Contax T

I've only had mine a couple months but I can say that it's a mighty mighty fine camera. Its tiny and feels kinda quirky to use at first, but in a really good way not in that weird Rollei 35 way. Everything is placed where it should be... its kinda like a super shrunk Leica. The lens is fantastic, the body's solid like a brick with good heft... the build quality is amazing, as is the T2 and T3 if you've had a chance to handle those. Having it serviced isn't easy apparently but mine works, and I hope it will continue doing so. It makes me want to take pictures. It's such a joy to go out and take great photos with something that for lack of a better word is so... dainty sized. It has replaced my GR1v as my take everywhere camera, which I always felt was too wide for the job anyway. You're not "done" until you have one next to your IIa.

BR

Christian
 
As Christian says it is an amazing little machine. It packs a lot of performance into a tiny package and the results of its tiny Sonnar never cease to amaze, best of all it is always there because it is small enough to fit in your pocket.
 
kbg32 said:
It's agreat little camera. I hav a friend who has one and another who has the Yashica version. Both really stellar.
Click to expand...

The "Yashica version" (also called "T") was a plastic AF camera with a 3.5/35 Tessar lens and built-in flash, thus completely different from the Contax T.

00GH9q-29752184.jpg
 
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Mazurka said:
The "Yashica version" (also called "T") was a plastic AF camera with a 3.5/35 Tessar lens and built-in flash, thus completely different from the Contax T.

00GH9q-29752184.jpg
Click to expand...

Mazurka, They were 4 different models of the Yashica T. The image below is of the Yashica T4.
 
T4

T4

I have a little-used T4 (f2.8 Sonnar). I bought it in 2001 (I think) and then went digital shortly afterward. If anyone is interested in buying it, please let me know. I am in Toronto, Canada.

I carried it on my belt for a while but the pull of digital was just too much.

I just joined here but I have been reading the forum for a while.
I own two Leicas -- a IIIb and a IIIf -- that I still occasionally play with using B+W film. I also have a Rollei TLR that I bought used in 1955 and a Rollei 35 that I bought in Germany in 1969. It's a bit dinged up. The TLR gets a bit of use.

I only want to sell the T3.

Great forum. Lots of good info.

easyrider
 
kbg32 said:
Mazurka, They were 4 different models of the Yashica T. The image below is of the Yashica T4.
Click to expand...

Keith, there was also a Yashica T5 and a T zoom. Still it doens't make any of them anything close to the Contax series, except for size. The Contax never had the Yashica's waist-level finders, and the Yashica never had the Contax's Sonnar lens.
 
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For those of you with the contax T, or who've used one: how is it with fast film and low light (bar scene, dim indoor lighting)? I'm asking because I've tried to use my Minox 35 ML under these conditions, but the meter just isn't up for it - with fast film (ASA 1000 to 1600), under low light, the shutter speed never gets slower than around a 1/15th or 1/30th. Under average daylight conditions the Minox functions fine.

Appreciate you input.
 
Low light T

Low light T

I am a luddite so I don't know how to upload from my gallery, but if you want to see low light T photos check out the Mongol rockers and she can cook on the second page of my gallery.
 
The T family handles all my P&S needs. The last (film) member released was the Yashica T4 Zoom, which had an awesome, contrasty zoom (the only CZ design named Vario-Tessar). I have this model, but prefer the Contax T3 for its faster lens and ultra-compact size. Finally, I have three copies of the Contax T, an unmatched street-shooter.

The T has a very quiet leaf shutter with instant response. Exposure is full-time aperture-priority, which can be annoying for lovers of manual control. At least you get manual focus (by scale or RF), manual aperture control, and manual film advance. You also manually charge the electronic flash with a wooden crank... just kidding. 🙂 Like the Olympus OM, light is metered during exposure - wow! Sensitivity at ASA 100 is EV 0-17.
 
I picked up a Contax T at a camera fair a couple of months ago for 50 pounds sterling. It is a bit cosmetically challenged but works just fine. I took it with me on a rugged 2 week trip recently and shot seven rolls (slides and prints, ISO 100-200). The results have just come back from the lab and are really excellent. The camera was with me at all times either in a pocket or pouch. It proved to be a great street/stealth camera, being virtually invisible. The aperture priority was useful and the metering was very accurate even on slides. There is a button for 1.5 stop over-exposure which is useful in strongly back-lit conditions. In low light conditions, the viewfinder information did not tell you the precise shutter speed - I found this the only real drawback. The film-loading is a bit fiddly but you get used to it - I did not get any overlapping frames (something that can occur with this camera if the film is not correctly loaded). Also, the focusing ring is at the front of the lens, so it is easy to get your finger in the frame if you are not too careful.

All in all, the Contax T is a fantastic camera... small, unobtrusive, simple to use, proper rangefinder focusing, great lens.

--
Monz
 
Mazurka, I know the Contax series very well. I still have my original TVS somewhere. Fantastic little camera. Optics and build of the Contax Ts are superb. My friend who has the Yashica T4, has produced some really great imagery with it. Imagery side by side with the Contax, sometimes it would be hard pressed to tell the difference, except in large blowups. Didn't know Frank had one already. Thought I would suggest saving a few dollars. My appologies for suggesting something different.
 
In low light go manual

In low light go manual

Rico said:
The T family handles all my P&S needs. The last (film) member released was the Yashica T4 Zoom, which had an awesome, contrasty zoom (the only CZ design named Vario-Tessar). I have this model, but prefer the Contax T3 for its faster lens and ultra-compact size. Finally, I have three copies of the Contax T, an unmatched street-shooter.

The T has a very quiet leaf shutter with instant response. Exposure is full-time aperture-priority, which can be annoying for lovers of manual control. At least you get manual focus (by scale or RF), manual aperture control, and manual film advance. You also manually charge the electronic flash with a wooden crank... just kidding. 🙂 Like the Olympus OM, light is metered during exposure - wow! Sensitivity at ASA 100 is EV 0-17.
Click to expand...
In low light, it's best to go manual. A downside of the T3 is that there is no standard hotshoe. You have to buy a dedicated flash that mounts onto the camera. The built-in flash does not do much.

When I first got it, I used it as a second camera at a wedding. I used a Vivitar 283 with a peanut slave and bounce reflector and I used the built-in flash to trigger it. I wished I had an extra hand but it worked. The pix were great.

The lens is incredible.
 
Wow. I was watching this, even though I'm not registered with ebay, and it went from $310 to $426 with 9 seconds to go. Congrats, Michiel. I should have bought it from you privately a few weeks ago when I had the chance (but no money!)
 
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