Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
I just compared the VF/RF windows on the Contax II to the M2
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Oh Dear...
- Thread starter Ash
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jesse1dog
Light Catcher
And?
And?
What do you find?
And?
Ash said:
What do you find?
FrankS
Registered User
Remember, the Contax II is a much older camera. The viewfinder with framelines is why Leica leaped ahead of Contax post war. The new Contax IIa/IIIa did not compare well to the M3 (and later the M2). Compared to the pre-war Leica scewmounts, Contax was ahead of/better than Leica, especially considering the fast 50mm lenses.
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markinlondon
Elmar user
I noticed that last Sunday when I looked through your Contax vf but was too polite to mention it 🙂
N
Nikon Bob
Guest
Don't look at a Nikon S2's VF either and I imagine the the VF on the new Ziess would come as a shock too. Nice to be able to compare though.
Bob
Bob
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
Well the C-II is perfectly usable, but I might jsut sort out a CLA for it when I can afford to. Compared to all my FSU cameras I had, and the IIIc, it looked great. Compared to a semi-modern camera like the M2, it's SO dim, and bloody misty!
I love that camera so I'm not ever going to get rid of it, but I think maybe the M2 will be getting all the more 'serious' photo opportunities now!
I love that camera so I'm not ever going to get rid of it, but I think maybe the M2 will be getting all the more 'serious' photo opportunities now!
einolu
Well-known
have you looked through a bessa r?
erikhaugsby
killer of threads
einolu said:
Is this meant to be good or bad? I've not looked through any Bessas, or for that matter Nikons. I did look through a Contax II at school once, but it was in sore need of a cleaning.
einolu
Well-known
sorry, wasnt clear, its just that i personally like the voigtlander viewfinders better than those of vintage leicas,
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
Bessa's are VERY bright I know that. I didn't really expect such a difference between the two cameras I'm using though. I'm gonna save the £50 for http://www.sdash.plus.com/index.htm that guy I think. Anyone had some experience with him?
Xmas
Veteran
Ash
Even when it is cleaned or clean the Contax will be dim compared with a M2. I suggest your first experiment is to compare your M2 with another M kinown to be in good condition. That is even if the poor M2 is beaten up so its finder is damaged it will be ok in lots of dim light conditions that a Contax finder will look like the black hole of Calcutta.
A degraded M2 would only be a problem for a photog who primarily photos at night, or perhaps contra jour.
So unless you can see muck in the Contax finder it may not be effective doing anything, the clue is the diameter of the eye piece, in each camera, If you want to be annoyed then you need to look through the Zeiss 'M'.
You will note that the M2 is the cheap productionised finder that the rest of the M series adopted, after the M3.
The M3 finder and the fast bayonet mount was the statement that Leitz made to retain their position, as the 35mm cam for prof, the Nikon mount was not competative until the Nikon F, no one competed with Leitz rngfdrs until CV and laterly Zeiss.
HCB used a M.
Noel
Even when it is cleaned or clean the Contax will be dim compared with a M2. I suggest your first experiment is to compare your M2 with another M kinown to be in good condition. That is even if the poor M2 is beaten up so its finder is damaged it will be ok in lots of dim light conditions that a Contax finder will look like the black hole of Calcutta.
A degraded M2 would only be a problem for a photog who primarily photos at night, or perhaps contra jour.
So unless you can see muck in the Contax finder it may not be effective doing anything, the clue is the diameter of the eye piece, in each camera, If you want to be annoyed then you need to look through the Zeiss 'M'.
You will note that the M2 is the cheap productionised finder that the rest of the M series adopted, after the M3.
The M3 finder and the fast bayonet mount was the statement that Leitz made to retain their position, as the 35mm cam for prof, the Nikon mount was not competative until the Nikon F, no one competed with Leitz rngfdrs until CV and laterly Zeiss.
HCB used a M.
Noel
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
Either way, I'd like the Contax-II to be at its best. No point being shelf bound, and it won't be sold because I enjoy using it.
MadMan2k
Well-known
The only other rangefinder I've looked through was on an old Kodak Retina something. It was worse than a DSLR.
