Hilarious Ebay Contax score....

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

In my camera with the sprocket problem the cause is on the other side of the camera. The teeth of the prong are too big (or the holes of the Kodak cassette are too large) for the ready bought Kodak cassette. I need to file them off. I am not sure that I will do that, however.

Erik.

Ahh, OK, well it's good to be aware of that issue too, thanks for clarifying it, Erik. 😉
Cheers,
Brett

 

[Erik van Straten]

This is a drawing of my vignetting problem. I am not as good a draughtsman as Deklari I am afraid.

The control curve of the camera is marked grey.

Erik.

 

[Mark C]

This makes a lot of sense if the Contax I came out before the 1.5 existed. I wonder if they redesigned the mount later during the Contax I run. That would explain why some people don't have the problem.

 

[Erik van Straten]

This makes a lot of sense if the Contax I came out before the 1.5 existed. I wonder if they redesigned the mount later during the Contax I run. That would explain why some people don't have the problem.

As far as I know the lens came out together with the camera, in 1932.

The camera carries the number Z45930, the lens 1628901. The lens came on this camera, one of the last batches (1935 or 1936). They could have corrected the problem by then I guess.

Erik.

 

[Mark C]

Odd to see they would have that kind of problem. Is the vignetting any better at close distances? Or worse? I can't really think that one through without it in front of me.

They seemed to have considered this a special purpose lens with its initial minimum aperture of f8. I don't buy the idea of diffraction; that wouldn't be any different from other lenses. A real mystery how the vignetting issue could have existed. Maybe Gben will get his running and we can hear if he has the issue.

 

[Corran]

Thanks for the drawing Erik. In truth, I have nothing like that in my camera I don't believe. My serial # is slightly earlier, but this camera seems to have been well cared for in its life - there is even a service sticker inside dated '96. Perhaps mine was modified or upgraded by Contax to fix such an issue. The inside looks almost the same as my Contax III.

I'll try to make sure I shoot a frame at infinity with the 50mm f/1.5 next roll.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Is the vignetting any better at close distances?

There is much less vignetting at close distances. Actually none. See picture.

Yes, it is bizarre, above all if one takes into account that the lens was as expensive as the body; in fact it was the most expensive lens for 35mm photography available before the war.

Contax I v7, Sonnar 50mm f/1.5, 400-2TMY.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

In truth, I have nothing like that in my camera I don't believe. The inside looks almost the same as my Contax III.

I'll try to make sure I shoot a frame at infinity with the 50mm f/1.5 next roll.

Anything is possible.

Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

Odd to see they would have that kind of problem. Is the vignetting any better at close distances? Or worse? I can't really think that one through without it in front of me.

They seemed to have considered this a special purpose lens with its initial minimum aperture of f8. I don't buy the idea of diffraction; that wouldn't be any different from other lenses. A real mystery how the vignetting issue could have existed.

According to what I understand, this is not vignetting (if we call "vignetting" what is actually optical light fall-off at the periphery of the image circle) but something opaque getting in the image circle by blocking the lens rear element.

 

[Erik van Straten]

According to what I understand, this is not vignetting (if we call "vignetting" what is actually optical light fall-off at the periphery of the image circle) but something opaque getting in the image circle by blocking the lens rear element.

Yes, you are right, but in the case of blocking lenshoods we also speak of "vignetting", at least we do so in The Netherlands.

Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

Yes, you are right, but in the case of blocking lenshoods we also speak of "vignetting", at least we do so in The Netherlands.

Someone told me that The Netherlands are a country where many criminal Russian people live nowadays. They use to gather into terrible gangs in order to spread fake Contax cameras all over the whole world. Your Contax I may have been tailored by those people, who want our own minds to vignette, too. You may want to dump that thing and buy a genuine Contax from California.

 

[Dralowid]

Someone told me that The Netherlands are a country where many criminal Russian people live nowadays. They use to gather into terrible gangs in order to spread fake Contax cameras all over the whole world. Your Contax I may have been tailored by those people, who want our own minds to vignette, too. You may want to dump that thing and buy a genuine Contax from California.

To test the authenticity of a Contax I is very simple. If it floats it is a fake.

 

[Erik van Straten]

If it floats it is a fake.

I did this test. All my cameras are real. But how can I get them back?

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Someone told me that The Netherlands are a country where many criminal Russian people live nowadays. They use to gather into terrible gangs in order to spread fake Contax cameras all over the whole world. Your Contax I may have been tailored by those people, who want our own minds to vignette, too. You may want to dump that thing and buy a genuine Contax from California.

Yes, that is the widely feared Petrakla gang. They origin from Petersburg, but now they are all over the place.



Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

To test the authenticity of a Contax I is very simple. If it floats it is a fake.

With a Contax I, yes.

But with a Contax II if it leaves stains of pure-bred German petroleum grease on the Thames water surface this is another proof it wasn't a fake. Counterfeit Kievs made in The Netherlands would leave whale lubricants behind.

 

[Dralowid]

I did this test. All my cameras are real. But how can I get them back?

Erik.

Do you have the telephone number for those nice people who dredge up bicycles from your canals? They may be able to help...

My wife and I once spent an enjoyable hour or so sitting in the sun with a glass of something watching them at work, such skill, beats 'Changing of the Guard' any day.

 

[Gben]

Thread drift is a fact of life. Everyone is discussing Contax I cameras, including foibles that very well may affect yours. Lighten up.

Lightening up has nothing to do with it. If you want the forum to actually be useful, then it makes sense to put information into threads that have relevant titles. If someone is looking for information on f1.5 Sonnars having problems they are probably not going to take a look in this thread because neither "Contax I" or "f1.5 Sonnar" is in it's title.

Thread Drift happens, but it should not be a goal if anyone wants the forum to be useful and popular, but maybe nobody does, maybe it is just a toy for a small handful of individuals to sit in a circle and pleasure each other....

 

[Corran]

you must be fun at parties 😉

 

[Highway 61]

If someone is looking for information on f1.5 Sonnars having problems they are probably not going to take a look in this thread because neither "Contax I" or "f1.5 Sonnar" is in it's title.

This is all true. People looking for good information about the classic Zeiss Contax gear on this forum were certain to find some in a thread having "Hilarious" in its title and created by someone having posted 38 times so far.