Contax IIa- impressions

[Doug]

Yeah, I'll wow the other members when I show up at the photo club meeting in my cool black Zeiss-Ikon t-shirt! 😀

 

[Biggles]

Dragged the thing out of my Packsack during the water break between Frisbee games today; just about everyone's eyes locked onto it. Cries of "That's not digital!" and "Oh, wow- real Old School!"

I think I'm gonna have to paint it black.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Ha! A prewar Contax has an even higher depleted uranium content! I'd say they cheapened their lenses and cameras from this standpoint after the war 😉

 

[NoTx]

Chicks dig it factor? Hmmm, I guess it is easier to care for than a puppy, but man, there is nothing better than a puppy for this.

Yes there is. A baby. Much more attention: a guy walking around with a baby.

No don't have one🙂 But have 15 neices and nephews... so learned this well.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

NoTx - San Diego? Yo' Neighbor!

 

[NoTx]

NoTx - San Diego? Yo' Neighbor!

Hey!

Headed to Comic-Con? Lot's of fun taking pics there. And around the area in down town this coming weekend.

 

[RichardS]

I'm happy to hear that everyone seems to be happy with the Contax II. I was the successful bidder on one Wednesday on e-Bay. Until it gets here I'll practice on my Kiev 4A.

Dick

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Congratulations, Richard. I hope you are pleased with it -- I enjoy mine immensely. Henry Scherer is the man to go to if you have any problems; he'll make it better than new!!!

 

[Rich Silfver]

I just started using my IIIa and it's a great looking and 'feeling' camera.
The only drawbacks that I can see at this point are;
* Focusing wheel is a pain. I focus with the lens barrel.
* Loading the film into the spool is a pain.
* Opening and closing the camera back for loading film is a pain.

Apart from the pain mentioned above it IS a sweet camera 🙂

Now trying to find a hood for the Sonnar 50/1.5....

 

[Pherdinand]

Rich, a cheap solution is a Jupiter-8 (42mm slip-on) plastic hood from an e-bay seller like alex-photo.
I got one, for a few bucks, it's functional. Be sure to get the round version though.

The focus wheel should be easy to turn; if it is a pain meaning it hurts your finger, the focus helicoid should be cleaned.
But i do prefer focusing by the lens barrel, since the wheel is much slower because of the gear ratio.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I just started using my IIIa and it's a great looking and 'feeling' camera.
The only drawbacks that I can see at this point are;

* Loading the film into the spool is a pain.

Rich,

The way I load film is to remove the take up spool and hold it in my right hand. Hold the roll of film in my left hand. Thread the film tongue in the slot on the take up spool and pull back slightly until the film sprocket hole catches on the little "hook" in the take up spool. Then I rotate the take up spool until the film has wrapped around take up spool for on revolution. Place the take up spool back into camera body and pull the roll of film to the left to place in camera body. Slip the camera back into place, wind on film for two shots and you should be good to go. (remember to reset film counter).

Clear as mud description?

Wayne