Contax II/III faults and fixes

[Philip Whiteman]

May I propose a thread on the prewar and 1940s Contax II and III to remain here and not to be bumped to the generic camera repairs one.

The same questions get asked by Contax newbies like me over and again, and it would be so nice to make the answers - and wisdom to be found on this forum - easier to find, and find quickly.

Based on my own experiences with a number of Contax and very similar Kiev cameras, the kind of thing I have in mind is something like:

FAULT shutter makes a buzzing noise when shutter speeds of 1/125 and above are set

DIAGNOSIS the intermediate speed escapement is not disengaging when the speed selector is turned from speeds of 1/50 and below

LIVING WITH IT move the selector to a higher speed and back to the desired setting - if the mechanism is just a little sticky, this should disengage the escapement and allow the shutter to run correctly

FIX either send the camera to a professional repairer or strip it down and clean and lubricate the intermediate speed cam mechanism (moderately expensive/easy repair)

I'll bet there are dozens of issues that could be grouped under this umbrella, all making interesting and useful reading both to Contax enthusiasts and those interested in these rather wonderful bits of mechanical engineering!

 

[Highway 61]

Not too sure whether it should be necessary to write threads and threads about something perfectly well documented and explained already on a now 10 years old website : look here.

The very same for every other thing to fix on a Contax II shutter. Rick Oleson's tech notes and everything on display on the Kiev Survival Site are plenty enough for the average skilled amateur repairman who wants to use a good working prewar/wartime Contax or a well made Kiev.

 

[Valkir1987]

If you remove the shutter crate, there is a lever left to the film transport sprocket gear, covered by a shield. It is attached with another lever on a shaft, you can try to lubricate it with creeping oil, or ptfe lock spray. Wind the shutter up and down a few times to see if it moves.

I can post a picture this afternoon if you wish.

When the problem remains the shutter has to be taken apart almost entirely. I would recommend to find a specialist in Germany to fix your Contax.

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Maybe I misnamed this thread or chose a poor example of a problem and the work-around/fix. I have both the Kiev Survivors and Rick Olsen's sites bookmarked and yes; they offer excellent advice when it comes to repairs.

However, not all faults require repairs and it is for these kinds of problems the advice is harder to locate. For example, the II I serviced and got working (using the cited websites and Peter Took's repair manual, published in the UK by Hove) came with an uncoated Sonnar that works very nicely, provided you use a lens hood and avoid shooting backlit subjects. On the other hand, the one that came with my second II has a layer of haze on its internal elements that makes for distinctly foggy looking results. Helpful people on this forum provided advice on how to strip down collapsible Sonnar, but this one won't come apart (perhaps due to internal corrosion).

Anyway, in this case the fix I would recommend is getting hold of an early Jupiter 8 which in my experience is a) just as sharp and delivers the kind of contrast you hope for in a modernish lens, and b) costs less than half the price of having a Sonnar seen to professionally (assuming they can fix it, which is not guaranteed).

What I was hoping to do was gather the benefit of experience in one thread, but perhaps this is a Quixotic delusion!

 

[Highway 61]

Let's say that it might not be always useful to re-invent tap water.

 

[Philip Whiteman]

At this point I always used to write zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in my lecture notes

 

[Valkir1987]

Anyway, in this case the fix I would recommend is getting hold of an early Jupiter 8 which in my experience is a) just as sharp and delivers the kind of contrast you hope for in a modernish lens, and b) costs less than half the price of having a Sonnar seen to professionally (assuming they can fix it, which is not guaranteed).

I would really recommend them, try to get an early KMZ sample of the Jupiter 8 without click stops.

You can temporarily fix the speed cam by lubricating it. But perhaps you are waiting for the next error to arrive. Maybe the time has come for your camera to be refreshed and serviced.

 

[Sid836]

Such cameras are worthy of every cent of a professional SLA. Especially when you own own one at a hard to find condition, it does not take second thoughts.