Contax T3 for 1400 USD, or Klasse S for 1100?

[trianbampol]

I used to own all all three of the Contax T prime point & shoots. I just sold the T2 for the same reasons you’re looking to get rid of yours. Focus accuracy was inconsistent, and shutter lag bugged me.

The T3 is leagues ahead of the T2 in auto-focus and sharpness , but it’s expensive as hell. If money isn’t an issue I’d go with the T3 bc you can still get them repaired at Nippon Photo Clinic in NYC.

I’d also suggest looking into the Contax T rangefinder if you’re looking for a tiny point and shoot with no shutter lag. It doesn’t have autofocus, but it’s an aperture priority camera, and if you set the aperture to F8, your lens will be in focus from 2meters to infinity, it’s also smaller than the T3 at 1/3 of the price. Kinda like a miniature Leica M7.

Good luck with your search dude.

 

[Archiver]

In 2006, I got a T3 for close to $1000 AUD because the USD exchange rate was so bad. But I just had to have one. It was more like $500 USD at that time. But I've absolutely loved having it, and I baby it like nuts. There's one selling in Australia now for $3400! Prices are insane, and I feel like leaving it at home because it's like carrying a rapidly increasing ingot of gold.


I would not pay USD $1500 for a T3 now. It's a fabulous camera, but not for that price. The less expensive alternative is the Nikon 35Ti, functionally the same as the T3.

 

[james.liam]

None of those cameras are worth of 1000+ USD.

Count me in. Electronic toys destined to fail.
Especially the Contax; ancient tech, no parts, and scant few to repair them.

 

[benlees]

When you can get cameras like the X-pro1 for $250US people are slobbering (no offense) for a mediocre dentists pocket camera that uses 35mm film for $1400US. God bless the spin doctors. Collective unconscious? Mutated memes? The remnants of Yashica/Kyocera are bewildered...

 

[Jamie123]

I have a Klasse W and love it. That being said, I paid $150 for it at the time and I don't think it's worth $1000+. The lens is excellent but the build quality is not very sturdy. The material is easily dented and the paint on the back of mine has scratched off from just rubbing against the zipper of my jacket.

The T3 seems like a nice camera and even though $1400 is a lot of money, chances are it's gonna hold its value. Besides, T3s were always expensive. Even back when a used T2 was only about $250, the T3 was easily $900 so arguably the T3 hasn't risen in price as much as the T2.

In any case, my personal recommendation would be to pass on either of those and get a Contax G2 instead. Just get bigger pockets.

 

[Prest_400]

When you can get cameras like the X-pro1 for $250US people are slobbering (no offense) for a mediocre dentists pocket camera that uses 35mm film for $1400US. God bless the spin doctors. Collective unconscious? Mutated memes? The remnants of Yashica/Kyocera are bewildered...

I like the way you worded it.

Noticed one of the Stranger Things kid released an EP and their album cover is a mirror portrait with a Contax.

For that $ one can get a series of cameras that can cover different areas of shooting.

I have a mju I myself but thrift store found, costed less than a roll of film. I recognise the value of 35mm P&S as it's easy to EDC. My opinion is that a 90s-00s SLR with a small prime is the best bang for the buck nowadays.

 

[RObert Budding]

I opted for an Olympus RD for times when I need a smallish camera. It only cost $175 with a CLA a couple of years ago. It's an excellent camera, and it will be working well after the electronic p&s cameras are in land fills.

 

[jsrockit]

I'm not familiar with the T2, but my T3 in standard mode (half press autofocus, full press extend lens), is fast enough for me to not even notice it. With the T3 you can also change the mode so that a half press does both autofocus and extends the lens.

Sad to say, but my T3 (used, like new) was $400 ($540 in 2020 $) in 2004. 😱

How fast is the half press with lens extension? I remember it being slow. Most reviews these days say it’s slow. Some say it is fast. I guess it depends on what you’re photographing and what you expect. It does sound like an improvement on the T2. Sometimes, the only way to know is to buy it and try it. You can always sell it.

 

[ACullen]

No lag with Contax T and full aperture priority control. All for less than a third of the cost of a T3. That’s my choice

 

[redimp]

OP clearly says he has other cameras 'that can cover different areas of shooting'. Why would anyone suggest a leica m2 when the person wants something pocketable? Or an X-pro?

Don't like the prices of vintage cameras? Go ahead and don't buy them. What's the point of this whining about the prices?

To the OP: If you take a look at this subforum, I've posted a similar thread couple month ago, and after the discussion there's nothing better than T3. Fuji dos not have any good shots on flickr, while T3 has a ton. I have a T2 myself and the shutter is slow, that I agree with. I've decided to get a T3 as well, but didn't find any good deals yet.

But if you want a T3, 1400 is a very good price for a black one, actually very good since black ones sell over 2000 if you look at ebay completed deals. Silver ones go for 1500 these days. So don't listen to the people taking shots of leaves and flowers and get a T3. PPP repairs in UK post a lot of contax compact repairs, so if it breaks fixing is still possible.

A DP I know who works in hollywood uses a T3 as a stills camera on set, always in a pocket, for getting reference shots. It's a very capable camera looking at the pictures. Also someone on instagram posted recently a comparison between t3 and a m6 with 35mm summicron and the t3 all of a sudden starts looking like a great deal.

 

[littleearth]

I didn't bond with the Contax T2 and sold it, but I did really like the T3 and got good results from it.

Between those two, I would go for the T3, it's a great shooter with a solid lens.

If you are indeed an SLR guy and just want a Point & Shoot for when you "don't intend to shoot", it sounds like a big investment. For me 1400 is a ton of cash and I would live with constant anxiety carrying the T3, but then again for some others it's spare change. Yes, you can still get it repaired, but the repairs are also quite expensive.

So, if you end up buying one, make sure you get it from a reliable seller. Good luck !

 

[raid]

I have a T2, and I I like it. I do not think that a T3 is worth $1400. A clean Minox GT or similar may be a good alternative. I have used a Fuji Natura S. A great little camera with a wide angle lens. In the end it is your money. Buy what you like to get.

 

[jawarden]

I'd go with the T3. For photography reason.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I'm pretty sure it is still slow... and hesitates. It's been a long time since I've had one...

$1400 is insane, but yeah...the T3. Honestly, I'd just keep the T2 and deal with it.

I basically agree with that.

I have both, but use them so infrequently now (I shoot mostly digital, and my pocketable cameras have been the Ricoh GR series) that I can’t really answer the technical aspects of your question. When I bought the T2, my main camera was the Olympus OM-4t and for a subcompact I was more familiar with the Olympus Stylus. I found the T2 to be largish and heavy. I ended up buying and using a Stylus Epic, and gave the T2 to my sister. Later I did buy the T3, mostly for its size. I did have to get it repaired because of the problem with film loading. (I understand later production models had reduced problems.). More recently, I got the T2 back from my sister—and after using a Mamiya 7 and the M9, its weight doesn’t bother me. I think it is easier to hold than the T3 and the viewfinder seems bigger. They are both nice cameras, but the price for that T3 seems high.

 

[rhl-oregon]

To the OP:

If you want to try a Klasse S for yourself...

Whatever the naysayers say, it’s a perfectly good film camera, and I‘ve liked all the results I’ve gotten from it.

Acros; no shutter lag detectable

Superia 200 expired

Ditto + flash

 

[aizan]

PPP repairs in UK post a lot of contax compact repairs, so if it breaks fixing is still possible.

Does anyone know how much the repairs cost? Getting a broken Contax and having it repaired might be a way to get a good deal, assuming the problem is one that they can fix.

The one caveat is that the repair won't be from an authorized service center that has new parts like in ye olde days. In this new phase of camera repair, we more or less have to resort to hacks that might not be as reliable as they used to be.

 

[Matthew Runkel]

The regular T3 retailed for $1000 in 2000 and I believe the black was a bit more when it came out (or maybe silver was $700 and black was $1000). $1400 is surely in the low range of what a black one costs today, and if you want one you are unlikely to be able to pay less than that. The reasons they are so expensive are market driven, but if this were a Leica M product, talk might be about how well they hold value. I’m sure the Fuji lens is very good, but the T3 lens is exceptional.

My T3 is a very early one bought new in 2000. Early on the single-tooth take-up spool failed and was replaced with the improved (2-tooth) version. I would not recommend buying one that still has the one-tooth spool. It is a common point of failure.

 

[David_Manning]

I have a two-tooth silver T3 that I love. It’s easy to carry everywhere, and it’s as sharp as a 35 chron. Mine is set with the lens extended when the camera is on. The focus is very fast. I bought it as a low-profile alternative to an M6, but ended up enjoying the handling better. Christopher Anderson from Magnum did the same thing...you can see some of the resultant work if you google his Capitolio images.

If the OP is still trying to decide, the T3 is my recommendation. Get a 2-tooth any color over a black 1-tooth though.

 

[raid]

With my T2

 

[trianbampol]

Does anyone know how much the repairs cost? Getting a broken Contax and having it repaired might be a way to get a good deal, assuming the problem is one that they can fix.

The one caveat is that the repair won't be from an authorized service center that has new parts like in ye olde days. In this new phase of camera repair, we more or less have to resort to hacks that might not be as reliable as they used to be.

Not sure about PPP’s pricing but I bought a dead “for parts” T3 and Nippon Photo Clinic in NYC revived it and upgraded it to the double tooth spool for $400. They’re the last official Contax repair center in North America.