svinao
Member
Hey guys, found these two cameras semi-locally (can't handle them before purchasing) and wanted to ask your opinions about them.
Contax T3 is a black one, which I lusted about for years now. Klasse is the S model, newer black one with exposure comp dial on the front of the camera.
I currently shoot T2 as a daily carry on. It's always in my pocket, literally always when I leave the house. My biggest beef with the camera is the shutter. First I hate how shutter speeds map to the aperture values. 1/500th is a lie, it's only available to you when you are completely stopped down. Camera is only capable to shoot wide open if the shutter speed goes below 1/90th. I understand these are simply limitations of leaf shutter, but still.
Second, and this one's a buzzkill – the lens on a T2 moves after you fire the shutter, not when you half-press. This is just killing me. I am an SLR guy, and I am used to have a definitive moment when the shot is taken. With T2 there's this lag that always makes me wonder when the hell did the shutter fire. It's just a second of whirling sounds – extend the lens, take a shot, retract the lens, wind the film. I have NO idea when the picture is taken. When you have movement on the street and you try to frame for shadows/people in a specific place it never works out.
Now, both T3 and Klasse S have pretty much identical features. Exposure charts look the same – both cameras in aperture priority mode when you shoot wide open can go all the way up to 1/500th. Hello Portra 400 on a sunny day. Both have same custom features, like leaving the film leader out after rewind, but also EXTENDING THE LENS ON HALF PRESS. I am super excited about this feature.
Both have a comparable (on paper) lenses, 38mm on the Klasse does not bother me at all, since it's what I currently use on the T2.
In auto mode T3 can go to 1/1250th, while Klasse goes to 1000. It's not a deal breaker at all, Portra will handle that quarter stop just fine in case the camera's shutter maxes out.
So for me it's an absolute tie between the two, and what would sway me one way or another are these factors:
Price
Size
Lens sharpness
Focusing accuracy and speed
Price wise Klasse is obviously cheaper.
Size wise is where I see differences too. T3 is just so small, I can already imagine having it in my pocket, while Klasse is a tad bulkier. I'd imagine it would handle better, but in terms of ease of carry T3 is a winner.
So again, it's a tie, and here's where I need your help guys. I'm pretty sure there's someone here who can elaborate on how the lenses would compare, and how accurate and fast the autofocus is.
I'd appreciate any other insight as well!
Contax T3 is a black one, which I lusted about for years now. Klasse is the S model, newer black one with exposure comp dial on the front of the camera.
I currently shoot T2 as a daily carry on. It's always in my pocket, literally always when I leave the house. My biggest beef with the camera is the shutter. First I hate how shutter speeds map to the aperture values. 1/500th is a lie, it's only available to you when you are completely stopped down. Camera is only capable to shoot wide open if the shutter speed goes below 1/90th. I understand these are simply limitations of leaf shutter, but still.
Second, and this one's a buzzkill – the lens on a T2 moves after you fire the shutter, not when you half-press. This is just killing me. I am an SLR guy, and I am used to have a definitive moment when the shot is taken. With T2 there's this lag that always makes me wonder when the hell did the shutter fire. It's just a second of whirling sounds – extend the lens, take a shot, retract the lens, wind the film. I have NO idea when the picture is taken. When you have movement on the street and you try to frame for shadows/people in a specific place it never works out.
Now, both T3 and Klasse S have pretty much identical features. Exposure charts look the same – both cameras in aperture priority mode when you shoot wide open can go all the way up to 1/500th. Hello Portra 400 on a sunny day. Both have same custom features, like leaving the film leader out after rewind, but also EXTENDING THE LENS ON HALF PRESS. I am super excited about this feature.
Both have a comparable (on paper) lenses, 38mm on the Klasse does not bother me at all, since it's what I currently use on the T2.
In auto mode T3 can go to 1/1250th, while Klasse goes to 1000. It's not a deal breaker at all, Portra will handle that quarter stop just fine in case the camera's shutter maxes out.
So for me it's an absolute tie between the two, and what would sway me one way or another are these factors:
Price
Size
Lens sharpness
Focusing accuracy and speed
Price wise Klasse is obviously cheaper.
Size wise is where I see differences too. T3 is just so small, I can already imagine having it in my pocket, while Klasse is a tad bulkier. I'd imagine it would handle better, but in terms of ease of carry T3 is a winner.
So again, it's a tie, and here's where I need your help guys. I'm pretty sure there's someone here who can elaborate on how the lenses would compare, and how accurate and fast the autofocus is.
I'd appreciate any other insight as well!
