If you're looking for a Contaflex, please be aware, that the Contaflex "Alpha", the "Beta" and the "Prima" all have the Pantar 45mm f.2,8 3-element lenses, and only the designated Pantar 30mm f4 and the Pantar 75mm f4 will fit these models. These 3 models were cheaper versions of the Contaflex. On the other hand, these Pantar lenses will also fit the Contina III viewfinder camera.

Allthough the Contaflexes have their quirks and problems, they are nice cameras and should be in any Zeiss-Ikon collection. A piece of advice though: I have handled quite a few Contaflexes, and if You are looking for a Contaflex You should check the shutter very carefully !. The leafs have a tendency to get stuck over time, and the shutter tends to not close completely as it should or close too slow. Remove the front-lens element and work the shutter numerous times, and check that the leafs closes completely and fast every time !.

Contaflex III  863/24  (1957-1959) SLR
Serial no.:
Format:  24 x 36 on 135 film
Optics:  Carl Zeiss Tessar 1:2,8  50mm
Shutter:  Synchro Compur B + 1 sec => 1/500 sec.
Misc.: removable front lens element + Aux. lenses

I deliberately chose this Contaflex III to be one of the few examples in my collection, because of its simple and aestethic appearance, and because it hasn't got a lightmeter. In addition the front lens can be replaced by the Pro-Tessars. Actually I never thought I would receive this camera from the seller on eBay. I had completely given up, but almost 1 year after it was shipped from the seller it suddenly turned up at the local postoffice. The cardboard box was almost non-existent, and only a few strips of tape held the box together. It looked like it had been run over by a truck !. When studying the many stamps and labels on the remains of the cardboard box it was clear, that it had travelled all over the world through several continents before ending up here in Denmark. The explanation ?. Well, the seller had just written my middle name, the streetname, but no streetnumber, no postal code and in addition he had written "The US" allthough I live in Denmark. I don't know who finally figured this out, and shipped the parcel to Denmark but i'm ever so grateful. To prove the Zeiss quality the camera was of course still fully functional allthough the box had be almost totally demolished, and the camera inside were actually deepfrozen !.

The Contaflex III are a joy to handle, and the 2 big knobs on the lensbarrel for the distance setting feels very good indeed. Of course there is no rapid advance lever, but some of us yerks actually kinda like that too;-). The body is in fact rather compact, measuring L 120mm x W 40mm x H9 0mm. The viewfinder offers a split-image rangefinder, but no instant return mirror. 

The Contaflex Super B is beyond any doubt my personal favourites among the many Contaflex models. This particular camera has probably never been used for more than a few rolls of films, and I found her on a Copenhagen fleamarket on a rainy day, and had to bring her home ;-). The Super B has got a selenium lightmeter whereas the later Super BC was equipped with a battery powered CDS meter. The painful truth is, that most of the CDS Super BC's have defective battery compartments, missing battery covers or suffers from oxidation. If You can find a Super B like this one in good working order, you'll get a very fine piece of photographic equipment. To me this represents the culmination of the Contaflex-series, and the Super B remains to me as the finest of them all. The finish are exquisit, and just like on the Contarex it offers the possibility of changing the back without loss of exposures. That means you can have several backs with different films, and change at any time you want. The selenium meter has got a twin readout. One in the viewfinder and one on top of the camerahousing, both match needle type. No hotshoe, but both flash-syncs are situated on the prism-housing top. Finally You have the choice of the 3 Pro-Tessars, 35, 85 and 115mm.  I think the pics below will answer the rest of Your questions.
 

With backcover removed