Just purchased my first Contax

Steve Ruddy

Steve Ruddy

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Hi All,

I just bought a Contax with some extras.
  1. Contax IIIa black dial Serial# V20829
  2. Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm f2 T Nr.3501027
  3. Flash Sync adapter 1366
  4. Zeiss Opton Sonnar 135mm f4 Nr. 661086
Looks like the body is from 7-10/1952. I haven't found anything about the two lenses. No hoods were supplied and I haven't seen any accessories catalog so I'm wondering what was available. I especially would like some lens hoods. The take up spool was missing so I used a dremmel on a portra film cartridge and am going to run a test roll today. I think the shutter maybe running a little fast.

The kit came along with a Leica IIIf but I don't think I'll use it as the Contax seems superior.

Here are a few photos.

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You might get some push back on Leica Vs. Contax, but I won't go there. Both of your lenses have a fairly standard 40.5 mm thread. Zeiss made both 40.5 mm Screw in and 42 mm push on shades for the 50 , but both block a lot of the finder. I use vented shades bought on eBay for not much money and they block the finder a lot less. A longer tele 40.5 mm shade will be fine on the 135, although Zeiss made one that fits both the 135 and 85 f/4 Triotar. The Zeiss shades are a bit pricey and hard to find and won't perform any better than the eBay versions.
A couple of other things: I didn't see a separate Zeiss finder for the 135, although the auxiliary finder on the Leica will probably work well enough. Also, you might want to go to a hardware store and get an O ring to attach around the finder of the Contax if you wear glasses and don't want to scratch them.
Good luck with your camera--they don't make cameras like that any more!
 
Lovely to see both cameras side by side. The Contax is a lot more butch than the Leica, but both are very fine bits of German camera making. Have fun!
 
Steve - here's a reference for dating some Zeiss lenses. The Contax lenses are at the bottom.
Looks like the 50mm Sonnar was from '52-'53 and made in East Germany, while the 135mm was also about '52 and made in West Germany. Here's another page with some information and nice pics.
One good source of information about Contax from '45 until recently is Kuc's "On the Trail of the Contax", which has a lot of historical information and a good chapter on accessories for Contax. I only see one copy on Amazon right now for $130, but keep your eyes out for a lower-priced copy as I think I only paid $20 for mine. It's not a big book, but a great resource.
 
Congrats on your purchase!

Per Cascadilla's post, I would also recommend just getting a screw-in 40.5mm vented hood that will work w/both the 50 & the 135. They're very inexpensive & readily available on eBay. The official Zeiss hoods, both screw-in & push-on, from the 1950s are huge (in fact, bigger than the ones for the 1930s-40s Contax II/III for some reason) & really only for collectors.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies.

Cascadilla said:
You might get some push back on Leica Vs. Contax, but I won't go there. Both of your lenses have a fairly standard 40.5 mm thread. Zeiss made both 40.5 mm Screw in and 42 mm push on shades for the 50 , but both block a lot of the finder. I use vented shades bought on eBay for not much money and they block the finder a lot less. A longer tele 40.5 mm shade will be fine on the 135, although Zeiss made one that fits both the 135 and 85 f/4 Triotar. The Zeiss shades are a bit pricey and hard to find and won't perform any better than the eBay versions.
A couple of other things: I didn't see a separate Zeiss finder for the 135, although the auxiliary finder on the Leica will probably work well enough. Also, you might want to go to a hardware store and get an O ring to attach around the finder of the Contax if you wear glasses and don't want to scratch them.
Good luck with your camera--they don't make cameras like that any more!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what a slotted hood is but thanks for the info. I'll look for one. I'm glad you mentioned the viewfinder as I do wear glasses and would have almost certainly scratched them! I found an o-ring that fits in my stash. Do you know why the viewfinder has threads? It also looks like it can be unscrewed bit mine doesn't budge.

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CharlesDAMorgan said:
Lovely to see both cameras side by side. The Contax is a lot more butch than the Leica, but both are very fine bits of German camera making. Have fun!
Click to expand...

I found a very reasonable repair for the Leica which includes a new curtain for $240 now if I can only find the same for the Contax with no waiting list I'll be happy. I'm doing a test shoot of both cameras today. I'll be taking the same shots with each using their 50mm lenses so I can compare the images. This is a assuming I end up with usable exposures! So far I like the Lieca for it's size, and weight.

jim_jm said:
Steve - here's a reference for dating some Zeiss lenses. The Contax lenses are at the bottom.
Looks like the 50mm Sonnar was from '52-'53 and made in East Germany, while the 135mm was also about '52 and made in West Germany. Here's another page with some information and nice pics.
One good source of information about Contax from '45 until recently is Kuc's "On the Trail of the Contax", which has a lot of historical information and a good chapter on accessories for Contax. I only see one copy on Amazon right now for $130, but keep your eyes out for a lower-priced copy as I think I only paid $20 for mine. It's not a big book, but a great resource.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim, I'm going to check the links out now. Thanks for the book reference too, I definitely want one.
 
All 3 of the post war Contax bodies that I own have knurling around the eyepiece, and none of them unscrew without a lot of force, which I haven't tried.
 
Congrats to the small but growing Contax family. I picked up a Contax IIA last year. It has become my favorite 35mm film camera. Santa brought me a Voigtlander 21mm f4 Skopar in Nikon/Contax bayonet mount also.

Have you run film through it yet? I had mine CLA'd after the first roll. After the CLA it has been working perfectly.

I suspect you could use the Leitz viewfinder with the Contax (I am using a Nikon Varifocal + a dedicated 21mm Voigtlander brightline)
 
markjwyatt said:
Congrats to the small but growing Contax family. I picked up a Contax IIA last year. It has become my favorite 35mm film camera. Santa brought me a Voigtlander 21mm f4 Skopar in Nikon/Contax bayonet mount also.

Have you run film through it yet? I had mine CLA'd after the first roll. After the CLA it has been working perfectly.

I suspect you could use the Leitz viewfinder with the COntax (I am using a Nikon Varifocal + a dedicated 21mm Voigtlander brightline)
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark, Who did you use for the CLA?
 
Steve,

The viewfinder has threads because the camera came with a plastic protector that screws on and off and a eye piece correction diopter could be fitted under it. In the 60-70 years since they were made most Contaxes lost these little niceties. I've been using a IIIa since 1967 without a protector all the time with eyeglasses and never experienced a scratched lens.

Bill Jones
 
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Contax service

Contax service

Steve Ruddy said:
Thanks Mark, Who did you use for the CLA?
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Mark Hansen has serviced a few cameras for me. He's fast, reasonable, and he does excellent work (and he loves Contax cameras). http://www.zeissikonrolleirepair.com/

I had one camera serviced by Ross Yerkes - never again because I don't like racist propaganda included when the camera is returned.
 
Bill Jones said:
Steve,

The viewfinder has threads because the camera came with a plastic protector that screws on and off and an eye piece correction diopter could be fitted under it. In the 60-70 years since they were made most Contaxes lost these little niceties. I've been using a IIIa since 1967 without a protector all the time with eyeglasses and never experienced a scratched lens.

Bill Jones
Click to expand...

In my experience, the black rings that originally came on the Contax viewfinders were metal, not plastic, w/the black being a hard enamel-type paint. My theory is that they were a carryover from before WWII, since Zeiss Ikon used the same rings on some pre-war models, like the Tenax II & Super Ikonta B, & then continued using them for other models like the postwar Super Ikonta B (1 of the 1st cameras to be made by the reconstituted Zeiss Ikon & basically just the pre-war model w/a coated lens) while introducing it to new models like the Contax II/III & Contessa.

Since I can, & have scratched, my glasses (plastic since the '80s) on the bare VF threads, I switch the rings between cameras, including the Contaxes. Because they're metal, they're more abrasive than plastic or rubber, but still better than nothing (they also make the camera look better).
 
Hello,

I'm lucky enough to have a Contax-IIIa complete with its black eyepiece-ring.

I can say that it's made of a material closely resembling to Bakelite or black, hard plastic.

With surprise, I've seen that this piece is identical to those mounted on the now cheap Contina or on the "luxurious" Contessa.

The O-ring is an excellent solution though.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)
 
I recall being told that quality control for the FSU lenses was at its best between the early 1950s and the late 70s. Brian Sweeney can probably narrow that down for you.
 
I just received an email from Mark Hansen. He told me it has sand inside and he is not sure if he can get it all out. He recommended I put it on the shelf. This is hard to swallow as I have $150 purchase price plus another $80 for his fee into it already. Henry has an 8 year waiting list. Maybe I should try Ross. I hate to put this camera on the shelf so I may open it to at least see what he is talking about. Mark said the Sonnar F2 was in good condition. However I'm under the impression the F2 was a kit lens and the better choice would be the F1.5 which is listed in the Contax user manual. Anyone have an opinion on that or what should be done with the camera. Maybe I should abandon these older 35mm cameras and put money into some good lenses and a CLA for my Dad's old Nikkormat.
 
^^^^That’s a shame. Not sure what I can offer outside of the following bits. I have had Mark Hansen do a couple, or three, of cameras for me over the years, but I have gotten the impression, perhaps mistaken, that he’s not as eager to do any and every camera that comes his way as he might have once been. This impression comes from talking to him and others who have talked to him. So, I would recommend getting a second opinion as the camera is worth fixing if it can be done reasonably. I don’t know Ross Yerkes, who has been mentioned here, but start there?
If you already have the 50/2, don’t feel like you need to be jonesing for the 50/1.5 until you try the 50/2, which is plenty nice and as nice as the 50/1.5 from f/2 on in my experience (I have both). The faster lens is faster and you’d get the benefits of that, but there is nothing wrong with the f/2.

Good luck, and don’t give up just yet.
 
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