is the g2 for me?

[Clint]

I use Nikon digital cameras at work and Canon film cameras for personal stuff. At times I get tired of carrying around such big and obvious pieces of equipment. I would like a rangefinder, but I'm not sure which one is right for me. I'll go ahead and rule out Leica because of price. I'm attracted to the Bessa R2 and 35/1.7. However, there are times when I want to set the camera on auto and point&shoot. This is why I'm attracted to the G2.

Did Contax ever make a 35/2.0 in black? I don't want a flashy silver camera.

From what I've read the G2 is a great camera, but I have yet to try one out for myself.

Any help would be appreciated.

Clint

 

[SolaresLarrave]

The Contax G gear is the closest thing there is to a P&S. In fact, it's a very fancy P&S.

What kind of photography do you want to do? I mean, genre. Because if you want to do street... there's something to consider: shutter lag, and AF speed will drag you. If not, why not the Bessa? After all, AF is not all that's cracked up to be when DOF is critical.

I have a G1 (silver, the only silver camera I own), and its very look makes it unassuming and helps me go almost unnoticed because a lot of people take it for a very basic P&S. The thing with the silver ones is that they're the cheapest ones, as the black models aren't old enough to hit the used market. But yes, there's a black 35/2 Contax lens.

Again, what kind of photography do you do? That'll help.

 

[Taipei-metro]

I like the look of g1(a rounder looking M6), g2 is bigger, has a dial in front of the camera which looks strange.
Everytime I pick up a g1 or g2 in the camera show,I shake my head.Kyocera... Kyocera(Kyoto Ceramic Corp) does your designer take pictures? Please go back and make the viewfinder at least 40% bigger!
The view finder of g1 is only about 60% of Canon F-1,A-1 or EF,really unacceptable.
Ya,the Zeiss is great,but how many lenses are you going to get?
28/2.8 IMHO is the best all around one,50? the FD 50/1.4 or 1.8 is on the par w/Zeiss and the G2 is as big as the A-1.
R2 w/35/1.7 are not cheap.Black G2 only in Japan.
Only my 2 cents.
Have fun!
Thank you!

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Taipei-metro, I have news for you. The G2 in black is available through B&H.

I agree, the Contax G2 body is slightly larger than the G1 because this model has active and passive AF (the G1 has only passive AF). The front dial is the focusing dial, which used to be on the top cover plate... and apparently isn't very well located. But then, if you're using AF, why bother with manual focus? Only when it's too dim for the AF system to "see" well.

Their lenses are great, but from the entire lineup, the wide angles are the most raved about, then the 45mm and lastly the 35mm. The 90mm lens is OK. And there's a 35-70 zoom, but using a zoom in a rangefinder... kinda takes the wind off my sails. Not to mention that the 0.56 magnification VF isn't very helpful...

However, I don't think I'll sell mine anytime soon.

 

[Taipei-metro]

G2 black w/3 lens kit,$2,699.00(B&H),spend the money on property tax Apr.10th. No body-only price?gee...
How about Rollei AFM(38/2.6) for $299,based on Fuji klasse.
Fuji also made Hasselblad xpan and H1 645 lenses.
I wonder would AFM be a good alternative for G2 w/45/2 or 35/2
Francisco,thank you!

 

[Clint]

As for the type of photography I want to do with this camera it's kind of simple. I want a camera smaller than my EOS3 that I can take if I go walking through the woods or around a city/town with my wife or friends. Circumstances where I'm not planning to make photographs, but you never do know when you might see something. I'm ready to replace my Olympus Stylus (35/2.8) P&S. I really want more control than what a P&S can give me.

My wife has a Canon A75 that I could always use if I wanted more of P&S capapbilities.

So how does the viewfinder work on the G2 for focusing? Is there a double-image?

Thanks,
Clint

 

[pvdhaar]

... I'm ready to replace my Olympus Stylus (35/2.8) P&S. I really want more control than what a P&S can give me. ...

So how does the viewfinder work on the G2 for focusing? Is there a double-image?

Hi Clint,

have you thought about a used Konica Hexar AF? Though it is not formally a rangefinder, it's really close to one in look and feel. It has a fixed 35mm/2.0 lens, can be put in auto mode as well in full manual mode (focus, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, film ISO). Viewfinder is excellent, with parallax compensated framelines. Not a double image though. Manual focus can be set in a couple of ways. Either by selecting a distance with up/down buttons, by using and locking AF, or by infinity focussing. In this regard it shouldn't be too different from the G2 which is also basically an autofocus camera with user control.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Very casual shots, Clint, with the ability to override the meter? Check out the Minolta P&S line-up or get yourself a Rollei P&S. The Konica Hexar AF is a nice one, but it's been discontinued and it's a bit hard to find. Plus, it's incredibly plasticky (to me, at least) and, compared to your Stylus, larger and bulkier.

Take a look at other P&S, like the Minolta Freedom (my brother has one, so I know them a bit) or the Nikons.

Either that or lay your hands on a G1! AF (a little noisy, but bearable), with some shutter lag (nothing you're not used to already), great meter and excellent lenses, not to mention lots of control over the exposure. Good luck!

 

[Clint]

Thanks again for all of the replies and suggestions. I've considered several different cameras:
Leica Minilux or CM
Contax T3
Contax G2
Bessa R2

I think I'll just have to go over to Miami and play with them at a store to make a final decision. I'll keep you guys posted as to what I decide on.

Thanks again,
Clint

 

[pvdhaar]

Francisco wrote
The Konica Hexar AF is a nice one, but it's been discontinued and it's a bit hard to find. Plus, it's incredibly plasticky

I'll second you on the hard to find part and being available second hand only. But plasticky? What a strange perception.. it's metal and glass all over the place. Inside and out. Body and shell.

and Clint wrote
I think I'll just have to go over to Miami and play with them at a store to make a final decision.

Very good decision, only you can tell which one is the best choice for you.

 

[Huck Finn]

Clint, you may want to check out this review of the Contax T3.

www.photo.net/contax/t3

Just a thought . . . The Nikon FM3A with the 45/2.8 pancake lens is as compact as any interchangeable lens rangefinder & that lens is magnificent with great bokeh. The body is robust. Available in a kit from B&H for $810 in black. It is an aperture priority, manual focus SLR. Aperture priority makes it quicker to operate than the R2. The lens is no faster than your Olympus, but it will give you the option to change to a faster lens when the need arises. Not exactly what you're looking for, but it may be worth having on your list when you go to Miami.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

pvdhaar, sorry, but there was no metal about the Hexar AF. In any case, to me, the size was simply overwhelming (too big for my taste), and it felt surprisingly light (sure sign of plastic) in comparison with my other rangefinder cameras (Leica, Contax, Canonet).

Aren't you talking about the Hexar Rangefinder? That's one I've never held in my hands. Too bad it won't be distributed in the US any more. 🙁

 

[Huck Finn]

Solares,

I've lusted after the Hexar RF for some time, but caught onto it too late in the game. I thought that its manufacture had been discontinued, but maybe I'm wrong. Is it available outside the USA? If so, do you know where I might look to import? Thanks.

 

[pvdhaar]

pvdhaar, sorry, but there was no metal about the Hexar AF. In any case, to me, the size was simply overwhelming (too big for my taste), and it felt surprisingly light (sure sign of plastic) in comparison with my other rangefinder cameras (Leica, Contax, Canonet).

Aren't you talking about the Hexar Rangefinder? That's one I've never held in my hands. Too bad it won't be distributed in the US any more. 🙁

Hi Francisco,

I've currently got the RF and the AF-Silver. Had the AF-Black untill three years back. The confusion may come from the AF-Black having no leatherette or someting similar, but a sort of rubbery soft smooth stuff over the metal body. The top is metal with some sort of wear resilient black epoxy like coating. The Silver is more traditional in this respect, anodized metal and leatherette-like over the body. The RF is somewhere in between, leatherette-like and the black epoxy coating on top/bottom.

That the AF felt lighter may come from the choice of metals (steel vs. brass vs. aluminium etc), from having a motor instead of mechanical gears, and from the form factor (somewhat more rounded corners). But really light it is not;

Leica M6: approx. 580g
Hexar RF: approx. 560g
Hexar AF: approx. 495g

 

[jdos2]

To answer directly:
||Did Contax ever make a 35/2.0 in black? I don't want a flashy silver camera. ||

Yes, they did. 35 f/2.0 is available in black. There are some that say that the 35mm is "obviously" inferior to the 45. I couldn't ever see the difference.

The camera is an excellent rangefinder and point and shoot, though it's not a rangefinder in the traditional sense of the word- it's electronic, and the view you see is through a finder of decent quality (and taste- you should look to see if you like it, including the automatic parallax compensation)

The lenses are said to be the best, depending on who you ask- simply put they are great.

Autofocus is fast, but you can easily set it up for hyperfocal and stop down, just like on any other camera and not have to worry about focus, just like any other camera.

I miss mine, and am suffering from sellers remorse, but only slightly... 🙂

 

[Huck Finn]

jdos -

I've never used the Contax system, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the 35 is inferior to the 45. That's normally the case in any lens system. It's harder to design a high quality 35 than it is to design a high quality 45. Of course, inferior in regard to what purpose? Usually the differences are small & hard to see except in an enlargement. And the 45 can't do what the 35 can do. It can't give you the 35's angle of view.🙂

 

[Clint]

g2 maybe

g2 maybe

Okay, after much deliberation with myself and a colleague who used to have an M6, I've decided to go with a camera with automation. I'm still not sold on the G2 because I haven't used it. I'm also considering the Leica CM.

I'll let you know.

Clint

 

[Rich Silfver]

So Clint what did you end up getting..? 🙂

 

[jdos2]

I wanna know too!

🙂

Oh! My Contax G has "sorted itself out," with regards to my own focusing questions. I have NO idea what happened but after 5 rolls of film through it in a weekend (XP-2 is AWESOME!) it's rock solid and dead-on for focus. Pix to follow...