I want a Contax IIa or IIIa ...Help :D

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Shahin

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Hi,

I am very new to Contax and I still do not have one. Actually I am using a Contaflex IV and a Contaflex S and since they are all fun to use and deliver great results I was looking at what else is interesting in the Zeiss Ikon production range.
The contax seems to be a even better concept then the Contaflex/Contarex Cameras since they offer much higher shutter speeds and are more compact + there are far more lenses available.

That is why I would love to get myself a Contax IIa or a IIIa but which one is the right and what do I have to take into consideration before buying one?

Plese help me to find the right contax.


THX, Shahin :D
 
I would recommend the IIa over the IIIa because the lack of meter makes it more compact. In addition, unless the meter has been recently replaced, it is likely that the old selenium cell is either dead or inaccurate. There are also two variations of the postwar Contaxes, color dial and black dial. The color dial cameras have a standand PC flash sync, while the black dial version has a proprietary sync system. If you are not interested in using a flash, go with the black dial as they as likely to be a little less expensive than the color dial versions.

I am sure that others will chime in.
 
How can I work without a lighmeter? The selenium cells on my contaflex IV work perfektly well BUT I know that this is not common because most of the selenium cells do not work after 40years.
Is there a compact lightmeter I can use on the hot shoe, that is not selenium :D.

.....What do I have to pay to get a good working contax?
 
Try KEH , the higher priced BGN IIa ones should be fully working.
if in doubt, ask them.
 
Shooting without a built in meter is liberating, and there is nothing like a Sonnar. IIa was my choice.
 
Look carefully at any "black dial" model and make sure that it doesn't have a standard PC socket in place of the mechanical flash coupling. I had a IIa which had been completely butchered internally in an attempt to add more modern flash synchronisation which I'm reliably informed isn't a viable conversion.

Also watch out for the shutter not opening at the two higher speeds, a classic sign that a IIa/IIIa is ready for servicing. I saw one in the old Jessops Classic Camera shop in London with exactly this fault and pointed it out to the assistant who agreed with me. I went back in the next day to find it back on the shelf (in the same condition) at the same (high) price. I wonder why that shop closed...?!?
 
The meter on the IIIa is not very useful but adds a bit of bulk. That's why the IIa is more popular today.

Which focal lengths are you interested in? Keep in mind you will need an accessory finder for every FL other than 50mm.

Wide-angle lenses can get pricey. The Soviet Jupiter-12 does not fit IIa/IIIa bodies, only prewar models, so you're limited to Zeiss and Nikon.
 
The IIa handles nicely without the added bulk of the (useless) light meter. Use sunny/16 or Cameraquest sells a nice silver clip on lightmeter. There's also a great iPhone app called "Light Meter".

The IIa/IIIa have a sketchy shutter - avoid eBay and buy from a reputable dealer (KEH) or a RFF member. I agree with Xayraa33 that the BGN one on KEH right now should do nicely for you.
 
I have a IIIa color dial with Sonnar 50mm 1:1.5 and w-Nikkor 35mm 1:2.5. Keep in mind that if you want to use any lenses other than 50mm, the accessory shoe will be occupied by the finder for that lens, so don't get a meter that clips on. I agree that the IIa is the best choice, because it is SO much smaller and lighter! I inherited mine from my Dad, and it quit working within one roll of film. I then sent it off to International Camera Repair in LA. After three months wait, the camera came back and worked for another roll of film. Then I found Henry Scherer. He overhauled the whole camera in 2003 and it has worked perfectly ever since. I have made many, many pictures with that camera, but I must say that it's pretty tricky to use, campared to my Leica M, which is the easiest-to-use camera I've owned.
As for meters, I'd suggest the Sekonic L308s, because it's small, light, extremely rugged and does incident reading which is what you'll want for street shooting and portraits.
A good working Contax is a rare bird. Price? They're all over the map. I would think a good user with the Sonnar 1.5 would be around $400?
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I would love to have one with a sonnar, but they are insanely expensive in germany but since i love my contaflex s and know how good the pictures are when you have a good lens i would love to try out a sonnar as well.
I agree with you all on the point that the lightmeter on the IIIa makes it bulky but one reason I was thinking about it, is that the IIIa is often MUCH cheaper than the IIa XD .....

what do you think, will the contax with the sonnar make better or different pictures in terms of quality and how good they are? I saw a lot of pictures from old contax cameras and was surprised that even the uncoated lenses delivered brilliant results.
 
Have some Contax IIa, great camera and super lenses. Best fitting meter for me is the Voigtländer VC Meter II. Slim and reliable!

Regards,
Walter
 
The voightländer vc meter ii costs 160EUR LOL
It is a bit too expensive since i can buy a ricoh digital camera ONLY to
usw it as a lightmeter :D
BUT you are right it would be perfekt since it looks great and is very small.

A lot of peopel shoot without a lightmeter, does that work or do i lose more than 30% of the film loaded only because i guessed it wrong?
 
I own a Contax IIa post-war model, with the 50mm Sonnar F1.5, and it is a beautiful camera. It was also very reasonable -- much less money than a comparable Leica.

That being said, I agree with what has already been said ... you should buy one from a reputable dealer or a trusted RFF member. The shutters on the Contax IIa are quite complex. Unless the camera has been cared for properly or overhauled, your camera could need an unexpected repair.

Another consideration: the lenses for the Contax IIa / IIIa system are not nearly as common as Leica lenses. They are harder to find and can be expensive. I was quite surprised by this. After I bought my IIa, I thought I might buy a nice wide angle to add to my arsenal. I quickly changed my mind after I found out how expensive they are.

Still, it is one of my favorite cameras, it is a complete joy to use. The precision of the components is exquisite. The build quality is fantastic. The Sonnar 50/1.5 is especially wonderful with B&W film ... the images have a nice 'vintage' feel to them, with a soft, pleasant contrast.

Some sample images from my Contax IIa can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=32011937@N00&q=contax%20IIa

Good luck with your search!
 
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I use the Sonnar 5cm 1.5 and 5cm 2.0. Both lenses are superb lenses overall.
I can also use these two lenses on M cameras with an adapter.
Still, the IIa and IIIa are wonderful classical cameras for use.
 
Shahin said:
if the lightmeter works, is it good or ist the lightmeter in general rubbish?
Click to expand...

Even if the lightmeter works and is accurate, it's only an uncoupled selenium meter. This means the meter doesn't get any input from the camera (your selected speed and aperture), you have to read out the correct combination yourself and transfer it to the lens and the speed dial. Selenium means it's next to useless in low light, such as indoors.

If you're shooting mostly outside in daylight, it's really not that hard to estimate correct exposure (look for "sunny 16" if you want to learn how) but it involves some simple calculations. Vintage handheld meters are so cheap, on the other hand, that I would recommend you get one. Buy in person, if you can, to see if it really works.
 
Shahin said:
I would love to have one with a sonnar, but they are insanely expensive in germany but since i love my contaflex s and know how good the pictures are when you have a good lens i would love to try out a sonnar as well.
[...] I saw a lot of pictures from old contax cameras and was surprised that even the uncoated lenses delivered brilliant results.
Click to expand...

The Soviet 50mm lenses are cheap (f/2, called Jupiter-8) or very reasonable (f/1.5, Jupiter-3) and easy to find. Optically, they are exact copies of the prewar Sonnars, but unlike those, they are coated. The only problem is that the quality varies a lot more than with German or Japanese lenses. If your budget is tight, start with a J-8; it goes for less than $20 here in the US.
 
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