Contax IIA contemporaries?

[Pfreddee]

I read *somewhere* that the Leica M3 and the Zeiss Contax IIA and IIIA were near contemporaries. Is this true? I'm using a gorgeous Contax IIA which was made between April and November of 1953, and I think I am going to keep this one and just use it in place of an M3 and Leica lens. I've got the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5; the glass is at least as clean as my Nikon lenses. No "cleaning marks" or even very much dust inside it. The only problem with the lens is that it will flare if I'm not careful about where I point it. I suppose I should pick up or make a lens hood for that problem.

Also, I gave $395.00 plus the customary tax for the kit.😀 What's not to like?

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[Pioneer]

I read *somewhere* that the Leica M3 and the Zeiss Contax IIA and IIIA were near contemporaries. Is this true? I'm using a gorgeous Contax IIA which was made between April and November of 1953, and I think I am going to keep this one and just use it in place of an M3 and Leica lens. I've got the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5; the glass is at least as clean as my Nikon lenses. No "cleaning marks" or even very much dust inside it. The only problem with the lens is that it will flare if I'm not careful about where I point it. I suppose I should pick up or make a lens hood for that problem.

Also, I gave $395.00 plus the customary tax for the kit.😀 What's not to like?


With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

Yes. The Contax IIA and IIIA came out after WWII was over. The IIa in 1949 I believe and the IIIa a couple years later. The M3 came out in 1954. They were both being sold at the same time.

 

[sevo]

There will not be that many IIa and M3 that really are contemporaries of each other. There are four years between the release of either. Most Contax IIa/IIIa were sold early after its introduction, before the mid fifties, while the M3 only took off in large numbers a few years after its introduction.

 

[David Murphy]

The M3 was produced from 1954 to 1967 and the IIa/IIIa from 1950/1951 to 1961/1962 according to Web sources. Contax IIa/IIIa were produced from about 1951/52 to 1961/1962 according to different sources, so yes there was considerable overlap. They were sold side-by-side in camera stores by photo dealers at the time as far as I can tell. The IIa/IIIa and early Leica M models are very comparable cameras in terms of build quality, as are the lenses made by Zeiss. The M Leica's are more technically innovative with their rapid advance, superior finders, and arguable easier film loading. The IIa/IIIa were derived of course from an earlier pre-war model, which was less refined in my view, although still a good camera if maintained well. The Contax Zeiss lenses tend to be less expensive today than similar Leica lenses, although that depends in detail on the particular lens, condition, etc.

All are all first rate cameras and picture takers.

These are my opinions based on having owned and used several of them.

 

[Elmar Lang]

Congratulations for your Contax-IIa outfit.

Regarding the Sonnar 50/1,5, yes it was one of the best (if not the best) in its category. The use of the lens hood is in my opinion compulsory, especially to enhance the exceptional quality of this lens.

All the best,

Enzo (E.L.)