemed promising. Soon I was on the third level. There was even a rough but usable lavatory up there.

I love complicated rooftops like this. It is a pity that most of the modern buildings are rectangle concrete boxes.

Houses built into the side of Büyük Yeni Han

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is the ultimate arcade of them all. But it is so clean! The ceiling is decorated, the floors are polished, and it is well lit. And there is WiFi, and no one smokes inside. And people pay with plastic. Where is the earthy bazaar I recall from 1965?

Modern arcade in the Sultanahmet area

Well, Istanbul never ceases to provide interesting subject material. It is on my must-return list. If you have not been there, GO VISIT.

I took these photographs with Kodak Tri-X film using my Leica M2 and various lenses. Northeast Photographic in Bath, Maine developed the film in Xtol. I scanned it on a Nikon Coolscan 5000 scanner.