Hi from Kevin =)

[Kevin=)]

Hi everyone,

I am Kevin from Singapore =) hello hello.. My 1st post in this forum =)

I have been using my dad's GSN for about 6 months before I took the plunge and bought a Contax iia in feb 2007.

Contax iia with 50mmF1.5 OPton lenses.

So far I have shot 5 rolls ( a few rolls of Kodak40CN) and I have problems with the focus on the pictures that turn out from the majority of the exposures. The pictures turn out blurry most of the time when I shoot indoors.

I am asking for help ! =) I really like this camera, so small and well engineered =)

I could post some of the pictures but before I post, it would be great if I know what pictures that you need to see ( what f stop and shutter speed ).

Thanks in advance from a Contax newbie =)

kevin 🙂 🙂

 

[jdos2]

Welcome, have fun, and enjoy your stay!

Lots of good people on this board.

 

[rbiemer]

Kevin,
Welcome aboard!
With out seeing your photos and since you say the the indoor photos are troublesome, a guess would be that what you're seeing is motion blur--movement of the camera or the subject captured by the longer shutter speeds you would likely be using.
How are the shots you've taken outdoors?
Show us a photo or two and some real experts from here should be able to help you sort this out.
Rob

 

[Kevin=)]

Photos uploaded , please advise

Photos uploaded , please advise

Hi rbiemer and jdos2 , thanks for the welcome.

I have learnt much from everone here at the forum just by reading the posts here =)

I managed to scan some of the pictures, both indoors and outdoor. PLease refer to the following url.
http://masterthemoment.smugmug.com/gallery/2996593
for each of the pictures, the details of the pictures are contained in the photo details that follows the pictures.

I suspect the following
- I have mistaken the DOF for the len,
- Misgauged the exposure
- The rangefinder is misaligned
- the shutter speeds are off.

I welcome your comments and suggesions, my suspicion is that the fault lies with the photgrapher and not the camera. =) chuckle

Kevin=)

 

[FrankS]

Hi Kevin, and welcome again.
Looks like you have a problem. You should be getting better results. It could be the lens or it could be the rangefinder. When you focus using the RF on an object 1 meter away, what does the distance scale on the lens say?
Is there anyone that you can borrow a lens from for a test role of film? That would help isolate the problem to the camera or the lens.
Tell us how it goes.

 

[haagen_dazs]

welcome fellow singaporean.
enjoy this forum.
the fellow are very friendly and you learn alot
beware of the GAS attacks though 🙂

 

[raid]

Hello Kevin,

Welcome to the friendliest and best photography website on the planet.
You will enjoy the discussions here, and people will make you feel welcome.

Raid

 

[Kevin=)]

Rangefinder focused at 1 meter

Rangefinder focused at 1 meter

Hi raid , haagen_dazs and FrankS thanks for the welcome.

FrankS, I focused the rangefinder to the vertical edge of a door at 1 meter, the scale is aproximately at 3.5feet position . Please find attached the photo of the position of the distance scale .

http://masterthemoment.smugmug.com/gallery/2996593#162959035

I do not know of anyone with a iiA, as such I may not be able to borrow another len to try. My only hope could be to borrow from the shop that sold me the contax. But the chances of borrowing may be low =(

What else should I try to do ?

Hava good weekend!!

Kevin=)

 

[FrankS]

Kevin, find a shop that sells the actual Zeiss lenses for Contax, or the Russian Jupiter (3 or 8) lenses for Kiev, and ask to shoot a roll of 400 speed film in their shop with your camera body and their lens. Get it developed to see if the change of lens shows an improvement.

Or, go back to the shop where you bought the camera/lens, with a roll of film in it, and ask one of the sales guys to take some pictures with your camera and lens inside his shop and get them developed to see if it is your equipment or your technique.

 

[raid]

Kevin,

Shoot all photos on a tripod so that camera shake would not be an issue in indoor photos. Place a subject on a table, with markers at 1 inch distances in front of and beyond the focus point. The resulting photos will tell you whether your camera/lens combo is not working perfectly in allignment.

Raid


3 inches 2 inches 1 inch SUBJECT 1 inch 2 inches 3 inches
behind subject in front of subject

 

[ZeissFan]

After looking at the photos:

My first guess would be that the rangefinder is not calibrated.

My second guess would be that the lens is not collimated.

My third guess would be that it's a combination of No. 1 and No. 2.

 

[Kevin=)]

I will try out the checks suggested . Get back to you in a week !!

I will try out the checks suggested . Get back to you in a week !!

HI everyone !!

I greatly appreciate your help and suggestions on checking the Contax. Thank you Thank you !!

f2eyelevel, Raid, I will try out the things mentioned in your posts on a new roll of film.
Let me read up on the indoors infinity test from mike's website.

FrankS, I wil use the remaining roll of film to check out the camera using another lens from the camear shop.=)

I hope to get back to you within a week. I will setup another thread to show you guys the results.

Keeping my fingers crosses that the iia will not be too off the mark.

Till then ... Have fun !!

Kevin =)

 

[Xmas]

Hi Kevin

There are lots of problems you might have or the camera might have.

When you finish your next film, remove back and either stick some pressure sensitive matt tape between the inner rails that the film rides on, the outer rails locate the film, the inner rails control its position (separation from the lens). Dont touch the shutter slats.

If you cannot get '3M Magic tape' you may need to use a ground glass rectangle (or translucent plastic). The ground side needs to face the lens. If you set the shutter on T and fire it then you should see an image on the tape but upside down. This is what is recorded on the film.

You need to acquire a flat piece of glass (e.g. from a 2x2 slide film mount) cut it to fit between the rails, and matt it with carbondum paste, plastic is easier.

If you focus the camera on a object at infinity > 100m then a subject at infinity on the tape should be sharp, you will need a good quality magnification glass to see the image clearly. (and I can see your age).

Then you find something close up that is easy to focus on and look at the image on the tape, it should be sharp. If you use a newspaper at 45 degrees one can see where the sharpest focus is if it is not where you focused. If the sharpest point is different from the focus point then the rangefinder and the lens dont agree.

The tape needs to be taut or the glass or plastic needs to be exactly on the inner rails.

Then you post what you can see.

A contax IIa ia not an easy camera to work on yourself. It would be easier if you found a photography club or fellow forum member.

Noel
P.S. you Dad's camera was ok?

 

[Carlos Cruz]

I usually use unexposed but developed negative blank, it's transparent and much cheaper

 

[Kevin=)]

The steps I have done and what I should do

The steps I have done and what I should do

Hi everyone,

Again, Thanks for your feedback and your help!!

I will attempt the suggestions next week when I have some time off work =)

Noel, Thanks for your suggestions! FYI, my dad's GSN works fine ( I had sent it for a servicing after bringing it out from storage ( more than 20years ). I am not into clubs and I do not know of any forum member using a contax in Singapore =(

I thought I list out the steps I should take and not miss out any of the suggestions given . Also important would be the flow of sequence for the checks ..

== checks on the camera ==
- film pressure plate [ DONE = f2eyelevel , all 4 rivets holding the plate are present and the plate looks flat and paralell to the camera back ]

== without film ==
- Using the 3M magic tape or unexposed but developed neagtive blank , focus on object>100m + closeup object

- indoor infinity test from Mike Elek's website ( I have a FM2 with a Tamron 35-105 F2.8) I will be using the lens at 105mm , I hope this will work =).


== WITH film loaded ==
- Shoot at subject indoor with markers for 3 inches,2 inches, 1 inches

- shoot at object >500m ,focus locked at INF
- shoot at subject in the camera shoot with my lens
- shoot at subject in the camera shop using their lens

I hope the steps above are of the corrrect sequence. Learning new stuff as i go along.. That's fun !!

Cheers
Kevin

 

[Kevin=)]

After testing out my contax with your help ===> camera back at the shop

After testing out my contax with your help ===> camera back at the shop

Hi everyone!

I am back with some info of my findings =)

Using the 3M magic tape technique + a 5x loupe ( from Noel )
Setup#1
- distance from object to camera = 4.16ft
- RF scale distance at 4.3ft
- object looks blur
- adjusted lens so that object is sharp, scale distance at 2.9ft

Setup#2
- distance from object to camera > 100m
- RF scale distance locked at INF
- object looks blur
- adjusted lens so that object is sharp, scale distance at 5.1ft


Next I did the indoor infinity check with a FM2 + Tamron 35-105F2.8 ( courtesy of f2eyelevel and Mike Elek )
- FM2 set at 105mm
- the Target was out of focused
- adjusted focus until object is sharp , scale distance at6.3ft

I did not adjust the lens as the camera is within the 6mths warranty.

I went to the camera shop which agreed for me to use their opton 50mmF1.5 to test out the camer+ lens combo.

Please check out the url for the photos from the shoot out.Thanks Frank, pictures do tell more than a thousand word =)
http://masterthemoment.smugmug.com/gallery/2996593

After loooking at the photos, Iam guessing and hopes that my Opton is not Collimated with the possibility of the RF being out of adjustment( Mike and f2eyelevel, thanks )

I also showed the sales person using 3M magic tape method when he kept saying the the RF was in focused. Noel, wink !!

The sales person says that they will take the camera back for servicing as it was within the 6months warranty. The camera should be back with me by next weekend.... keeping my fingers CROSSED!!

Again, I would like to say a BIG BIG thank you for your help and I will keep you posted when the camera is back from the shop !!

Have a good weekend!!

Cheers
kevin=)

 

[Kevin=)]

The photos after the repairs at the shop. Thank you thank you!!

The photos after the repairs at the shop. Thank you thank you!!

Hi Everyone!!

The iia came back from the shop and I shot 2 rolls ! I think the camera is ok now.

PLease check out the url for the 3 photos taken with the serviced iia
http://masterthemoment.smugmug.com/gallery/2996593/1/175263386/Medium

the prints look much sharper than these scanned files =)

In the 3 photos, the lens whould be at f2 or f1.5 , speed = unrecorded =)
Film used = kodak C41 BW.


I would like to thank everyone for their kind help and suggestions. Thanks!!

I will use the iia more often as my everyday camera =) Will upload the passable photos =)

Cheers
kevin

PS : possible GAS attack. . . a leica iiif with a summarit 50mm f2 for my wife. Saw the camera when I went to the camera shop recently. tsk tsk

priced at USD760. Good price ?

 

[FrankS]

Unless the camera/lens is mint and you're a collector, the price sounds too high by about $200.