Leica vs. Contax: Prewar Battle of the Titans
Which was the best choice for a hypothetical photojournalist in 1938? Here are the facts. The one you picked depended on your priorities.
By Jason Schneider
The Leica camera, in particular the Leica II Model D of 1932 (the first interchangeable lens Leica with a built-in coupled rangefinder) is widely hailed as the camera that, almost singlehandedly, helped to define modern photojournalism. The Ermanox of 1924, an ingenious 4.5 x 6 cm-format predecessor with fast f/2 and f/1.8 Ernostar lenses, was a worthy contender in the early years, but compared to the Leica it was huge, heavy, inconvenient, and slow. By the 1930s the Leica was in its ascendency, the choice of such legendary photojournalists as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and countess other luminaries. By comparison, the Contax I of 1932, despite its superb line of bayonet mount Zeiss lenses, a removable back for easier loading, and a longer-base rangefinder, was consigned to marginal status due to its notoriously unreliable vertical metal blind shutter. Zeiss-Ikon made numerous attempts to fix the problem, but none was completely successful.
Ideal Leica Photojournalist Outfit of 1938: Leica IIIb with uncoated 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Xenon and SCNOO Rapid Winder, predecessor of the Leicavit.
The Leica vs. Contax battle for supremacy took a completely new turn in 1936 when Zeiss released the vastly improved Contax II. It had a much more reliable vertical roller-blind shutter, a combined 0.8x rangefinder and viewfinder with an actual base length of 90mm and an effective base length of 73mm (the first of its kind in an interchangeable lens 35), a single top-mounted non-rotating shutter speed dial with speeds of ½-1/1250 sec plus B, a modern built-in lever-set mechanical self-timer, and a host of internal upgrades. By comparison Leica’s top model of 1936 was the Leica IIIa (Model G) that was introduced in 1935, essentially a Leica III of 1933 with the addition of a 1/1000 sec top shutter speed. And the Leica III itself was basically little more than a Leica II of 1932 with a separate front-mounted slow shutter speed dial added. The little Leica IIIa was still able to compete with the mighty Contax II because it was far smaller, slimmer, and lighter, and its rounded-end form factor was more ergonomic and appealed to
photographers on the go. But Zeiss was assuredlyin the lead when it came to lenses, especially the high-speed normal lenses then favored by photojournalists. Lens speed was important since Kodak Super XX, the world’s fastest high-speed black-and-white film, just announced in 1938, was equivalent to ISO 200 in today’s film values. It became the standard 35mm film of WW II photojournalists.
The Zeiss Optical Edge
As the premier German lens maker going back to the 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century, Zeiss had a well-deserved reputation for optical excellence, and they certainly used it to their advantage in marketing the Contax. The most renowned lenses for the Contax II were the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar and the 50mm f/1,5 Sonnar, both devised by the great Zeiss optical designer Ludwig Bertele. The first Zeiss production Sonnar was a 50 mm f/2 with six elements in three groups created for the Contax I in 1932. But a year earlier in 1931, it had already been reformulated with seven elements in three groups, allowing a maximum aperture of f/1.5, a phenomenal speed unsurpassed in its day. According to most optical experts the
50mm f/2 Sonnar of the ‘30s was superior the 50mm f/2 Leitz Summar, especially at wide apertures and in the corners of the field at apertures wider than about f/5.6. As for the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, it was in a class by itself, handily surpassing even the 50mm f/2 Sonnar, and widely regarded as the finest ultra-high-speed normal lens of its day. It wasn’t really surpassed by Leitz until the first 50mm f/1.4 Summilux of 1961.
Ideal Contax Photojournalist Rig of 1938: Contax II with 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar. Note: Lens shown in postwar T coated version of the "50s.
Zeiss Contax II in the hands with correct uncoated prewar 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar : It proves that the camera was compact and handy enough for photojournalists.
A prewar 50mm f/1.5 “Leitz” lens for photojournalists? Yes!
If our hypothetical photojournalist of 1938 was a Leica fan, her or she could have theoretically acquired a 50mm f/1.5 Zeiss Sonnar in Leica screw mount because a small number of these exceedingly rare lenses were produced on order from the German government. However, they were reserved for the military, the Propaganda Ministry (PK), and other high mucky-mucks and were never released to the public. The other fascinating alternative would be snagging a 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Xenon (Leitz code name XEMOO) a design originally patented by H.W Lee of Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson, Ltd. in Britain in 1932, licensed to Schneider, and listed in the 1936 Leica catalog as a Leitz Xenon starting in 1936 and ending in 1950, when it was replaced by the 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Summarit. A 7-element, 5-group double Gauss design with a split rear element, the Xenon is uncoated (except for a handful of rare examples coated during the war), stops down to f/9 (!), is rangefinder coupled down to 1 meter, and weighs 10.6 ounces. Most hands-on reviewers say this lens is soft—softer than a typical Leica lens—and lacks contrast, particularly at its widest apertures, but evidently a few “hand-picked” examples used by well-connected German photographers performed on a par with the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar.
Verdict: For our hard-pressed 1938 photojournalist, the 50mm f/1.5 Xenon was expensive, hard to obtain and not a viable alternative in terms of performance. The upside: elements of its design (no pun intended) were incorporated into the successful, and creditable 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Summarit and the excellent 50mm f/1.4 Summilux.
1936 Zeiss Contax flyer shows ill-fated Contax I, Contax II, and Contax III, essentially a Contax II with built-in selenium meter.
It’s tempting to think that our intrepid World War II photojournalist could haveacquired a Leica IIIc, which had a diecast chassis and top plate, providing superior structural rigidity and inherently better lens-to-film-plane alignment. However, the 1/8-inch wider IIIc wasn’t officially released until 1940 when the war was in full swing, and few if any were exported, except for a small batch sent to Italy, an Axis partner of the Reich. The same holds true for the 50mm f/2 Summitar, a better lens than the Summar, which was announced in 1939 but not widely distributed until after the war. Indeed, Leitz started coating Summitars as far back as 1941, but they were consigned to government and military use. Bottom line: The best Leica our 1938 photojournalist could have acquired was a Leica IIIb, the brief successor to the IIIa that had its viewfinder and rangefinder eyepieces placed closer together in a dual-window bezel like all subsequent screw-mount Leicas, and added a dioptric correction lever concentric with the rewind knob, and a 4-screw, spring-mounted accessory shoe
The Great Faceoff: The Leica IIIb vs. the Contax II in practical use
Leica IIIb Plus Points:
Fastest film of 1938: Kodak High Speed Super XX, equivalent to about ISO 200. It was the photojournalist's go to film during WWII.
So, what would have been the best choice for our hypothetical photojournalist back in 1938? It depends. I happen own a Leica IIIa(functionally almost the same as a Leica IIIb) with a postwar 50mm f/1.5 Summarit, and a Contax II with uncoated 50mm f/1,5 Sonnar, and I’ve shot extensively with both. Based on overall ergonomics and reliability if I were back in 1938 and had to pick one camera I’d lean toward the Leica, which fits my (smallish) hands better and has proven to be somewhat more reliable than the average Contax II. On the other hand, if I were a street shooter rather than a combat photojournalist, I’d gravitate toward the Contax II and its magnificent ultra-precise range/viewfinder and unsurpassed lenses. Most of the poor bastards shooting in war zones back then didn’t have a choice, but those who did generally favored Zeiss glass and Leica ergonomics, and if they couldn’t get both, they chose one or the other. Oh yeah, by the way, these are two truly great cameras even by today’s standards, so shoot one or try both if you possibly can.
Yet, our long gone 35mm ancestors may be sending us a message from beyond the darkroom. Its rather easy to find a virtually unused near mint Leica IIIa or IIIb, while its almost impossible to find a near mint Contax II. Why? Because many Leicas were sold over the counter for their beauty, to photo enthusiasts and casual shooters, and sat forgotten in the closet as objects of heavenly equipment fetishes while Zeiss owners, mostly pros, where shooting the Zeiss out their Contaxes with the best set of low light set of lenses available at the time in 35mm photography. Come to think of it, that reminds me of…….well that story will have wait for another time.
Which was the best choice for a hypothetical photojournalist in 1938? Here are the facts. The one you picked depended on your priorities.
By Jason Schneider
The Leica camera, in particular the Leica II Model D of 1932 (the first interchangeable lens Leica with a built-in coupled rangefinder) is widely hailed as the camera that, almost singlehandedly, helped to define modern photojournalism. The Ermanox of 1924, an ingenious 4.5 x 6 cm-format predecessor with fast f/2 and f/1.8 Ernostar lenses, was a worthy contender in the early years, but compared to the Leica it was huge, heavy, inconvenient, and slow. By the 1930s the Leica was in its ascendency, the choice of such legendary photojournalists as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and countess other luminaries. By comparison, the Contax I of 1932, despite its superb line of bayonet mount Zeiss lenses, a removable back for easier loading, and a longer-base rangefinder, was consigned to marginal status due to its notoriously unreliable vertical metal blind shutter. Zeiss-Ikon made numerous attempts to fix the problem, but none was completely successful.
Ideal Leica Photojournalist Outfit of 1938: Leica IIIb with uncoated 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Xenon and SCNOO Rapid Winder, predecessor of the Leicavit.
The Leica vs. Contax battle for supremacy took a completely new turn in 1936 when Zeiss released the vastly improved Contax II. It had a much more reliable vertical roller-blind shutter, a combined 0.8x rangefinder and viewfinder with an actual base length of 90mm and an effective base length of 73mm (the first of its kind in an interchangeable lens 35), a single top-mounted non-rotating shutter speed dial with speeds of ½-1/1250 sec plus B, a modern built-in lever-set mechanical self-timer, and a host of internal upgrades. By comparison Leica’s top model of 1936 was the Leica IIIa (Model G) that was introduced in 1935, essentially a Leica III of 1933 with the addition of a 1/1000 sec top shutter speed. And the Leica III itself was basically little more than a Leica II of 1932 with a separate front-mounted slow shutter speed dial added. The little Leica IIIa was still able to compete with the mighty Contax II because it was far smaller, slimmer, and lighter, and its rounded-end form factor was more ergonomic and appealed to
photographers on the go. But Zeiss was assuredlyin the lead when it came to lenses, especially the high-speed normal lenses then favored by photojournalists. Lens speed was important since Kodak Super XX, the world’s fastest high-speed black-and-white film, just announced in 1938, was equivalent to ISO 200 in today’s film values. It became the standard 35mm film of WW II photojournalists.
The Zeiss Optical Edge
As the premier German lens maker going back to the 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century, Zeiss had a well-deserved reputation for optical excellence, and they certainly used it to their advantage in marketing the Contax. The most renowned lenses for the Contax II were the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar and the 50mm f/1,5 Sonnar, both devised by the great Zeiss optical designer Ludwig Bertele. The first Zeiss production Sonnar was a 50 mm f/2 with six elements in three groups created for the Contax I in 1932. But a year earlier in 1931, it had already been reformulated with seven elements in three groups, allowing a maximum aperture of f/1.5, a phenomenal speed unsurpassed in its day. According to most optical experts the
50mm f/2 Sonnar of the ‘30s was superior the 50mm f/2 Leitz Summar, especially at wide apertures and in the corners of the field at apertures wider than about f/5.6. As for the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, it was in a class by itself, handily surpassing even the 50mm f/2 Sonnar, and widely regarded as the finest ultra-high-speed normal lens of its day. It wasn’t really surpassed by Leitz until the first 50mm f/1.4 Summilux of 1961.
Ideal Contax Photojournalist Rig of 1938: Contax II with 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar. Note: Lens shown in postwar T coated version of the "50s.
Zeiss Contax II in the hands with correct uncoated prewar 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar : It proves that the camera was compact and handy enough for photojournalists.
A prewar 50mm f/1.5 “Leitz” lens for photojournalists? Yes!
If our hypothetical photojournalist of 1938 was a Leica fan, her or she could have theoretically acquired a 50mm f/1.5 Zeiss Sonnar in Leica screw mount because a small number of these exceedingly rare lenses were produced on order from the German government. However, they were reserved for the military, the Propaganda Ministry (PK), and other high mucky-mucks and were never released to the public. The other fascinating alternative would be snagging a 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Xenon (Leitz code name XEMOO) a design originally patented by H.W Lee of Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson, Ltd. in Britain in 1932, licensed to Schneider, and listed in the 1936 Leica catalog as a Leitz Xenon starting in 1936 and ending in 1950, when it was replaced by the 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Summarit. A 7-element, 5-group double Gauss design with a split rear element, the Xenon is uncoated (except for a handful of rare examples coated during the war), stops down to f/9 (!), is rangefinder coupled down to 1 meter, and weighs 10.6 ounces. Most hands-on reviewers say this lens is soft—softer than a typical Leica lens—and lacks contrast, particularly at its widest apertures, but evidently a few “hand-picked” examples used by well-connected German photographers performed on a par with the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar.
Verdict: For our hard-pressed 1938 photojournalist, the 50mm f/1.5 Xenon was expensive, hard to obtain and not a viable alternative in terms of performance. The upside: elements of its design (no pun intended) were incorporated into the successful, and creditable 50mm f/1.5 Leitz Summarit and the excellent 50mm f/1.4 Summilux.
1936 Zeiss Contax flyer shows ill-fated Contax I, Contax II, and Contax III, essentially a Contax II with built-in selenium meter.
It’s tempting to think that our intrepid World War II photojournalist could haveacquired a Leica IIIc, which had a diecast chassis and top plate, providing superior structural rigidity and inherently better lens-to-film-plane alignment. However, the 1/8-inch wider IIIc wasn’t officially released until 1940 when the war was in full swing, and few if any were exported, except for a small batch sent to Italy, an Axis partner of the Reich. The same holds true for the 50mm f/2 Summitar, a better lens than the Summar, which was announced in 1939 but not widely distributed until after the war. Indeed, Leitz started coating Summitars as far back as 1941, but they were consigned to government and military use. Bottom line: The best Leica our 1938 photojournalist could have acquired was a Leica IIIb, the brief successor to the IIIa that had its viewfinder and rangefinder eyepieces placed closer together in a dual-window bezel like all subsequent screw-mount Leicas, and added a dioptric correction lever concentric with the rewind knob, and a 4-screw, spring-mounted accessory shoe
The Great Faceoff: The Leica IIIb vs. the Contax II in practical use
Leica IIIb Plus Points:
- The Leica IIIb is substantially smaller and lighter than the Contax II, measuring 5.24 x 1.54 x 2.60 inches (L x W x H) and weighing in at approximately 15.2 ounces, body only. Its rounded ends nestle comfortably and securely in your hands.
- The Leica’s classic film-wind knoband focusing lever on each lens provide a good user interface and an efficient shooting experience, letting you shoot quite rapidly even without a Leica Rapid Winder.
- All controls operate with a silky precision.
- The Leica horizontal rubberized cloth focal plane shutter is quiet and very reliable.
- Transcending camera function, prewar Leica black bodies have a jewel-like beauty of mechanical precision much like the finest mechanical watches. If Barnack had worked in the culinary field, today we might be collecting precision mechanical pepper grinders that inexplicably look much like a Leica IIIb!
- The Leica’s bottom loading system requires some experience and finesse to master and is inherently less convenient and often slower than loading a camera with a hinged or removable back.
- The Leica’s vintage screw mount lens system makes it slower to switch lenses than a bayonet mount system.
- The Leica’s rotating fast speed dial is slower and less convenient to set than a non-rotating shutter speed dial, and you can mess up the exposure if you catch it with an errant finger while the shutter is firing.
- The Leica’s separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows are less convenient than a combined range/viewfinder, and it takes a bit of extra time to focus and compose the shot if precise composition is required. Also, both windows are small, and the viewfinder only provides 0.5x magnification.
- The Leica rangefinder has an actual base length of only 38mm, and an effective base length (E.B.L.) of 57mm due to its 1.5x magnification eyepiece. This is sufficient to focus a 50mm f/1.5 lens with good precision, but a longer E.B.L. would be better.
- The Leica’s tripod socket is at the right-hand end of the baseplate, which is less convenient than a central location.
- The Contax II’s combined range/viewfinder was spectacular in 1936, and it’s remarkably good even by modern standards. It has a very well-defined focusing patch and its huge 90mm base length and 0.8x magnification result in an impressive E.B.L of 73mm, sufficient for very precise focusing of the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar and even the fastest telephoto lenses. The orange tinted focusing patch contrasts with the slightly greenish outer area to make focusing easier and the view is very clear. This rangefinder can show the difference between a focusing distance if 100 feet and infinity—try that on your III-series Leica!
- The Contax II’s bayonet lens mounting system makes it easier and quicker to change lenses, However, since the helical is integral with the cameras you must set the lens at infinity first, a minor inconvenience.
- The Contax II’s removable back makes it much easier to load film compared to the Leica but the vintage removable take-up spool is fiddly and the double locks on the bottom of the back are not the last word in convenience.
- The Contax II is solid, well balanced. nicely contoured, and its angled ends fit the hands quite well.
- The Contax’s single lift-and-set shutter speed dial covers all speeds from ½-1/250 sec, plus B, which is a lot handier than having 2 dials, one if which turns during exposure. However, unlike modern shutter dials, you do have to wind it to cock the shutter before you set it.
- The Contax II’s improved vertical roller blind shutter is quiet, and much more reliable than the ContaxI’s shutter.
- The Contax II’s shutter could not be burned through by the sun like the cloth shutter Leica curtains.
- Contax lenses were faster and generally much sharper than Leica lenses of the time, especially the 35/2.8 Biogon vs. Leitz Elmar 35/3.5, 40/2 Biotar vs no comparable Leitz lens, 50/1.5 Sonnar vs the stop slower and not as sharp 50/2 Summitar of 1939, 85/2 Sonnar vs the Leitz fastest portrait lens the 90mm f/4 Elmar (the 85mm f/1.5 Summarex didn’a arrive until 1943), and 180/2.8 Sonnar vs the Leitz 135mm F/4 Hektor. Did lens speed matter in the late 1930s? Only if you wanted to take pictures indoors!
- The Contax II body is substantially larger and heavier than the Leica IIIb, measuring 5-1/2 x 1-11/16 x 3-3/8 inches (L x W x H) and weighing in at 1 pound 5 ounces. It’s roughly the size of a modern SLR and heavier than most, a negative factor for a photojournalist shlepping a camera around in a war zone.
- The Contax IIs index finger wheel focusing system is precise but it’s slower than using that finger on a focusing tab on the lens, Also, the fact that the lens must turn nearly 360 degrees to go from infinity to minimum focusing distance slows down the process even more. By comparison, a typical 50mm Leica lens oovers the full focusing range in about a 160-degree turn.
- You must hold a Contax II carefully to avoid placing an errant finger over the front rangefinder window, which makes focusing while keeping a firm grip on the right side a bit challenging. You get used to it, but it’s annoying.
- While the Contax II shutter is far more dependable than the one in the Contax I it’s not as reliable as Leica’s classic horizontal cloth focal plane, or the simplified vertical metal slat shutter in the later Contax IIa. It’s hellaciously complex and a bear to repair if something goes wrong.
Fastest film of 1938: Kodak High Speed Super XX, equivalent to about ISO 200. It was the photojournalist's go to film during WWII.
So, what would have been the best choice for our hypothetical photojournalist back in 1938? It depends. I happen own a Leica IIIa(functionally almost the same as a Leica IIIb) with a postwar 50mm f/1.5 Summarit, and a Contax II with uncoated 50mm f/1,5 Sonnar, and I’ve shot extensively with both. Based on overall ergonomics and reliability if I were back in 1938 and had to pick one camera I’d lean toward the Leica, which fits my (smallish) hands better and has proven to be somewhat more reliable than the average Contax II. On the other hand, if I were a street shooter rather than a combat photojournalist, I’d gravitate toward the Contax II and its magnificent ultra-precise range/viewfinder and unsurpassed lenses. Most of the poor bastards shooting in war zones back then didn’t have a choice, but those who did generally favored Zeiss glass and Leica ergonomics, and if they couldn’t get both, they chose one or the other. Oh yeah, by the way, these are two truly great cameras even by today’s standards, so shoot one or try both if you possibly can.
Yet, our long gone 35mm ancestors may be sending us a message from beyond the darkroom. Its rather easy to find a virtually unused near mint Leica IIIa or IIIb, while its almost impossible to find a near mint Contax II. Why? Because many Leicas were sold over the counter for their beauty, to photo enthusiasts and casual shooters, and sat forgotten in the closet as objects of heavenly equipment fetishes while Zeiss owners, mostly pros, where shooting the Zeiss out their Contaxes with the best set of low light set of lenses available at the time in 35mm photography. Come to think of it, that reminds me of…….well that story will have wait for another time.
