This particular Super Nettel entered my collection by sheer coincidence. I spotted it in the backroom of my friend Jorgens photoshop, and I believe he had traded it in at some point. At the time neither Jorgen or me knew the real value of a Super Nettel in this condition, but I just fell in love with this wonderful folder, and in hindsight the price I paid was simply robbery. 

The Super Nettel is a strange bird. It's also a rare bird. Introduced in 1934 it was meant to be a cheaper alternative to the Contax I that came in 1932. The vertical focal plane shutter mecanism are very similar to that of the Contax I. The Triotar lens on my camera were the low cost option, and the Super Nettel also came with a midrange 1:3,5 50mm Tessar and the more expensive 1:2,8 50mm Tessar. When I say the Super Nettel are a strange bird, it's because it is partly a Contax I and partly a Super Ikonta technically. The body, shutter and body-mechanisms are like the Contax I, but the folding strut mechanism and rangefinder are very much like on a Super Ikonta.

The Super Nettel I was followed by the Super Nettel II in 1936, the latter being the most rare of the Super Nettels. It can easily be identified by the all chrome frontcover with the beautiful "Super Nettel" engraving. The Super Nettels were really never the commercial success that they were meant to be, and of the model II only 2000  pcs. were produced from 1936 til 1938.

The Super Nettel is truly an extremely well built camera of the highest Zeiss standards. It is a piece of art. But some advice are in place if You consider to get one of these magnificent folders. The "Contax I" vertical focal plane shutter are quite diffiicult to repair and adjust, so don't let any amateur or unskilled repairman work on this shutter. Leave it to those few guys that really knows what they are doing. I can recommend Mr. Uwe Kersten from Germany, and You can find a link to him on my "Links" page.T