newbie questions about G2

W

wtl

Guest
just dropped my first roll of astia 100 at a local shop and got a few questions from a user.

1) can the camera store all 5 custom settings at the same time? i mainly concern 2 of the 5 that is #1 (AE lock) and #3 (film leader out) but if possible, i like both of them activated all the time.

2) is there any way i can rewind at mid-roll?

3) when i set focus to "manual" and touch the shutter button, the lens still seems to be "motorized" for an instant. Why? can I disable this?

4) for testing purpose, i shot every frame of this roll with "auto" with no exposure compensation. for slide shooting, how do you guys like the metering system?

so far, compared to my Leica M6, i dislike the af and the viewfinder on G2 is tiny. how do you guys see anything?

But i haven't given enough time to really make any comments about the camera. i think maybe after some 30 rolls ( that is, if i keep it for that long), i might have something to say.

thank you in advance.
 
I have a g2 and am generally very happy with it, except it is somewhat heavy. The results are excellent, considering my limited abilities. As to the questions:
1. I don't think there is a limit on the custom functions. I've only used a few of them.
2. Rewind: There is a small, inset, button that you push, but I do not have the camera in front of me right now. There is a push tool on the original strap, I think.
3. Manual focus: The lens is parked before every shot, even before manual, so when you push the shutter botton it goes to the set focus. I checked this out just the other night. I once saw a "hack" on how to defeat that, but cannot find the link. It would be nice to have the camera stay at the set focus. Something like that happens on CAF, but not the way I would like it to.
4. Exposure: I have never adjusted the exposure and slides are perfect. But then I have only had the camera for about eight (?)years.

Some people complain about the noise from the g2, but I was standing next to a person using a Leica CLE a few days ago in Napa, and it was louder than the g, by far. The g shutter is quiet, and the focus moter does make some noise, but over-all the camera is not loud like an SLR.

Autofocus and viewfinder: The autofocus and viewfinder are seriously different from a manual rangefinder. The autofocus is very accurate and does not hunt, if there is anything at all to lock onto. Fast, too. It is certainly faster and more accurate than most human beings, most of the time. The viewfinder cannot be that much of a limitation if the results at the g forum are to be believed. Part of it is that you are really only using the viewfinder for composition, and not for focusing. (This is a big plus for the 28mm, as no external finder is required.) Second, you have no framelines, and also no (unused) framelines in the middle of the picture. Unless you like that. The g is not a point and shoot, because it really is not a flash camera, and although there is a perception of shutter lag, because of the autofocus, the focus is very, very fast. You can set the camera on all manual, which will eliminate some of the feel of the point and shoot effect.

It is an excellent system. I am thinking about a Bessa r2 with the 35/2.5C, just because the combination would be so much lighter.

Richard
 
wtl said:
just dropped my first roll of astia 100 at a local shop and got a few questions from a user.
Click to expand...

You're welcome!

1) can the camera store all 5 custom settings at the same time? i mainly concern 2 of the 5 that is #1 (AE lock) and #3 (film leader out) but if possible, i like both of them activated all the time.
Click to expand...
Yes, no problem.
2) is there any way i can rewind at mid-roll?
Click to expand...
Yes, on the right side (viewed from the front) close to the bottom is a very small button marked with an "R", on the straps clasp there is a thorn to use with this button.
3) when i set focus to "manual" and touch the shutter button, the lens still seems to be "motorized" for an instant. Why? can I disable this?
Click to expand...
Unluckily no. The lens parks at infinity every time you release the shutter or the focus button on the back.
4) for testing purpose, i shot every frame of this roll with "auto" with no exposure compensation. for slide shooting, how do you guys like the metering system?
Click to expand...
With Sensia 100 it was spot on so far but I haven't had too tricky lighting conditions.
so far, compared to my Leica M6, i dislike the af and the viewfinder on G2 is tiny. how do you guys see anything?
Click to expand...
Where Leica went right, Contax went left. They are not comparable and neither is a replacement for the other. I can live with the viewfinder and after some training the AF works for me in 9 out of 10 cases.
But i haven't given enough time to really make any comments about the camera. i think maybe after some 30 rolls ( that is, if i keep it for that long), i might have something to say.

thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Compared to a Leica M the Contax is a fast camera. You can shoot two rolls in the time a novice Leica user (me) loads a film :)
It was my first AF camera and my first rangefinder which actualy worked.
The G System makes a great snapshooter in full auto with all the creative controll you can have when you turn AF and AE off. The lenses are awesome for their price and don't stand much behind Leicas equivilants, Summicron and Elmar, if at all.

Some users report focusing problems wide open with the 45/2 and 90/2.8. I haven't had that so far, but wouldn't dispute it. At least one user with this problem on the 45 reports a wobly lens which may hint to worn out gears or something like this.
My 45 does show some play when I wiggle on the lens hood but to my eyes focus is fine.

If you keep in mind that it's not a Leica, you may find situations where it helps you getting the shot. Then you'll like it, if not, hey, that's why we have fully manual rangefinders :)

Ah, and it is slightly louder, more to the photographer than to anybody in front of the lens but nobody can deny that.

Anyways, have fun

Volker.
 
thank you both. you have answered all my questions. unfortunately, i do not have the original strap and the seller is sending a cantax strap to me but he does not know if it is the original one for this model. bummer.

got the roll back and, yes, the exposure is right on but the focus is not. i hunch that has something to do with me not used to the af. i will try harder.

a couple more things:

1) what's the minimum focus distance for a 28/2.8 lens or the 45/2?

2) If the subject is too close to my camera and the lens cannot focus, how do i know? with my M6, you visually see two images that either align or not align with each other. but with the g2, there is nothing to tell you. am i missing something?

thanks again.
 
Yes, the AF is tricky. On my first couple of rolls I had nice pictures precisly focused on the wall some meters behind my subjects :)

The minimum focus or the 28 and 45 is 0.5 meters. If the distance is too close the little dot under the distance scale will blink at the lowest distance, 0.5 for 28 to 45 and 1 for 90mm, i just tried that :)

With a little experince you can judge focus by the noice, short wirr far, long wirr close. Another indicator is the paralax correction and then the distance bar in the viewfinder.

And now that I think of it, the focusing button on the back may come in handy. I use it for prefocus as well as focus and recompose. You don't accidently release the shutter and can hold focus quite some time without cramps :)

Edit:

I don't know how much juice holding the focus takes, I get roughly 40 to 50 36exp rolls out of a set of batteries.
 
thank you for the answers.

jano: i read the link and understand. but my thumb still won't like the place where the lock button is located. i might evetually get used to it but for now, i will just set the custom setting to 1-1 so i can hold down the shutter button a half way to lock the focus. i do have the skill to hold the button a half way without accidently trigger the shutter, most of the time anyway. ;)

does contax know that they can locate the lock button to a better place so that most users will hold the camera "rightly" instead of "wrongly"? i know i am being picky here but it is pretty important issue for a practical user i would imagine.

anyway, i am on my way to enjoy this camera. thank you all.
 
socke: i assume you mean the "lock" button on the back of the camera instead of "focus" button, correct? i don't see any "focus" or "prefocus" button on the back.

hey, really appreciate your effort in answering my questions, and also your time to try out the minimum focus distances on the three lenses. i did get the package with these three lenses but my feeling is that i will only be using the 28/2.8.
 
I have never been that proficient with the lock button. The shutter button works bettter for me.

I have the 28, 35, 45, and 90. The 28 is just a treat. The 45 excellent, but it is tempting to just leave the 28 on it all the time. On of my thoughts with getting a manual focus rangefinder was to put a compact 35 on it, but the Contax g 35 is very good, although not held in high regard like the other lenses. Somehow, for some reason, it is not that quick a process to change lenses on the g2.
 
I really wish you all would stop talking about this camera - I'm still broke! :angel:

More seriously, this thread does remind me of why a G2 w/28, 35, 45, 90 & the illregarded zoom, is on my "someday" list. I have no answers to your questions, wtl, but I hope you'll give the camera a fair shake before deciding either way. On paper and in the images I've seen it appears to be a glorious camera and so, as a result, I hope it is one for you.

William
 
Why does the current position of the G2's focus lock button make "most" users hold the camera "wrongly"? Most high-end automated cameras I've seen (e.g., the Canon SLRs) have focus/custom function buttons in the same location.

wtl said:
does contax know that they can locate the lock button to a better place so that most users will hold the camera "rightly" instead of "wrongly"? i know i am being picky here but it is pretty important issue for a practical user i would imagine.
Click to expand...
 
It's a misunderstanding that the a lens on a G body parks at inf after a shutter relaese. Actually the lens retires as much a possible. This is a mechanical protection of the lens.
You can see that yourself by focus manually at inf. and then push the back button or the shutter relaese button. You'll see and hear the lens travel to inf. By the way I think the G lenses are the best lenses for a 35mm photographer on the market today!
 
Actually the lens on the G2 parks somewhere beyond infinity - not an easy task, but there are no meter maids there to give out tickets if you stay too long.

Also, I don't know why people claim that the G2 doesn't focus well with SAF (single autofocus) when wide open with the 90mm or 45mm lens. The focusing mechanism on the G2 is totally independent of the lens, and the top lcd panel gives a distance read out even when there is no lens on the camera or the lens cap is on. These distances are shown to the nearest hundredth of a meter for distances from 0.50m to 1.99m (or 1.00m to 1.99m for the 90mm lens), to the nearest tenth of a meter for distances from 2.0m to 7.9m, and then in 1m increments from 8m to 15m. I have found this readout to be extremely accurate when using SAF. These readouts are much more accurate than anything I can set using the MF adjustment wheel and the view finder scale. (BTW, if you are using the manual focus and you press the button on the back, your manual focus distance will be shown in the viewfinder as well as the lcd panel). That's not to say that the manual focus option is not useful. You could use it to set hyperfocal distances or street shooting distances with a wide angle lens.

The only crucial thing about using SAF on the G2 is to make sure that the focusing bracket is centered on the object you wish to set as your in focus plane. In certain situations this obviously may require prefocusing on the desired object and then recomposing your shot before tripping the shutter.

The sensor responds better to vertical lines of contrast than horizontal lines of contrast. If you want to focus on something with mainly horizontal lines for a landscape format shot, you may want to turn the camera into portrait format, prefocus, and then recompose.

Cheers,

Stan
 
Ditto to Stan and Socke. The focus and hold button on the back works best for me. I can focus anywhere in the frame and recompose. I can turn the camera 90 degrees and recompose. I can read the distance scale and refocus if it appears to have "missed". The SAF, (single auto focus), helps me get it right quickly and I can lock on. It focuses so fast that I can hardly believe it found the object.

Using continuous auto focus helps you track moving subjects but can be hit and miss while doing so. It adds another error factor into the equation. You can however be tracking continuously with the top button and override it with the back button. I have found myself doing this.

Some of the higher end digital and film cameras have a dedicated focus and hold button. The other 95% use the push down halfway lightly technique. I have both and prefer the dedicated focus capability. :cool:
 
thank you.

though nothing against the saf, my understand is that caf puts shutter on priority, meaning that the shutter will fire regardless if the focus is done correctly, while saf puts focus on priority, meaning that the shutter won't fire if the focus is not done correct. if this holds true, i will always use caf as i'd rather have the camera do what i ask it to do which is taking the picture at the right moment, instead of telling me otherwise ("sorry no picture for you. you did not focus me correctly."). :bang:

i know it is simply a personal choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom