The Super Nettel was introduced as a cheaper alternative to the Contax I. It had a fixed lens attached to the body by bellows and scissor struts. The body itself was more streamlined than the Contax I and the whole camera was easier to use. The shutter setting/release/film advance knob was on top the camera as it would be on the Contax II introduced two years later.

Originally the camera was finished in black and nickel with a choice of two lenses both of 5 cm length, an f3.5 Tessar or f2.8 Tessar. An f3.5 Triotar was added in 1935. In 1936 the model II was introduced. This had a chrome finish and was only available with the f2.8 Tessar. The original model, then called the model I, was restricted to the f3.5 lenses. The model II had the finder extended to the front of the top plate and the accessory shoe was attached and not part of the top plate mounting.

There are a number of minor variations prior to the introduction of the model II:

• The earliest had a flatter speed dial than later models.
• The film advance knob had 6 rows of knurling, later 5.
• The focusing scale was calibrated from infinity in a clockwise fashion, later it was anti-clockwise.
• The depth-of-field scale was more spread out than later and flush with the face plate, later it was on an angled bezel.
• The iris was moved by two small knobs, later only one.
• The lens hood fixing studs were on a black surround, later nickel.

All of these variations occurred before the introduction of the model II. Later black model Is used the body parts of the II, that is, they had the extended finder and attached accessory shoe. The bright parts also became chrome. The price with an f2.8 lens was £23.10.0.

The filter with this example is in a special mount for the Super Nettel allowing the case to be closed with the filter in place.