Contax T3 Show & Tell

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Martin N. Hinze
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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:
1562151-R2-045-21.jpg


Close focus, flare control, color and gentle(man)ness for portraits:
martin1-R1-067-32.jpg


Depth & Crispness:
kermen0-R7-051-24.jpg


Bookeh?
1614000-R1-067-32.jpg


Black and white tones goodness!
3187055664_18e27f80b7.jpg
3187055660_e6fb700c6b.jpg
3178919024_c8b6a05a8f.jpg


And finally, color awesomeness:
3178083791_e98d606f66.jpg


What are you doing with your T3?

p.s: the color pictures up to the black & whites are unprocessed.
 
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...
 
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! :)
 
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. :)
 
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...
 
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.
 
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.
 
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...
 
I have the T2, and I love it. The lens is awesome, whether it is the old design or not.
 
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.
 
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:

2832220026_9471f6f677.jpg
 
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