Contax Classic RF

4am first results

4am first results

Hi all !

well, I got finally the results from the 4am, you can take a look at some of the pictures here

They are more walkaround pictures than anything else, mainly for the paw project, and still must project them to check better for sharpness, but it seems there are no light leaks and shutter speeds are more or less accurate when I used my hand held meter.

I'm starting to be afraid with all that horror stories about problems with Kievs...

Will run another roll very soon I think, maybe my beloved Delta 100, as I was starting to like a lot using this camera, but at this moment I still have to burn the roll on my recently acquired Moskva 5, 6x9 negatives, yuk yuk...

And yes JD !, I'll post some results from it when finished, or at least from the decent pics I get :)
 
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Boy, that 35mm in SC mount would be great. Do you have a price? I didn't see mention of it on the list, but then again, I notice I've stopped getting mail on the CVUG list, so I'm probably backed up again (spam filters, D'oh!). How much is it going to cost you? Have you seen the compatibility chart for the 35mm/f/1.7/vs. Nikon/Contax thread pitch differences... Does the 35mm work wide open? I don't remember where the chart is on the CV site.

I've had great experience with the new Fuji Acros film- the base is very clear, so the density seems rather greater- the base fog isn't as high as my normal black and white films (Illford 50, among others). It also develops well.
 
Boy, that 35mm in SC mount would be great. Do you have a price? I didn't see mention of it on the list, but then again, I notice I've stopped getting mail on the CVUG list, so I'm probably backed up again (spam filters, D'oh!). How much is it going to cost you? Have you seen the compatibility chart for the 35mm/f/1.7/vs. Nikon/Contax thread pitch differences... Does the 35mm work wide open? I don't remember where the chart is on the CV site.

Hi jdos2,

I can't tell you a price yet, 'cos the lens has not been announced as being "for certain". I heard from Stephen Gandy that it was in the offing for the PMA SHow in USA in Feb 04, and from Joseph Yao in Hong Kong who reckons it will definitely be coming out then, but so far no price. I would reckon the same "premium" over the LTM lenses as is carried by the other CV wide angles etc for COntax classic and Nikon RFs.

For compatibility answers, see www.cameraquest.com and look in the Nikon/Contax section of the articles there.

Happy New Year to everyone on this list !

Robin
 
I swear I remember seeing him listing the 35mm 1.2 as an SC mount too- until that listing disappeared...
 
Hawkeye,

I have just purchased a batch of cameras from an 84 year old gentleman. Included in the lot is a Contax IIIA Color Dial, with the 21mm Biogon f4.5, 35mm Nikkor f2.5, 50mm f1.5 Opton, and a couple of 135mm Zeiss. I am wondering if you have used the Biogon 21mm and how it rates, Also if you have any pointers on using the 135mm or should I just plan on selling the 135mm.

Thanks!!
Wayne
 
Thanks Hawkeye

Thanks Hawkeye

Hawkeye,

I enjoyed your shooting tips post. I am just getting comfortable doing street shooting and am always looking for ways to be unobstrusive...thanks for the tips.

Bob
 
I have just purchased a batch of cameras from an 84 year old gentleman. Included in the lot is a Contax IIIA Color Dial, with the 21mm Biogon f4.5, 35mm Nikkor f2.5, 50mm f1.5 Opton, and a couple of 135mm Zeiss. I am wondering if you have used the Biogon 21mm and how it rates, Also if you have any pointers on using the 135mm or should I just plan on selling the 135mm.

Thanks!!
Wayne

Hi Wayne,

Sorry not to have got back to you sooner. You are lucky to have got all this excellent kit, and the 21 Biogon is a legend among Zeiss lenses. I wish I had one, but can't afford one, so I motor along happily with the CV 21/4. What you have is THE standard by which all other 21's are measured. I use this focal length a lot, and it really works if you stick at it and remember the verticals need holding hard.
I too have the Nikkor 35/2.5, and like it a lot. Its only flaw is the front aperture setting, which is a bit slow to operate, but overall, it is sharp and an excellent match. The Opton, if it is clean, will serve you well. I have the later Carl Zeiss version, and had it cleaned by Henry Scherer, and it is now mint and near perfect as you can get with 50-year old lenses. Keep at least one of the 135 lenses. They aadd an astonishing reach and give you some amazing "compression" shots - check it out. The 111a rangefinder base can handle this focal length better than the CV Bessa R2C can, with its shorter rf base length.
You have a real prize in all this stuff. If there is anything that needs attention, send it to Henry Scherer (http://www.zeisscamera.com) who can fix, CLA, refurbish and re-grease anything Contax RF. He can even fix the meter for you if the cell needs replacing.
Welcome to classic Contaxes - I don't think you will ever regret your purchases. If you look after this camera and its beautiful lenses, it will still be working until they stop making film !

Hawkeye
 
Hawkeye,
Thanks for the reply. I have been playing with a couple of Canon QL17- GIII's and really like the rangefinder type camera. I met this gentlemen at the local camera shop where he was trying to get a replacement battery for his Pen FTN half-frame 35 and a Rollei 35SE. I asked him if he wanted to sell these cameras and he said yes and that he had a dozen or so others if I might want to come over to his house and look at them. He mentioned that he had a 4x5 view camera and some backs at home. I made arrangements as I was looking for a monorail 4x5. When I walked into his house and started opening camera cases The first lens I opened was the Biogon 21mm, I just about passed out. In addition to a complete Graphic View II with lens, lens boards, was this Contax IIIa kit, A Baby Rollieflex with all of the filters and accessories, A Topcon Super D with an assortment of lens to 400mm, Two Canon A1's, with motor drive and assorted lens, The Pen FTN, The Rollei 35, Polaroid SX-70, A Fuji 1/2 frame 35mm that I have never seen or heard of before, An Olympus XA-11, various 8mm movie cameras, slide projectors, changing bags, Graflex 3-Cell flash units, and much more with many old photo books. I felt as though I had died and gone to heaven. He was very reasonable in his pricing and payment plan as he wanted them to go to a good home where they would be appreciated. Which they did and are!! He appologized for having sold off his Lecia equipment before he met me. (I just have no luck at all!!!).
Any way I think I may pick up a Contax IIA somewhere or a new Bessa R2C so that I can shoot color and B&W on the same trip. I think I may like using the Contax, there is also a variable viewfinder accessory I think it goes from 21mm to 135mm but I am not positive about that.

Thanks for the info and the link.
Wayne
 
I expect some young fellow is going to get lucky with my cameras when I get old and cranky! It'll be a treasure-trove... assuming there'll be film to fit 'em. And yeah, one is a Pen FT! ;-)
 
Wayne wrote:Any way I think I may pick up a Contax IIA somewhere or a new Bessa R2C so that I can shoot color and B&W on the same trip. I think I may like using the Contax, there is also a variable viewfinder accessory I think it goes from 21mm to 135mm but I am not positive about that.

If you have the original Zeiss 21-135 viewfinder (round turret, with sticky-out bits ?) you've got the one I have been looking for, that covers all the focal lengths I use in the 11a. Lucky you !
If you are serious about getting a 11a, I have one for sale recently done up by Henry Scherer, which you could have as a "body only" deal. If this sounds interesting, tell me on this forum, and we can carry on off-forum. But I will understand if now is not the time for anything else new....! What a great find you had. LOL with all the new gear.

Hawkeye
 
Hawkeye,

I looked at the viewfinder and it is indeed a round turrent type arrangement with "sticky out" things. It only goes from 28mm to 135mm and has IIa on the base and is Zeiss Jena. The turrent goes 2.8cm, 3.5cm, 5cm, 8.5cm, and 13.5cm. I found a seperate rectangular viewfinder in a small case that is Zeiss Ikon for 21mm.

A IIa that has been reworked and is lens less??? Hmmmm. I am slightly tapped out in the money department this week, but I am always interested. My e-mail is wscott601@hotmail.com.

I think I am going to send this entire Contax kit to be CLA'd to be sure it is up to par.

Wayne
 
That's either a postwar East German turret finder or the prewar finder. Either way, it's intended for the prewar Contax II or the Kiev.

The postwar turret finder for the IIa/IIIa is barrel like with its mounting foot centered underneath.
 
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my kiev 4am arrived this week and i'm really impressed so far. i got this from the infamous oleg, and he really does do a nice job. my example is from 1969. funny how it's newer than most of my cameras and yet older than any of them designwise. can't wait to get some sample pictures.
 
Good luck with it Jazz ! I started with that one, now I have the 4am and a custom made black 4a, and I love them :)

In fact I carry the black 4a with a Jupiter-12 every day in my bag since... since I received it ?

In order to experience the "Contax feel" I may also go for an early Kiev II from the 50s. Still not sure but I'm in touch with Oleg about that, let's see... I must meditate that...

Having in mind that the original Contax II design dates from 1936, and that the last 4am's left the Arsenal factory in 1984, I think, that's without doubt what I call indeed a long production run !

Oscar
 
taffer--do you compose with a separate viewfinder with your jupiter 12 or just gauge with the built in finder? that turret looks heavy....
 
Hey, Jazz... I'll be interested in hearing what Oscar does. But I too use the J-12 on my 4a, and with a "Russian" KMZ 35mm finder. Finder is pretty decent and not very bulky. No bright lines or adjustments. There is also a glorious bright-line 35mm finder from Voigtlander (Cosina) but it costs more of course.
 
and here I am again ! :D

Jazz and Doug, you'll laugh a bit, but you'll know what I've been using in my post "A home made viewfinder?" here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=99

Yes, the thing works pretty well, and after adding a plastic top cover and painting some zones in flat black, it even looked nice enough. Unfortunately, both finder coverage and parallax error are not the most desirable in some circunstances. It works ok for "normal" shots though...

After enjoying a lot the J-12 after purchasing it, and realizing that I was going to use that lens a lot, I thought about getting a cute new metal Voigtlander 35mm finder, but after talking about that with Hawkeye, and reading his advices and experiences, I decided to go for a without doubt cheaper yet perfect useable KMZ one, just like Doug's.

It's the simple one, black plastic body, no turret, no zoom finder neither any other strange device. Of course I'd like to have brightlines, but you can't have everything for $19.50... I've also seen some sellers offering MultiCoated KMZ finders on the auction site recently, finders that feature an easily noticeable bluish tint, even though they go for near $40.

Doug, what about field of view ? do you see something more on the finder than what you get on film later ?

Oscar
 
Yes, mine is one of the $40 expensive ones! Says "MC" on the front, and reflectons from the front glass have different color depending on the angle you hold it to the light, predominantly green at the rear, but no particular tint while viewsing through it normally. I think it has a metal body.

I got it mostly to be a better match to the rest; former Soviet camera, lens and viewfinder.

It shows a wider field of view than the 35mm frames of my Leica M2, though not by much. I don't know how closely it corresponds to what is captured on film. Depends on the focus distance too of course, but I'll guess it's best at infinity.

Similarly I see that the Leica's 90mm framelines show less than the Voigtlander auxilliary finder for 90mm. The VC finder has a second set of brightlines for the corners to show framing at close distance, so I'll guess its main frames are pretty close for infinity. And that leads me to think all the M2 framelines are probably a compromise for medium distance, like maybe 3m. or so?

As it happens, I also have the new metal Voigtlander 35mm finder with brightlines. This also has a framing and parallax correction line across the top for close distance, so again I'll assume the outer frames are for infinity. It shows a field very similar (but slightly less) to the KMZ. Hard to say for sure, as the KMZ has no bright framelines and just fuzzes off to black at the edges. :)

Oscar have you tested to see how accurate your KMZ finder framing is?
 
Hehe, Doug, so you have the "expensive" one? :) What I find expensive of the MC ones is that you can easily get a pretty good camera and lens for that price. But oth, you still have to frame, so you need the finder anyway... hope I won't regret getting the non-MC one.. glups...

I haven't tried the finder yet, 'cos it's still in transit from Ukraine. I was almost decided on the Voigtlander, but that $145 plus shipping was a minus I couldn't go through. OTH, Russian finders are designed for Russian cameras. My home made one had more or less the same field than the brightlines on the Hi-matic 7s (45mm).

Jazz, another option is to leave the finder at home and go shooting "a pelo", just guessing. If you shoot candids with your camera at waist level, for example...

Will let you know how I like the finder finally. And the 35mm MC Rokkor I found last monday for $35, and that will go to my non-RF cameras (shhhh ! don't tell anybody ;))

Oscar

PS: Jazz, take a look here: http://www.erikfiss.com/foto/cams/turretfinder/e.html to read some interesting opinion about the turret finder, it may be useful.
 
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Remember that there are two finders, a lefty and a righty. The left-handed one is the one for the Zorki/Fed style of LTM rangefinders, the righty is for the Kiev and Contax rangefinders.

Strangely enough, I just got word that my CZJ 50mm 1.5 Sonnar is on it's way... From SPAIN.
 
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