Miles.
Beamsplitter
Just some generic Kiwi leather conditioner I had on hand. Doing multiple applications made it so tearing the leather was very unlikely.
Contax IIa mod and service...
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boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Mine needs a shutter. And I left the lens on it so that is an additional CLA. It can't hurt. My feeling is that I will feel better having a CLA for the lens than if I had not sent it and later wished I had. I will wind up with a very old "shelf queen" which works, takes photos, if I can remember the "Rule of 16's", and sounds like what cameras are supposed to sound like, dammit! LOL I'll run some mono through it and lug it about occasionally for further fun in the field. I really look forward to getting it back. I do not favor film but this baby is special and deserves special attention and care.
And every time I use it will be a thank you to the good person who so kindly sent the darling on to me.
Muggins
Junk magnet
If yours sounds like my III at 1/5th, it sounds like a very small cow mooing!
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
How's the milk?
Muggins
Junk magnet
Available in very small quantities!
Thank you Miles.
I'm going to tackle the bumps today.
I opened up the IIa yesterday, and like magic the rangefinder started working. Must have been some debris in there or something, took off the top plate, and presto! I didn't actually see what caused it to hang, it was very clean in there, no greasy sludge.
So the camera seems fully operational now, pending a film test, from 1s to 1/250s.
wjlapier
Well-known
Here’s mine I recently purchased after buying the lens first. I bought the lens not sure what I’d do with it but eventually decided to find a clean working IIa. My first Contax RF. I really like the overall design of the camera from focusing to the film advance knob. It’s in great condition and most shutter speeds sound right to my ears. Now that we have some decent weather I’ll put a roll of Trix 400 through it.
I also have an Amedeo adapter for Contax to Leica LTM but these collapsible lenses don’t work well with it.
Philip Whiteman
Old hand returning to the fray
I picked up an immaculate Contax IIa with frozen rangefinder and the shutter running at one speed only, wherever the dial was set, for a princely £45 ($50 - odd). Armed with Rick Olsen's basic service instructions, I took off top and front plates and found the rangefinder was fixed just by lubricating the pivot and the shutter (ostensibly, at least) by freeing up and lubricating the escapements.
The residual problem with a camera that now appears to work perfectly is that the shutter won't open reliably at 1/1250th and tapers at 1/500 and (less so) at 1/250. From all I have read on this forum and elsewhere, the problem is due to what you might call differential drag on the shutter curtain bearings, causing the second curtain to catch the first. A deeper dive into the works is required to address this, removing the shutter crate from the body for further careful cleaning and lubrication - and even then there's no guarantee of a fix.
Meanwhile, I bought a Leica IIIG which - as old Leicas tend to do - just worked perfectly out the box. You can see why interest in the lovely, gloriously complicated and beautifully made Contax faded with this kind of competition - and even more so the Leica M3, with its fantastic coaxial rangefinder and multiple frame, parallax-compensated viewfinder that came before the IIIG.
Still, you'll not find a IIIG and certainly not an M3 for Contax IIa/IIIa money today!
The residual problem with a camera that now appears to work perfectly is that the shutter won't open reliably at 1/1250th and tapers at 1/500 and (less so) at 1/250. From all I have read on this forum and elsewhere, the problem is due to what you might call differential drag on the shutter curtain bearings, causing the second curtain to catch the first. A deeper dive into the works is required to address this, removing the shutter crate from the body for further careful cleaning and lubrication - and even then there's no guarantee of a fix.
Meanwhile, I bought a Leica IIIG which - as old Leicas tend to do - just worked perfectly out the box. You can see why interest in the lovely, gloriously complicated and beautifully made Contax faded with this kind of competition - and even more so the Leica M3, with its fantastic coaxial rangefinder and multiple frame, parallax-compensated viewfinder that came before the IIIG.
Still, you'll not find a IIIG and certainly not an M3 for Contax IIa/IIIa money today!
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I have a II I was gifted. A round trip to Oleg was around $300. I now have a fully functional, working like new Contax II that I am running a roll of XP-2 through. I wanted a CZJ i.5 in Contax mount and found one for $200 with a III attached. And the III is in pretty good shape and the CZJ is coated. So it will go for the round trip to Oleg, also. I really like the old pre-war Contax cameras. They are a good buy when purchased and Oleg can tune them up quite well. All FWIW.
I am nowhere nearly as talented as you to take apart, fix and re-assemble a camera.
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z.bruce.li
Established
Two years ago I got my Contax IIIa, which works well on almost all speeds (except 1/1250s) but viewfinder was hazy. I bought the service manual from learn camera repair, and disassemble far enough to clean up the VF/RF. It is a bit more complicated than IIa without the meter, but doable if you are careful.
These Contax rangefinders are quite enjoyable to use, and the price on both bodies and lenses are lower than comparable Leica LTM.
These Contax rangefinders are quite enjoyable to use, and the price on both bodies and lenses are lower than comparable Leica LTM.
qqphotos
Well-known
I was very happy with Oleg's service on my IIa. I got it cheap in relatively unknown condition but complete. Rangefinder needed work, speeds were questionable, the usual stuff. I'm very picky about accurate operation and the speeds are very good, and the rangefinder will focus even the 135 sonnar accurately enough for big enlargements. And it only took a month! Compared to every attempt I've made at having a Leica serviced, this was a dream.
wlewisiii
Veteran
I was looking at getting a Contax IIa before I decided to go all in on Nikon RF instead. But they are lovely cameras and I am so glad to see them being serviced and used. 😀
Philip Whiteman
Old hand returning to the fray
I have serviced/restored a number of prewar Contax IIs and an early 1950s Kiev 2 (which is almost as beautifully made and finished as the Zeiss original). They are not easy and occasionally nightmarish to work on - but those I have succeeded with have proved reliable and delivered some fine images. The IIa and IIIa have a completely redesigned shutter that is, paradoxically simpler and far easier to service but more difficult to get running reliably - at least for amateurs like my own self.
rick oleson
Ancient Wizard
Check with Mark Hansen for repair. I know he works on the IIa
qqphotos
Well-known
For what it's worth, I tried several times in Jan/Feb to contact him and was unable to reach him. He's done great work for me in the past as well as given very helpful advice and suggestions, so I hope everything is ok or at least improving for him.
markjwyatt
Well-known
Ross Yerkes in California did an original CLA on my Contax iia, then when I needed it he replaced the shutter with an unused one (hard to say "new" in this case). I suspect the shutter failure was my fault, not his. I played with tensioning it. I do not think he has any more unused shutters, but he does seem to keep mine in good working order. He is also keeping my Retina IIIc going.
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