Contax TVS vs Ricoh GR1

[loneranger]

Anyone have experience with contax TVS (l or ll) film cameras, I am thinking about getting one, mainly because of zeiss optics and 28mm wide lens. Anyone compare the picture quality with Ricoh GR1. It seems like most people rave about the GR lens but I like the build quality of the TVS better. Just want to hear any opinions, thanks.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've had two Tvs, sold one of them, kept the other. The camera is perhaps the best handling P&S camera ever, simple to adjust both zoom, f-stop and exposure compensation, and a great VF, tho you see only about 90% or so. It is a tad heavy, and a tad bulkier than others, but easily pocketable if you don't wear those skin-tight jeans 😉 .The lens is not the best Zeiss lens by any means, even at 8x10 prints can be noticably less than crisp. Color is beautiful, and the hood magnificent. The T2 lens is much better by a long shot, but handling is not as good as the Tvs. I don't know if the Tvs2 (and 3??) lenses are improved over the original Tvs.

I have no experience with the Ricoh to compare, sorry.

 

[RayPA]

Not sure about the TVS II, III, but I recently acquired both a Contax T and a T2, and I have a Ricoh GR1-S. I got my first color tester roll out of the T this weekend and I scanned a couple of strips from the roll. I was impressed with what I saw, and to me the results look better than what I've gotten out of the Ricoh. I should have something out of the T2 soon, too.


.

 

[sepiareverb]

There is a vast difference in quality between the T2 lens and the Tvs.