Contax T Rangefinder Film Counter...

[cookedart]

Hi guys,

I got a Contax T rangefinder from keh, and noticed the LCD film counter doesn't seem to ever go to 1.. it just stays as --. Is this a common problem?

The film seems to load and wind fine otherwise.

 

[kdemas]

I have never seen that happen. You might call Nippon Photo Clinic in New York, they work on the T.

 

[sevo]

What does it do? Display a "0", or nothing at all?

LCD failures are a common issue on all cameras that have them - as they age they either bleed (blacken) due to sealing failures or they go blank due to conductor film corrosion and failure. If you are no habitual half-roll film switcher, you could ignore a failed LCD and make do without a counter.

Not counting while the LCD is working and displaying a constant "0" might be less harmless, this sounds more like a electronics failure in the transport counter - which will often go along with spacing or rewind errors, so you should develop and inspect a test film before you proceed to use the camera for anything relevant.

In either case, if the flaw was not mentioned, KEH will repair or refund, so you need not hold on to it.

 

[nonot]

I'm not sure if it's common, but I had one that did something similar;

You'd load the film and the counter would go to 1 once you had advanced it far enough. Take a picture and the next advance would get you -- the next would get you any number you could think of, and by the 3-4th picture the lcd just turned off entirely. I just lived without it, but I bet KEH will sort you out with a replacement.

 

[cookedart]

Hey all,

Just to be clearer, I'll load the film, put the back on, advanced one frame, and fire, and the frame counter never goes off the "--" setting, even if I shoot an entire roll. I've developed a roll shot this way and everything looks perfect.. no frame overlap or anything.

I imagine it might just have something to do with the contacts for the counter? The LCD doesn't seem bleached in any way.

I'll email KEH to see if they can have a repair tech fix it under warranty.

 

[Highway 61]

I have owned two Contax T and both faced CPU failures.

This is one of the least reliable electronics which has been put in a camera, ever.

The counter is driven by the CPU. As far as your CPU still fires the shutter, be happy with a defective counter and use your T while it still works as for taking pictures (that is, with a shutter which opens and closes).