Contax II worth the repair?

Oleg has (or he did) replacement meters, in case the one in the camera is not salvageable. But Brian's right; I bet it's a matter of cleaning.

You will be surprised how hefty the III is.
 
Sonnar Brian said:
The Sonnar was worth the price.
Selenium Meters- often the electrodes are the issue, and cleaning can fix the problem.
Click to expand...

Dumb luck rules! When Oleg is done I think I will be alright. That gifted Contax II has turned out to be a Trojan Horse. The CZJ Sonnars are good. The bodies are solid and last. I think I will be alright. RFF is a mixed blessing. ;o)
 
The meters are certainly fixable/replaceable as Ed Trzoska did my III and the meter works. Mine is a '36 - dunno how I can tell it's "better" - but I'm mightily pleased with it. NOw if I can just work out how to not get my finger over the RF window...
 
Muggins said:
The meters are certainly fixable/replaceable as Ed Trzoska did my III and the meter works. Mine is a '36 - dunno how I can tell it's "better" - but I'm mightily pleased with it. NOw if I can just work out how to not get my finger over the RF window...
Click to expand...

Well, if the selenium meter is repairable I am sure Oleg will do it. The second problem, the finger over the rangefinder window, that's a problem.
 
More GAS, I did pick up a Contax II from 1936 a few weeks ago. Ran through the shutter and it worked then it didn't when I put it in bulb mode and now I can't get it out of bulb mode with the shutter stuck open. Will probably message Oleg on getting a CLA on it and the lens.

Reading past posts, I guess that 5cm F2 has rather soft glass eh? Mine came with a matching uncoated lens. The haze cleaned up, but it still has quite a bit of micro scratches on it.

Still not sure how I am going to get comfortable with the Contax II grip, it feels awkward along with the different direction of focus
 
aw614 said:
More GAS, I did pick up a Contax II from 1936 a few weeks ago. Ran through the shutter and it worked then it didn't when I put it in bulb mode and now I can't get it out of bulb mode with the shutter stuck open. Will probably message Oleg on getting a CLA on it and the lens.

Reading past posts, I guess that 5cm F2 has rather soft glass eh? Mine came with a matching uncoated lens. The haze cleaned up, but it still has quite a bit of micro scratches on it.

Still not sure how I am going to get comfortable with the Contax II grip, it feels awkward along with the different direction of focus
Click to expand...

I just got billed by Oleg for my II. In Euros, 189 for the camera and 99 for the lens. Duties at the receiving end and shipping back extra. The prices are posted on his website if you care to check.

My "shelf queen" is a "working girl" now. Lili Marlene.

I am sharpening a Chinese cleaver to adjust my finger to the appropriate length. ;o)
 
aw614 said:
More GAS, I did pick up a Contax II from 1936 a few weeks ago. Ran through the shutter and it worked then it didn't when I put it in bulb mode and now I can't get it out of bulb mode with the shutter stuck open. Will probably message Oleg on getting a CLA on it and the lens.

Reading past posts, I guess that 5cm F2 has rather soft glass eh? Mine came with a matching uncoated lens. The haze cleaned up, but it still has quite a bit of micro scratches on it.

Still not sure how I am going to get comfortable with the Contax II grip, it feels awkward along with the different direction of focus
Click to expand...

Ducks and mamma. You know that ducks imprint on the first thing they see as ducklings as their mamma. Fortunately for them it is almost always the duck mother. But what's the connection to cameras? I think that the Contax II was the first camera I ever hefted at about 13 years of age. And I was imprinted. My brain registered it the II as "camera" and that registration seems persistent. I still think the same way. So I will find a way of keeping fingers out of the rangefinder window. Hopefully this learning will not require shortening any fingers by a digit or so.

I am stoked to get my II back from Oleg and start running that Ilford XP-2 through it. I will have to learn how to shoot mono.
 
boojum said:
Ducks and mamma. You know that ducks imprint on the first thing they see as ducklings as their mamma. Fortunately for them it is almost always the duck mother. But what's the connection to cameras? I think that the Contax II was the first camera I ever hefted at about 13 years of age. And I was imprinted. My brain registered it the II as "camera" and that registration seems persistent. I still think the same way. So I will find a way of keeping fingers out of the rangefinder window. Hopefully this learning will not require shortening any fingers by a digit or so.

I am stoked to get my II back from Oleg and start running that Ilford XP-2 through it. I will have to learn how to shoot mono.
Click to expand...
Very reasonable prices from Oleg. But the talk of finger removal brings unpleasant memories of The Banshees of Inisherin....
 
The Courant is a shadow of its former self these days -- sad, for the oldest newspaper in the country. I don't recall there even being a review of the movie in the paper.
 
KoNickon said:
The Courant is a shadow of its former self these days -- sad, for the oldest newspaper in the country. I don't recall there even being a review of the movie in the paper.
Click to expand...

Yes, and that downstairs restaurant with great Finnan Haddie where Mark Twain ate has closed, too. But I bet you can still get those great Jamaican Pies in North Hartford from the Rasta folks there. They never celebrated my arrival in the store but I was always able to leave with a bag just stuffed with pies for me and my buddies back at Aetna where I was working at the time. The pies were great, much better than the welcome. LOL
 
Just a character reference on Oleg. He has been a great guy to deal within in emails. And there was a problem with his payment app. It did not accept the six digit confirmation code despite several tries, maybe ten. But the debit showed up in my bank. However I was afraid it would be clawed back and advised Oleg I would watch it at my end. And I asked that if he had a problem at his end to let me know and I would make it right immediately.

I got a note this morning from Oleg that he had shipped the dear, my Lili Marlene, and that he had added a lens cap no charge. Now lens caps do not cost all that much but it was the gesture. I sent him the camera the way I got it, no lens cap. So not only is this guy a top Contax tech, he is a good fellow. Man, luck just seems to follow me around and I am grateful for it.
 
Just picked my Contax II up from the post office after an Oleg service. It feels good and the RF and focussing are smooth. I just have to steal a spool from another Contax as I now have less spools than Contaxes.
 
WoodallP said:
Just picked my Contax II up from the post office after an Oleg service. It feels good and the RF and focussing are smooth. I just have to steal a spool from another Contax as I now have less spools than Contaxes.
Click to expand...


Perceptions, perceptions. You have more Contax II's than spools. ;o)

Another member, whom I know, has a Contax II that Oleg resurrected and it was like new. Really nice. Happy shooting.
 
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