Contax II Rewind/Unloading Issue

[ryeryeguyguy]

Hi all. Happy Easter, if you celebrate. Shot my first roll on my new Contax II. Love this camera. Had a little issue unloading the film, though. When I got to the last shot (shot 36 on the counter, and confirmed because I couldn't wind again), per the manual I pressed the shutter button in the center of the right shutter speed knob, turned counter clockwise, and locked the shutter. I then turned the rewind knob clockwise per the arrow on the knob. It turned only a little and then stopped as if it were stuck. I gave it a little more pressure and then it came free and rewound all the way into the canister. When I removed the camera back, there was a decent amount of what looked like yellow dust in the camera back. Any idea what this might be? It was Kodak film, so I inspected the canister to see if the paint somehow scraped off for some reason, but that wasn't it.

 

[steveyork]

On a pre-war Contax rangefinder, in the past, to rewind, if memory serves me correct, I always just pushed the bottom plate button, holding it down, and just rewound the film. Didn't know you were supposed to lock the shutter. Ha, ha, don't read manuals, even ones with pictures; maybe I should. Anyway, it always worked for me.

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

On a pre-war Contax rangefinder, in the past, to rewind, if memory serves me correct, I always just pushed the bottom plate button, holding it down, and just rewound the film. Didn't know you were supposed to lock the shutter. Ha, ha, don't read manuals, even ones with pictures; maybe I should. Anyway, it always worked for me.

Haha. Ok. Good to know. I'm a nerd for manuals. Have been since I was a kid. I'll try it your way next time!

 

[steveyork]

Haha. Ok. Good to know. I'm a nerd for manuals. Have been since I was a kid. I'll try it your way next time!

Well, I may have been doing it wrong, so hear what the Contax experts on this forum say. There a few who know the camera.

 

[santino]

I know that yellow anti haliation layer exists but Kodak doesn‘t use it (in that case your film pressure plate could be out of alignment and cause scratches). Have you got your film developed?

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

I know that yellow anti haliation layer exists but Kodak doesn‘t use it (in that case your film pressure plate could be out of alignment and cause scratches). Have you got your film developed?

Not yet. This just happened today. It was Kodak Gold 200 shot at box speed. It's one I had laying around and wanted to see how this lovely prewar lens handles color.

FSU? I'm in Tallahassee!

 

[ZivcoPhoto]

Yes, no need to advance the shutter. Just push the rewind button and start the process.

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

Yes, no need to advance the shutter. Just push the rewind button and start the process.

Hi! No, I didn't advance the shutter. I locked the shutter by depressing the shutter button and turning counter clockwise. I hope is more clear.🙂

 

[boojum]

FWIW, a manual is available online: Zeiss Ikon Contax II, Contax IIa instruction manual, Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa instruction manual, CONTAX II Mode d'emploi de l'appareil user manual

 

[Coldkennels]

FSU? I'm in Tallahassee!

FSU =/= Florida State University in this case. FSU = Former Soviet Union, i.e. cameras and lenses out of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, etc.

If you have the ability to develop at home, I highly recommend you pick up some original Zeiss Contax reloadable cassettes. Even if you're shooting commercially-loaded film and not bulk-loading, they will make your life a lot easier - you can replace the take-up spool with a cassette and run the camera as a cassette-to-cassette setup in much the same way you shoot 120 film.

Honestly, with how bad the rewind knob is on the Contax II, I'm pretty sure this was how Zeiss intended the Contax to be used. It's a much nicer experience. Just don't ever give your fancy reloadable cassettes to a film lab!

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

FSU =/= Florida State University in this case. FSU = Former Soviet Union, i.e. cameras and lenses out of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, etc.

If you have the ability to develop at home, I highly recommend you pick up some original Zeiss Contax reloadable cassettes. Even if you're shooting commercially-loaded film and not bulk-loading, they will make your life a lot easier - you can replace the take-up spool with a cassette and run the camera as a cassette-to-cassette setup in much the same way you shoot 120 film.

Honestly, with how bad the rewind knob is on the Contax II, I'm pretty sure this was how Zeiss intended the Contax to be used. It's a much nicer experience. Just don't ever give your fancy reloadable cassettes to a film lab!

Haha, well Former Soviet Union is better. I'm not an FSU grad, anyways! I graduated from their rival haha.

Thank you for the tip. I'll look into it. I'm always learning something new!

The dust concerned me that part of the surface of the film was scraped off in the rewind process. That's my main worry.

 

[Godfrey]

FWIW, a manual is available online: Zeiss Ikon Contax II, Contax IIa instruction manual, Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa instruction manual, CONTAX II Mode d'emploi de l'appareil user manual

Thank you; I enjoy reading manuals!
I owned a Contax II for a very brief time a decade or three ago. There are several details in that manual that I was not aware of when I had mine. Very interesting.

The Contax is a lovely camera, but in all honesty I prefer the somewhat simpler mechanical feel of the Leica II/III series cameras. Just a personal preference... based on nothing but my hands' familiarity with the Leicas. 🙂

G

 

[Cascadilla]

As someone who has put a lot of film through Contax II/III cameras, locking the shutter release down is a new one for me. The manual referred to above seems to be giving instructions for using paper leader 35 mm film, which hasn't been available for decades. Regular film cassettes are rewound by pushing and holding the rewind button on the bottom of the camera and turning the rewind knob until the film is back in the cartridge. Good luck with your Contax!

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

As someone who has put a lot of film through Contax II/III cameras, locking the shutter release down is a new one for me. The manual referred to above seems to be giving instructions for using paper leader 35 mm film, which hasn't been available for decades. Regular film cassettes are rewound by pushing and holding the rewind button on the bottom of the camera and turning the rewind knob until the film is back in the cartridge. Good luck with your Contax!

Ah. My mistake. Do you think this stripped emulsion off my film?

 

[Cascadilla]

Ah. My mistake. Do you think this stripped emulsion off my film?

It sounds like it might have--I hope that this didn't damage the shutter.

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

It sounds like it might have--I hope that this didn't damage the shutter.

First thing I checked. It's not. All speeds sound completely accurate and the shutter is traveling as it should.

 

[Freakscene]

Ah. My mistake. Do you think this stripped emulsion off my film?

Shredded at the sprockets running over locked teeth, probably.

 

[ryeryeguyguy]

Shredded at the sprockets running over locked teeth, probably.

My thought, too. Though only the last few frames I'd think because it would easily after that. I didn't hear any noise as I continued winding and it wound easily after the initial difficulty.