GAS! Any advice on a Contax T*?

[Theo-Prof]

A Local camera store has a Contax T, with case, flash, box and instructions for $250. It is fully functional and only has one ding on one of the top corners. (It has obviously been dropped at some point in its life.) Other than the one ding, it seems to be very tight and clean.

I have been wanting a very small pocket-sized camera for some time. I was actually looking for an Olympus XA when I ran across the Contax. Comments I have read about the Contax T are very favorable. The consensus is that the Contax's lens is much better than the Olympus. Is this a good deal at $250? Should I go with the Olympus instead (which I should be able to find at lhalf the price)?

Kevin

 

[wlewisiii]

I'd be concerned about that drop ding. I don't know the going price for those so I can't comment on that, but if you do get it, make sure about your return rights and put film through it immediately so that you can be certain that everything actually does work correctly. Or have a tech at another shop look at it.

William

 

[saxshooter]

I had an Olympux XA which I loved. The lens was OK, not great bokeh -- not so many aperture blades. You have to watch for the foam light seals by the door, some are in worse shape than others.

I've never handled a Contax T but just googled it and it looks interesting albeit hard to find. See if you can run a roll of C41 through it and shoot tests at every aperture to make sure everything is working OK.

 

[KoNickon]

Kevin -- Dante Stella has a pithy and informative writeup: http://dantestella.com/technical/contaxt.html
Seems to me they are rather heavier than his comments lead you to believe, and certainly, when you mount the flash, it's much bigger and heavier. But if you're not getting the flash, this isn't an issue, of course. I think the biggest concern is where to go if something breaks on it.

If you can find a Ricoh GR1 for about the same money or less, I would highly recommend that. The Yashica T4 is excellent as well, with a T* lens as well, though it's a plastic camera. Or, for really cheap, the Olympus Stylus Epic (aka mjuII). Yes, I know, none of these is a true rangefinder but rather a point and shoot. But all three take terrific pictures, and as far as I know they're all supported by their manufacturers still.

Nick

 

[Theo-Prof]

Thanks for the suggestions, Nick. I had thought of the Yashica T4 and the Olympus Epic. I could live with the autofocus, but would prefer to have the ability to choose apertures. I will google the GR1 to see what that offers.

I was also weary of the Contax because I have heard that manufacturer support for the cameras is virtually non-existent. It might be best just to stay away from this one.

I once owned a Rollei 35s and was impressed with the build quality. Unfortunately the one I got from KEH was defective when it arrived, and I have not looked for another. I know the lenses are good on these, but there are so many compromises too.

Any other suggestions for SMALL pocketable 35mm cameras would be welcome.

Kevin

 

[Socke]

When the cameras get older every manufacturer runs out of spareparts, even Leica!

OTOH, I just sent my Contax G1 to Kyocera in Hamburg, Germany to have it upgraded for the 35mm lens and a CLA as well. The 35mm upgrade is still free and I didn't even have to prove that I own a 35mm lens for it 🙂

 

[wlewisiii]

Seriously, look into something like an Agfa Karat. I prefer the slightly older Karat 36 to the newer Karat 4, but either will get you a very solidly made, pleasant to use, easily pocketed camera. They come with a number of lens and shutter combinations, so look around a bit until you see one that appeals.

Mine, as I mentioned, is a Karat 36 with the Solinar 50/2.8 lens and a Syncro-Compur shutter. It's a very sweet handling little camera. I keep it in my glove compartment loaded with a roll of Plus-X as my anytime, anywhere camera.

Mr. Gandy has a good page on the Karat 4 here: http://www.cameraquest.com/agfakar4.htm
There is an excellent site on all of the Karat models here if you read German (if not, it translates reasonably well via googles translate or bablefish) http://www.karat-kameras.de/

Hope this helps,

William

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I had one for a short while, bought it for $85 with flash and case at an antique store. I could never get used to reaching around the "Castle-Door" to focus the lens. Reaching over the "open-door" blocked the finder. I sold it on Ebay for over $225. It produced very sharp and colorful images, the lens is 1st rate. I saw one on sell on Ebay a year later for the same price that I had sold mine. In fact, it was mine: the buyer came to the same conclusion that I did. Did that help your GAS?

 

[jlw]

One word of advice about the Contax T: Make sure the film advance mechanism works correctly. They're notoriously fragile in this area.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

> When the cameras get older every manufacturer runs out of spareparts, even Leica!

It took 3 months because the parts were back-ordered from Leica in Germany, but Essex repaired my 1958 Leica M2 rewind mechanism using new gears.

 

[Lear]

I have two of them. Its a great camera. Yes its old, might have a ding, no matter. I have one in what can only be described as "apocaliptic condition", and still works (actually its the Spare parts all built into a camera) then I have a good user one. Its like a minox with better optics, RF, and metal casing. Heavier than what you would think, a few mm thicker.

The flash is nice, never use it. The T with the flash attached is as wide as an M. I thik its a great camera, and its not that hardo to find a dead one in case you need parts.

 

[Roman]

Don't know about the US - but here in Europe, the original Contax T is rare as hens' teeth on Ebay, really hard to find (because nobody who has one sells theirs, I guess), and the price would be very good.

Roman

 

[Rico]

The Contax T is an acquired taste. I now have three: one virtually unused in original plastic wrappers, my regular shooter in excellent condition, and one parts donor (fully operational, but with trashed upper deck). If the camera specifications appeal to you, then the next step is a purchase. The store price is fair if working condition can be assured: biggest point of failure being the electronic shutter governance. Should the T bug fail to bite, you can sell for no loss. Initial shutter function can be performed by ear, and RF accuracy by ruler. You need film for a complete test, including transport system.

Essex claims to repair this camera. I monitor eBay continuously for "Contax", and a T shows every other month or so. Therefore, I presume these fine cameras can be kept in service indefinitely - for a small charge. 🙂

Reasons I like the T include the small size, lens quality, zero shutter lag, quiet operation, minimal battery demand, quaint appearance. Even focus-by-scale is provided, albeit at f/8 only. I prefer this over my Leica M as a street-shooter. I leave the flash at home.

 

[sleepyhead]

I've wanted a contax T for a while, being a fan of very small 35mm cameras. My concern, as with others above, is repairability should the thing require it. On the other hand, I think you're in pretty safe territory if you can handle it in the shop, and perhaps return it within a week or so if there's a problem. The Contax T is ONE CAMERA THAT I WOULDN'T BUY on Ebay! I say this, because I bought a nice looking black one on Ebay last year, described as "fully functional" and it had at least three MAJOR things wrong with it (like the meter didn't work), plus a tiny ball-bearing, the size of a poppy seed, fell out of it the first time I opened up the back.

As an aside, having owned a few minox 35s and a rollei 35S, it is my general opinion that cameras with retractable lenses combined with leaf shutters are NOT VERY DURABLE. With both my minoxs, the shutter just stopped working one day, and the 35S died when the lens would no longer retract into the body, although the shutter would fire upon winding the film on...

IN SUMMARY: for the price of the "T" you can get 2 or 3 Olympus XAs.