Contax II copies

[jrong]

I've been hunting for a usable Contax II for ages, but I keep coming across these on Ebay (as well as the Kiev copies).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Black-Contax-...ryZ15234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

How are these cameras compared to the original? And the glass?
Has anyone bought one of these?

Jin

 

[varjag]

This is a late model Kiev-4A with Jupiter-8M.

But I'd rather get a normal 4A than this bastardized piece. To a casual observer it'll look just as good, and this 'Contax' won't impress someone with a clue anyway.

 

[Mark Wood]

Hi Jin. The camera in the link is just a mid to late 1970s Kiev 4a (I think, usually referred to as a "Type 2") dressed up to look vaguely like a Contax! I haven't any experience with these copies but I do have 3 Kievs (all 4a) of this vintage, all of which have some problem or another, the major one being light leakage and film fogging from which they all suffer. They can be made to work (and when they do, they're very nice cameras to use) but it takes time and a lot of patience...

 

[darkkavenger]

If you want a Kiev that is very close to the original Contax-II design, try getting a Kiev produced before 1955 - I've got one from 1956 but it's a 2A (with flash sync) else it is very very close to the Contax-II design.

 

[akalai]

The better deal is the "regular" KIEV's...why bother with all the decoration on those fakes....like "darkavenger" says the older KIEV's are really very good.

One thing I did notice though is that sometimes you can pick up a REAL Contax for less than what some of the pre 1955 KIEV's go for...if you are patient! 😀

 

[darkkavenger]

If I was to go for a Contax, I'd go for a pre-war model ... their rangefinder base looks better (and I'm used to the way Kiev cameras look 😛 )

 

[jrong]

I've been trying to get a Contax II for ages, but they rarely crop up... and when they do, they're REALLY old and battered. I don't mind restoring old cameras but I do have my limits. 😉 I don't really know much about Kievs. Does the "A" designate cameras with or without exposure meters? And how can one tell when the camera was manufactured?

Thanks for helping out a newbie!
Jin

 

[Paul T.]

Yes, the 'A' denotes a camera without the meter.

The year of production of a Kev is indicated by the first two digits of the serial number. Generally, it's thought earlier Kievs are better, but anything up to 1965 or so will likely be a good camera. There are many threads here, and at the beststuff forum, on who are the better sellers. I bought a Kev II from ruscamera, with box, manual and case, they claimed it had been serviced and it certainly feels like it, for $104; you should be able to get a Kiev 4a for perhaps half that.

There's a lot of good infromation out on the net. Cameraquest have a good general history by Peter Hennig:
http://www.cameraquest.com/zconrfKiev.htm

While here is an absolutely terrific technical resource by russ pinchbeck:

http://www3.telus.net/public/kaylalyn/index.html

 

[varjag]

In 3-series, A designates the one with flash synch. In 4-series, A indeed marks the meterless models.