I don't see that many of these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jena-Contax...724?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4634700e9c
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jena-Contax...724?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4634700e9c
1947 Jena Contax II
- Thread starter CameraQuest
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Highway 61
Revisited
A genuine one for sure, too bad it has that highly suspiscious flash terminal which will make any serious collector go deep into the innards to check the shutter origin...
At that price I wouldn't take the risk. But, that's just me.
Peter Hennig's article about the Jena Contax has been available for a long while, yet, just in case (and for our newbies) :
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/zconrfKiev.htm
At that price I wouldn't take the risk. But, that's just me.
Peter Hennig's article about the Jena Contax has been available for a long while, yet, just in case (and for our newbies) :
http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/zconrfKiev.htm
Pioneer
Veteran
Have one but haven't shot it much. I probably should pull it out and put a roll through it to ensure it stays in good condition.
So what is a fair price for a clean Contax II, these days? I'd like to pick one up later this year, but with the issues of fakes, dodgy sync modifications, mechanical issues, and speculative pricing, even though I've done a lot of reading the last few weeks, I still feel way out of my depth. The learning curve for these is quite steep. It would be great to find something working but if I need to replace ribbons etc. if the camera is tidy enough, that's OK. Are there particular specs or periods that are better to seek or avoid? I've seen the odd one offered from Russia. Are fakes still a big issue?
To get back on topic, just last night I read an interesting article in a back issue of the Zeiss Historica journal about when and where the Jena Contaxes were manufactured. You can find many of their back issues online now. Here's a link to the relevant issue with the article about the Jena Contax.
Cheers,
Brett
http://issuu.com/zeisshistoricasociety/docs/pdf-zhs-journal-spring-1999
To get back on topic, just last night I read an interesting article in a back issue of the Zeiss Historica journal about when and where the Jena Contaxes were manufactured. You can find many of their back issues online now. Here's a link to the relevant issue with the article about the Jena Contax.
Cheers,
Brett
http://issuu.com/zeisshistoricasociety/docs/pdf-zhs-journal-spring-1999
Kevcaster
Well-known
I imagine for collectors only and that flash sync will send the alarm bells ringing - it appears to be exactly like the later Kiev syncs which may be derivative of this one or this maybe an aftermarket fit, or finally maybe an early factory fitted part. As a user, this is camera is likely to be a poorly made, late model no different in experience to a pre-war model made in the Jena facility in pristine conditions with optimum quality control.
A decent user Contax ll could be had for £100-140 with the expectation that new ribbons would be required along with some internal cleaning to free up the slow speeds and self timer. All of this is repairable by a decent tech or hobbyist.
The most important problem is with the bottom curtain roller spring which if broken, requires a donor part from a Kiev or terminally damaged Contax. This is hard to spot if the ribbons are broken and impossible if you are remote from the camera, as if buying from an auction site or from overseas. It is difficult to assess even if you have the camera in your hand as good ribbons will enable the top curtain to drive the bottom curtain down. I have bought 2 Contax ll - one from from Germany - with this problem so I have experience of how easy it is to pass off a camera as functional. Both are restored with Kiev drums - which in every respect are indistinguishable from the Contax unit with the exception of the drum brake material.
A decent user Contax ll could be had for £100-140 with the expectation that new ribbons would be required along with some internal cleaning to free up the slow speeds and self timer. All of this is repairable by a decent tech or hobbyist.
The most important problem is with the bottom curtain roller spring which if broken, requires a donor part from a Kiev or terminally damaged Contax. This is hard to spot if the ribbons are broken and impossible if you are remote from the camera, as if buying from an auction site or from overseas. It is difficult to assess even if you have the camera in your hand as good ribbons will enable the top curtain to drive the bottom curtain down. I have bought 2 Contax ll - one from from Germany - with this problem so I have experience of how easy it is to pass off a camera as functional. Both are restored with Kiev drums - which in every respect are indistinguishable from the Contax unit with the exception of the drum brake material.
Crazy Fedya
Well-known
I believe, a decent user Contax II with broken ribbons should cost under $100. I don't think it is worth it to buy one with new ribbons, especially if someone is concerned with origin of parts inside. I would think, that, if ribbons are broken, noone had tried to repair it recently and it should have original parts.
This particular camera came from a large collection of Contax/Kievs, I believe. I looked at it briefly last time I was in Arnie's store, but given the value, I didn't pay it no mind. I have picked up several Kiev and Contax bodies from him, and they are in decent condition with broken straps of course.
This particular camera came from a large collection of Contax/Kievs, I believe. I looked at it briefly last time I was in Arnie's store, but given the value, I didn't pay it no mind. I have picked up several Kiev and Contax bodies from him, and they are in decent condition with broken straps of course.
Crazy Fedya
Well-known
The flash sync on it is in place, where it usually is on Kievs. I seem to remember, that in Contax II/III's with suspected factory installed syncs, they are located almost above right strap lug, looking at the front of the camera. I own a Contax III, made around war-time, that sports one of those syncs. Lower curtain drum spring is busted, however, and sits awaiting whatever will happen to it next. I think, I have about 5-6 Kiev and Contax bodies with broken shutter ribbons, including Contax Ie. I will get to them all, eventually.
OK, I did not know some may have had flash sync fitted at the factory. I was under the impression none of the IIs had any synchronisation unless modified. Thanks for the replies.
Grytpype
Well-known
You wait hours for a bus...
...then two come along at once!
Contax 18071 Kamera Mit Carl Zeiss Objektiv
18071 has a Jena lens of the right vintage, and the right case, but it's a shame the seller couldn't take some better pictures out of the case. Highway_61 and Kevcaster are right about the flash sync on 18058, which looks very Kiev-like, but the seller does say the back is brass, which I think only exists on the Jena (and not all of them), and would be hard to fake.
Both much too rich for my blood, but only 13 numbers apart!
...then two come along at once!
Contax 18071 Kamera Mit Carl Zeiss Objektiv
18071 has a Jena lens of the right vintage, and the right case, but it's a shame the seller couldn't take some better pictures out of the case. Highway_61 and Kevcaster are right about the flash sync on 18058, which looks very Kiev-like, but the seller does say the back is brass, which I think only exists on the Jena (and not all of them), and would be hard to fake.
Both much too rich for my blood, but only 13 numbers apart!
Elmar Lang
Well-known
This last Jena Contax is a beautiful piece, and the everready case is the right one for this camera, with its particular shape, and made of pigskin.
It's a pity that I've missed this eBay sale...
E.L.
It's a pity that I've missed this eBay sale...
E.L.
De_Corday
Eternal Student
Kevcaster, did you do the work yourself? I have a Contax II with trashed ribbons and a somewhat misaligned RF, not sure about the drums. Would love to get my hands dirty putting it back together, but ultimately just want it working.
raid
Dad Photographer
I love such classic vintage equipment. Hopefully, it is genuine.
Highway 61
Revisited
...I couldn't say it better... this one was the deal of the century for anyone being after a Jena Contax.
I'm blessed with a mint and fully fonctional (serviced by me) Contax II made in 1938 and sporting a contemporary Sonnar 1.5 (uncoated) yet this one was highly desirable.
Kevcaster
Well-known
Hi De Corday - yes I did. I learned a lot about cameras, tool skills, cleaning agents and lubrication. I also restored a lla and a llla. All of them work and so it is possible! I received generous and immensely useful help from those who have commented on this particular thread. Without that help I think my progress would have been very slow indeed, and it was slow. I sold a restored ll as i did not imagine I would use two models of this camera so now have the single ll a lla and a llla. They all produce very nice images:
Oundle School, Churchyard 2014 Contax ll by knjy, on Flickr[/IMG]
Words&Pics
Newbie
And if you ask ole Henry Scherer, he'd say this is a fake. The dead giveaway is the "Carl Zeiss Jena" logo on the shoe mount. No Jena Contax II ever had this logo.
Henry says the ONLY way to tell a Jena is by looking at the Shutter -- but you can read his whole treatise on the idea here --
http://www.zeisscamera.com/articles_JenaContax.shtml
I've had two bodies overhauled by Henry and while he was working on the second one, he sent me a note that it was a Jena. Jena Contax have early producton serial numbers, he says. Because they were constructed out of spare parts with a slightly modified shutter.
He only sees one about every four years, too. My receipt from Henry lists this as a Jena Contax with a value of $2000. I'm unsure I could get that much for it, but who knows.
So, if you see the logo -- you know it's a fake -- usually a Russian Knockoff designed to fool people.
Mark
Highway 61
Revisited
Your story would be fun, if it wasn't all false.
Jacques M.
Established
Hello,
I agree completely with you, highway.
Here is a thread where we tried to find the characteristics of Jena Contaxes vs. early Kievs and wartime Contaxes.
http://ussrphoto.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1639
The differences are towards the bottom.
Amitiés. Jacques.
I agree completely with you, highway.
Here is a thread where we tried to find the characteristics of Jena Contaxes vs. early Kievs and wartime Contaxes.
http://ussrphoto.com/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1639
The differences are towards the bottom.
Amitiés. Jacques.
veraikon
xpanner
From http://www.zeisscamera.com/articles_JenaContax.shtml
- no it´s the Ernemann Tower at Dresden. (the former Zeiss Tower at Jena (now JenTower) was built in the early seventies (1969-1972) - it looks like a half of a binocular. The tower was built for the Zeiss research center but never used by Zeiss - the University of Jena took it over) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JenTower
Highway 61
Revisited
Some years ago, any post mentioning Henry Scherer's website here would have launched some passionate debates about whether he was right or wrong about this or that.
Now it's just pathetic to see how he's still trying to convince some folks out there that he's the only one knowing the Holy Truth about this or that point of the Contax cameras history, while he's still making some bold mistakes like the one re. the Ernemann Tower. And, if you look carefully at the cameras said to be the same one in his article (viewed from the top and from the back) they have different serial numbers ; and none of the pictures illustrating this article were taken by him in person. Plus, I wonder what the "two black enameled Jena Contax II cameras" of his can be ; no respected specialist of these cameras wrote about black enameled versions ever. Why doesn't he display some pics of those cameras in his article ?
I have ceased to wonder if that guy, clearly obsessed with what resembles a kind of a global conspiracy hoax of some sort (managed by the Soviets, Russians, the Ukrainians, the Communists and/or some other dark forces coming from the outer space), ever went to Germany to visit the areas and meet the people he pretends to be the best specialist of. That's clear enough that he never did. If he had, he would have spoken of the city of Saalfeld located near Jena, which is the key of the plot.
What he has written is all ridiculous.
Now it's just pathetic to see how he's still trying to convince some folks out there that he's the only one knowing the Holy Truth about this or that point of the Contax cameras history, while he's still making some bold mistakes like the one re. the Ernemann Tower. And, if you look carefully at the cameras said to be the same one in his article (viewed from the top and from the back) they have different serial numbers ; and none of the pictures illustrating this article were taken by him in person. Plus, I wonder what the "two black enameled Jena Contax II cameras" of his can be ; no respected specialist of these cameras wrote about black enameled versions ever. Why doesn't he display some pics of those cameras in his article ?
I have ceased to wonder if that guy, clearly obsessed with what resembles a kind of a global conspiracy hoax of some sort (managed by the Soviets, Russians, the Ukrainians, the Communists and/or some other dark forces coming from the outer space), ever went to Germany to visit the areas and meet the people he pretends to be the best specialist of. That's clear enough that he never did. If he had, he would have spoken of the city of Saalfeld located near Jena, which is the key of the plot.
What he has written is all ridiculous.
Jacques M.
Established
I have just bought one more of these so called fakes (in fact a genuine Jena-Contax). It belongs to the last series (30500 to 30599, probably).
By what I know, this series was produced in 1951/56. At that time, the name "Contax" was forbidden for the Eastern production. And the Kievs were perfectly known behind the iron curtain.
So, why this last series? Remaining parts mounted to offer cameras to high rank officers or members? Note that inside that series, there are cameras which are "Kiev" engraved on the front!
Amitiés. Jacques.
By what I know, this series was produced in 1951/56. At that time, the name "Contax" was forbidden for the Eastern production. And the Kievs were perfectly known behind the iron curtain.
So, why this last series? Remaining parts mounted to offer cameras to high rank officers or members? Note that inside that series, there are cameras which are "Kiev" engraved on the front!
Amitiés. Jacques.
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