Contax T3 Show & Tell

[morback]

I can't help it but be amazed at the results this little beast gives me, even if the content of my pictures may be lacking.

I want to share with you (and you with me?) my love for this camera with a few pictures that are for me its strongest assets: beautiful color, very good flare control, close focus and its bookeh...

Flare control & exposure:

Close focus, flare control, color and gentle(man)ness for portraits:

Depth & Crispness:

Bookeh?

Black and white tones goodness!

And finally, color awesomeness:

What are you doing with your T3?

p.s: the color pictures up to the black & whites are unprocessed.

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

I've never used a T3, but I had T2 for a while. Great P&S camera. I regret selling it.

In memoriam:

 

[FA Limited]

sweet photos both sets!
i want to get one, but the price is a bit rich

 

[snausages]

I think the T3 is incredible.

 

[DougFord]

T3, my favorite camera 🙂

 

[morback]

Nice, very nice, I love how people underestimate this little thing. Allows you to shoot people "candidly" even if they know you are taking their picture. The pictures are also very...life-like? There's a certain "energy" to them, I feel...

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

Morbach - what film was used for the B&W shots? Very nice.
I need to use my T3 more often.

I just found these pictures on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?ss=2&w=13935845@N00&q=t3+apx+100&m=text

 

[ishpop]

How close does the T3 focus? I find that mt T2 doesn't focus as close as I want it to, so if the T3 does, well, that's a perfect solution! 🙂

 

[Rico]

The Contax T and T2 have an older but quite impressive CZ Sonnar 38/2.8, while the T3 has a Sonnar 35/2.8 of modern design. The latter will often deliver contrast, color saturation, and sharpness to an excessive degree - an amazing optic! I love the T3 for its feature mix and shirt-pocket size, but my currrent carry is the (digital) Panasonic Lumix FX150. I'll come to my senses at some point. 🙂

 

[morback]

The Contax T and T2 have an older but quite impressive CZ Sonnar 38/2.8, while the T3 has a Sonnar 35/2.8 of modern design. The latter will often deliver contrast, color saturation, and sharpness to an excessive degree - an amazing optic! I love the T3 for its feature mix and shirt-pocket size, but my currrent carry is the (digital) Panasonic Lumix FX150. I'll come to my senses at some point. 🙂

and it remains gentle for portraits!

Close focus is 35cm.

I use Kodak Portra 160NC & Agfa APX 400.
I'll probably switch to Tri-X or one of those strange old emulsions from eastern europe (Efke, Adox?) once I'm out of Agfa.

Oh and also, for some reason, this camera aligns each and every shot exactly on the frame number...No matter how you load the film...I don't know how it manages that, but I'm always surprised...

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

Snausages: Which film for your first two?

Morbach: Thanks for the film info. I just ordered a bunch of Rollei Retro 100, based on some nice stuff i saw on flickr. It's supposed to be the same as APX100. Based on your shots, i may also try the APX 400.

Yes, Tri-X is a wonderful film. I had been completely dedicated to it, in the ISO 400 range, but i'm beginning to really appreciate the APX stuff. Pity the 100 has been discontinued.

 

[johnwnyc]

Great photos all around!

I sold mine a few years ago but wish I hadn't. At the time I couldn't live its tendency to vignette strongly. But these photos don't exhibit this problem at all.

 

[morback]

Too bad, I actually love the vignette and sometimes reinforce it!

I'm not too sure when the vignette appears, my 4th shot posted above is at minimum focus distance and wide open, but no vignette...

I usually force a vignette by using the built-in flash...

That reminds me, I think I saw a poster on the subway with Terry Richardson holding a T2? That would explain the raw look of his softporn images for American Apparel...

I knew a guy who shot a fashion story for a magazine in Chinatown (NYC) with the camera (ome shots with built in flash...), I don't think that's what they had in mind when they conceptualized this camera...

 

[johnwnyc]

That reminds me, I think I saw a poster on the subway with Terry Richardson holding a T2?

I think it was a Yashica T4.

 

[lic4]

if it's the UNIQLO ad in the Broadway Lafayette Station, it's him holding a black Contax T3!

 

[Quinn Porter]

Just when I start thinking about selling my T3, along comes a thread that will make me keep it.
Oh well.

 

[raid]

I have the T2, and I love it. The lens is awesome, whether it is the old design or not.

 

[nightfly]

I would love one but the prices are so insane that it's hard not to think you could get a G2 and a lens or two for the same price. Except I don't really want a G2.

If anyone wants to unload one, PM me.

 

[ishpop]

Well, as I long for the T3, here are some T2 shots...

 

[snausages]

CK, I used Portra 400 NC for those shots.

Vignetting has always seemed marginal to me, even wide open, except when using a flash.

This is at 2.8: