outfitter
Well-known
I used to collect Contax in a big way 30 years ago and still ujse them . I had always thought the Contax IIIa undesirable from a user point of view (weight and bulk) until I got one with a re-built meter. Those meters are very sensitive and eminently usable and the weight and bulk now don't seem a problem at all - indeed I've come to think of the camera as quite handsome. BTW the Contax III is still a heavy boat anchor.
bobby_novatron
Photon Collector
Just to liven up this thread...
My Contax IIa colour-dial...
My Contax IIa colour-dial...
bogelgelbo
RF student
Ouch Bobby, that look like a very clean IIa. I foolishly sold mine with the 50/1.5 sonnar. This thread remind me that I still have a deposit on Henry Scherer, need to check about the line.
RichL
Well-known
The primary difference for the shooter is that quality control on the Kiev's was nearly none existent. You could get two Kiev's with consecrative serial numbers and one will be pure junk while the other is pure perfection. That said, there are several reputable dealers online that you can email questions to so that you will be sure of getting a good user. I have never used a 4 or 5 but have 'heard' they have real reliability problems . You might want to do some serious web searches on them before you pick one up. You should also check in with the folks on the Russian FSU RF forum here on Rff.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Reliability.............I own a IIa and a IIIa and they work and look wonderful....I have had a number of Kiev's and not one performed well. I know there are members here that have had luck with Kiev's but after years of Fed's, Kiev's and Zorki's I gave up on FSU's.