Points to note when purchasing Contax 1 type

[オレンジ]

Good evening, everyone.

I'm considering purchasing a Contax I type, is there anything to be aware of? It seems difficult to use, but I want to use it while having fun.

If it is a camera with a lens of the degree of photo, how much is the market price? I'd be happy if you could tell me.

 

[Cascadilla]

The Contax I is notoriously unreliable and difficult to get repaired since it has a complicated and unusual shutter. There were also many variations over its production period with substantial changes in its shutter mechanism (no speeds slower than 1/25 in early versions) and rangefinder. I own a working example, and while it is an interesting camera to work with it is also something of an ergonomic disaster. You will notice the nobody else ever copied the front winding knob, and for very good reason. I don't have particularly fat fingers but have a hard time winding the camera even with a collapsible 50 mm Tessar mounted and extended to shooting position. With an 85 f/2 Sonnar or 35 mm Biogon it is much worse. As for prices, they seem to vary on eBay from $300+ for non working examples to much higher than that, and sellers are rarely inclined to offer any kind of guarantee, which seems reasonable to me under the circumstances, since the shutter blinds are moved by silk ribbons that can fail at any time due to age and wear. But if you want to experience early 1930's tech and some excellent lenses (Sonnars, Tessars and Biogons can be surprisingly good for their age) then give it a try.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Tessar 5cm F3.5 is sought after, that is an early one. I paid $150 for mine, have seen them go for more. The F3.5 version usually fetches more money than the F2.8 version.

 

[armadsen]

I was in your position 6 months ago. Against the advice of people here, I bought a non-working one and sent it to Oleg Khaliavin in Slovakia for repair. It came back working well with replaced shutter curtain ribbons. I’ve enjoyed shooting with it, and think it’s a beautiful camera. I agree with others that it’s not particularly ergonomic. The shutter speed selection is weird, and winding on the front is definitely less comfortable than on the top.

But if you want one, buy it.

 

[David Murphy]

I've owned one or two. They are not as hard to repair as many make them out to be (any skilled tech should be able to do it), but they are very old cameras and not particularly reliable. They make great collectibles and are fun to shoot on occasion, the same way a car that is 100 years old is fun to take out and drive a few miles on occasion. As far as having a durable, reliable 35mm you can forget that. These are historically imporant cameras, and are important examples of an early evolution of the type (35mm film cameras), but not day-to-day reliable shooting cameras. If you need a Contax that is closer that being reliable and easily usable, I'd consider the post-war Contax IIa or IIIa models, which if in good condition are superb in all respects.

 

[Pioneer]

IMHO there are probably two big reasons that the Contax IIa is more likely to work today. First, it is a newer camera. Second there are more technicians who will work on them. But personally I prefer working with the Contax II.

The Leica is certainly the winner in the rangefinder race but that is primarily because they have kept their design alive over all these years. More parts are available and more training is available. In this case the winner is the one who stayed in the race the longest. It is far easier to find someone to work on a Leica. Personally I believe they have done an awesome job in keeping their brand near the top over the years.

But the reality is that a plain old Nikon F or a Pentax K1000 are far, far more reliable in the long run.

 

[wlewisiii]

Having done the Contax/Kiev thing, I'd find that lens separately (the 50/3.5 prewar uncoated is glorious) and then get a post war Contax II to use it on instead as the best of the breed.

Or an Amedeo & a Leica digital for even less masochism.

 

[Pioneer]

If you are inclined to work with digital then there are cameras and adaptors that make working with the old Contax mount lenses quite easy so there is no reason to even pull an old Contax II off the shelf at all.

 

[James Evidon]

I own a Contax IIIA in very good condition, except the shutter would stick on low speeds. I sent it to one of the very well known Leica and RF repair persons in the U.S. who has done work for me before. He really didn't want the job and only agreed to clean up the lower speed mechanisms to get the shutter working at all speeds. At my requerst he also calibrated the shutter speeds so I would know exactly what the speeds represent. For instance, I know that 1/1000 is actually 1/850, etc. I can now use it with confidence until I no longer can. The lightmeter is very accurate as is the rangefinder. It looks beautiful as a shelf queen.

The Contax IIA and IIIA have much simplified and improved shutters as compared to the prewar ones. To my knowledge, there is only one person in the U.S. who will touch a Contax RF, and that is Harry Sherrer. He is backlogged and will only do a total rebuild to a Contax and will not CLA according to e-mails we exchanged. Now if you really want a early prewar Contax, go ahead and buy it, but keep it on the shelf for display. They are beaujtiful to look at and to handle. If you want to use it, you are in for a lot of heartache.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I have a working Contax 1. But I prefer a Leica 1.

gelatin silver print (s-skopar 50mm f2.5) contax 1

 

[Pioneer]

I own a Contax IIIA in very good condition, except the shutter would stick on low speeds. I sent it to one of the very well known Leica and RF repair persons in the U.S. who has done work for me before. He really didn't want the job and only agreed to clean up the lower speed mechanisms to get the shutter working at all speeds. At my requerst he also calibrated the shutter speeds so I would know exactly what the speeds represent. For instance, I know that 1/1000 is actually 1/850, etc. I can now use it with confidence until I no longer can. The lightmeter is very accurate as is the rangefinder. It looks beautiful as a shelf queen.

The Contax IIA and IIIA have much simplified and improved shutters as compared to the prewar ones. To my knowledge, there is only one person in the U.S. who will touch a Contax RF, and that is Harry Sherrer. He is backlogged and will only do a total rebuild to a Contax and will not CLA according to e-mails we exchanged. Now if you really want a early prewar Contax, go ahead and buy it, but keep it on the shelf for display. They are beaujtiful to look at and to handle. If you want to use it, you are in for a lot of heartache.

It is certainly not for everyone and I don't suggest that it is, but Henry overhauled my Contax II over 12 years ago and it has been running perfectly ever since. It was expensive but for me it was well worth it. I am not a camera repairman and never will be. I know that not everyone feels the same way I do but I have been using that camera pretty much constantly since 2011 and it has been one of the most reliable cameras I own. For me he did exactly what he said he would do. You are certainly right though, he is pretty well booked up so it will take time if you go that route. But if you plan on keeping and using that camera for a long time I can certainly recommend Henry's work. If you don't plan on keeping the camera as long as I have there are other options.

If you do not want to spend the money or be without the camera that long Oleg Khaliavin of OKVintageCamera.com can probably get it running for you again without giving it a full overhaul. He did a great job on my Kiev 4, which is the Russian version of the Contax II.

 

[armadsen]

Last I heard, Henry Scherer’s backlog is 11 years, which effectively means he’s no longer an option.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (nikkor-h.c 50mm f2) contax 1

Amsterdam, 2016

 

[Pioneer]

gelatin silver print (nikkor-h.c 50mm f2) contax 1

Amsterdam, 2016

View attachment 4836095

Thanks Eric. I love your shots.

 

[wlewisiii]

Last I heard, Henry Scherer’s backlog is 11 years, which effectively means he’s no longer an option.

Backlog is almost as big as his ego ...

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thanks Eric. I love your shots.

Thanks!

My Contax l (version 3) has the number V 37084. I bought it years ago for next to nothing from the well known French Leica dealer Yves Mascence. A very nice person who also supplied Cartier-Bresson with equipment. After all those years the camera still works.

 

[Pioneer]

Backlog is almost as big as his ego ...

Nothing wrong with an ego if you can back it up with the goods. There are a lot of people in this world who I do not particularly want to be friends with but I am still glad they are here.

 

[James Evidon]

I heard from Henry Sherrer by email. He is currently accepting no jobs due to health concerns.

 

[CameraQuest]

Good evening, everyone.

I'm considering purchasing a Contax I type, is there anything to be aware of? It seems difficult to use, but I want to use it while having fun.

If it is a camera with a lens of the degree of photo, how much is the market price? I'd be happy if you could tell me.

The Contax I is almost 100 years old, introduced in 1932.

So look out for everything.

Just pick one that is as pretty as you can afford to begin with.

Broken cameras can probably be fixed if you can find the right tech.

Ugly 100 year old cameras, not so much.

 

[Pioneer]

I heard from Henry Sherrer by email. He is currently accepting no jobs due to health concerns.

Thanks for that James. I wish him well and hope his health improves. He is a good camera technician and we don't have enough of them as it is.