Contax RTSII??

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Jamie123

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I saw an ad for a Contax RTSII with the Zeiss 50mm f1.7 for around $250. Is this a good deal, provided everything's in working condition?

What can be said about the quality and useability of this camera?
 
To the best of my knowledge, the RTS is still considered a good and usable camera. I think the RTS II was also. If the glass is good, then the T* lenses are well worth having. Check ebay for lenses by themselves. I think they go for over $100.00.

Hopefully someone who has owned one can come up and comment. I did own a Contax 139Q with 50mm f/1.4 T* lens. Wonderful lens. I still have it and still use it. The 139Q died unexpectedly. I replaced it with a Yashica body and have been happy ever since.
 
All the Yashica made Contax SLRs are great cameras. If it's working the price is good. Bear in mind that the 50/1.7 has the consistently worst out of focus rendition of any lens made by Zeiss.

Marty
 
I think the price is about right. The later the body the better. I have an early-ish RTS II and love it- it's a great camera. Titanium shutter and an "emergency" mechanical shutter that will fire at 1/50 without battery. Ask if it's had a motordrive on it for most of it's life. The less stress, the better for the internals.
 
Classic Porsche Design good looks, interchangeable focusing screens, mirror lock-up, and the leatherette finish is nice to the touch.
Compared to an AX, or even a 137, it's small and light.

I really do need to dig mine out and use it alongside the AX to get into the habit of focusing and filters. That's my only gripe with the Zeiss lenses - the front element moves when you focus, which I've solved by using the AX.

Nick
 
Freakscene said:
All the Yashica made Contax SLRs are great cameras. If it's working the price is good. Bear in mind that the 50/1.7 has the consistently worst out of focus rendition of any lens made by Zeiss.

Marty
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kshapero said:
I love Contax SLR's but the RTS II is heavy.
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Good to know. Thanks guys! I won't be buying it then. Heavy and not-so-great lens are both major dealkillers for me. I'd rather use the money on something else.
 
If you do some searches on the 50/1.7 you'll find plenty of people who *really* like it, including the bokeh. If you want small and light, nothing beats the Aria; about OM sized (even though it has a motor built-in) and has matrix metering. The 28/2.8 and 85/2.8 make for a very small and light setup.
 
I have the Sonnar 85 f2.8 and it's a killer lens.



digitalintrigue said:
If you do some searches on the 50/1.7 you'll find plenty of people who *really* like it, including the bokeh. If you want small and light, nothing beats the Aria; about OM sized (even though it has a motor built-in) and has matrix metering. The 28/2.8 and 85/2.8 make for a very small and light setup.
Click to expand...
 
I have a couple of Arias and the 35/1.4, 35/2.8, 50/1.4, 50/1.7, 85/1.4, 85/2.8 and 100/2. Maybe my 50/1.7 is aberrant, but it has awful and weird bokeh.

Everything that digitalintrigue said about the Aria agrees entirely with my observations. I would nominate it the best manual focus SLR ever made and i thought it was a great shame when the Zeiss/Yashica collaboration ended.

Marty
 
I did a lot of series with the 50 1.7 and I really don't think it's a bad lens... On the contrary, this beast is a killa! The bokeh was smooth, and the lens is incredibly sharp... Fell in love on the first sight. Never had any focusing problem... Kinda difficult to have focusing problem with this lens except if the ring is stuck... And at 1.7, the viewfinder of the Contax was quite clear...

The copy I had was marvelous and I plan to buy it again in a near future. For the RTS II, I tried it once but had a deal on a RTS III which I preferred. The camera is heavy but feel solid like a rock...
 
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