In between a late breakfast and blowing leaves into big piles, I was able to crack out a few photos on some Kodak Gold 200 print film. Then afterward, I took a half-mile walk to Eckerd to take advantage of their one-hour photo processing. I brought the Zeiss Ikon, this time with the 25mm Biogon. It's a solid camera: one pound for the body and a little more than 1/2 pound for the lens.

I banged out a quick roll so I could see the results while I wait for the Ektachrome to return ... oh wait, I have to send it out. Kodak Gold 200 is really a nice print film.

I moved my shutter sound files to my site. I also recorded the Zeiss Ikon. I'm going to record it again, because there's a background hum. Go to the "Body" section and scroll to the bottom.

Zeiss Ikon has a new brochure for the system. It's available on their site under "downloads." The new brochure has some excellent photos and information about the camera system.

I'm really starting to like the shutter release. It's just the right amount of travel and the right amount of pressure. It's an electronic release, rather than a manual release. The shutter travel is short, but not too short. They really got it right.

There are two "pressure" points. The first point activates the meter. I didn't quite get how it worked in A(utomatic) the first time around. Here's how it is: If the exposure exceeds the available range, the fastest or slowest speed blinks rapidly – about four times a second. When you dial in exposure compensation, the selected speed blinks slowly – about twice a second.

On the fast speeds: 1/1000 and 1/2000, I can feel the shutter slam shut. I think the camera moved a bit. This is partly my fault, as I tend to hold a camera too lightly, I think. I better get a grip – a firmer grip.

The fading viewfinder patch that I wrote about yesterday hasn't really been that difficult in real-world use – in either horizontal or vertical shots. Shooting in autoexposure is simple enough. I found myself using the AE lock a few times and the compensation setting a couple of times. The AE lock is really simple, but I had to remember that it stays active for the next shot. That's good and bad, depending on what you want to do. Something for me to be mindful of on the next outing.

The film advance is very smooth – no feeling of grinding or grittiness. It's a quick throw, and outside you really don't hear it at all. There's a "snick" – I use that term a lot with this camera – as you reach the end. Nothing objectionable. If you wind very slowly, it's quiet. Of course, you still have a metal-bladed shutter, which isn't as quiet as Leica (there, I said it) or even the king of quiet, the Retina IIIS.

After you rewind, you pull out the spindle about 1/4 inch to remove the film cassette. I almost have the film-loading procedure down. It's still slightly tricky. Reminds me a bit of the Contarex. Guess I'll have to show a photo of that too.

Once again, I had to double check to see that I was rewinding in the correct direction, which is counterclockwise. This time I tried it left-handed. Being left-handed in a right-handed world must suck. I couldn't do it that well. I'm too much of a righty.

Just picked up the photos. (Results here.) There is some really ugly flare in one of the shots. I've included it. The sun was to my left a bit and up. I was using the lens shade, but the sun must have hit the lens at just the right angle.

Aside from the one shot, I like the photos.

Using the entire viewfinder works about right for the 25. I might still get the viewfinder. Searching around the viewfinder for what's going to be in the photo doesn't cut it. Takes a long time to do that, surprisingly. I'll try a few more rolls and see what I think.

The performance of the 25mm Biogon is very impressive. You really have to keep it level to avoid converging lines. That might be cured with the proper viewfinder. One thing, if you check out the photos, is that the fence and telephone pole in the last shot are very straight, although they are angled. I want to shoot more with this lens.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try a roll of my favorite black and white film: Agfapan APX 100. I bought three more 100-foot spools. Hope that lasts me for a while, as the future of Agfa film seems very uncertain.