Contax II back home

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Nikon Bob

Guest
I just got my Contax II back, after a 2 year wait, from Henry Scherer. Looks like a job well done with everything operating smoothly. I will have to run some film through it to be certain though. Anyway for those of you who are interested here are some photos.

Bob
 
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Congratulations, Bob. Was your camera nice looking from the start or did Henry polish up the cosmetics too?
 
Raid

It was in excellent shape from the get go but had the usual Zeiss bumps which Henry managed to get rid of quite nicely. I am sure he also gave it a clean up too. Henry seems to think that the camera had very little use as the tapes broke early on due to rough spots internally. I just got lucky as a friend found it at a local garage sale. The 50/2 collapsible Sonnar that came with it has no cleaning marks on it that I can see.

Bob
 
Nikon Bob said:
Raid

It was in excellent shape from the get go but had the usual Zeiss bumps which Henry managed to get rid of quite nicely. I am sure he also gave it a clean up too. Henry seems to think that the camera had very little use as the tapes broke early on due to rough spots internally. I just got lucky as a friend found it at a local garage sale. The 50/2 collapsible Sonnar that came with it has no cleaning marks on it that I can see.

Bob
Click to expand...

Bob,
Good for you; the camera and the lens are first class.
 
Glad to see this great looking camera found a good home
and please tell me the two year wait went quickly as I am on the list with at least two years to go

(maybe I will go look at some garage sales today)
 
For you Contax geeks..

I'd like to trade my Contax IIa Color Dial (body only) for something else.. I really do not use it.
Rangefinder is aligned both vertically and horizontally, shutter fires correctly at long times and there is no capping at high speeds, maybe the RF is not that contrasted, but I have no way to compare with another one.
Couple of Zeiss bumps on the back, no issues on the chrome. In two words "everything working"

What would be a reasonable target trade value?

Thanks,
Rob.
 
Henry is in great demand for whatever reason. I could not wait for my camera to be serviced so I used an alternate source. I got my camera back in a week, working as good as new. I'm not sorry I didn't wait.

Yes, I even got the bumps removed.
 
spyder2000 said:
Henry is in great demand for whatever reason. I could not wait for my camera to be serviced so I used an alternate source. I got my camera back in a week, working as good as new. I'm not sorry I didn't wait.

Yes, I even got the bumps removed.
Click to expand...

Who did you use? Please let me know.

Thanks......Ray
 
xayraa33 said:
lovely camera, I am sure it was worth the wait.
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To the first part I agree it is. The only reason that I mentioned the wait period was so that others would know what it has been taking. I can't argue the results and don't have any experience of what other repairers work is like or the turn around times for them. From that POV it was worth the wait. I cannot and will not knock Henry's work. He was excellent to deal with.

Bob
 
I visited Henry's site this evening, having just purchased a "beater" IIIa BD / f2 Sonnar 50.

After spending nearly 2 hours browsing Henry's site and reading about his background and detailed info on Contax and his approach to servicing them, I am confident that his work is "the best".

Over twenty-five years ago, my Retina IIIc needed service, and my father asked his friends who worked in the US Senate photo lab if they knew of anyone who could work on my camera; they referred us to a retired gentleman in suburban DC who all the DC photogs sent their mechanical cameras to... he was a retired Navy machinist who started servicing cameras during WW II; he was very methodical and very particular. I wish I could remember his name... he was in his 70's back then, I think.

At any rate, I think my DC camera guy and Mr. Scherer are cut from the same cloth: very high-quality.

Just reading Scherer's article on shutter-tapes for the Contax is enough to boggle my little mind...

Once my ugly IIIa arrives, and I get a good look at it, I'm sure I'll be signing-on to Henry's waiting list...

Luddite Frank
 
I'd rather use my Contax and not worry about appearances. Spend the extra cash on good lenses.
 
I was an early HS customer, and the IIIa and lenses still work like new, five years later! My Zeiss bumps have not returned and as Henry commented when he last saw the camera, I have "put a lot of film through it" since the overhaul. He's the very best.
Vic
 
Enjoy your II and get yourself a good jupiter 12 to go with your sonnar. I bought a Scherer serviced IIa off ebay from an Rff member. About $400 iirc. Didn't have to wait 2 years. It is a beauty, everything works perfectly. HS talks the talk, but he also walks the walk when it come to refurbishing the Contaxes.
 
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Steamer

I picked up a Kiev and a J12 and J9 to tide me over till the Contax came back. Rest assured that I will be using the Jupiters on the Contax.

Bob
 
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