prices down?

D

dsymes

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Is it my imagination, or have two things happened to the market for old Contax cameras and lenses on e-bay and also here at RFF:

1) Far fewer cameras and lenses being offered for sale

2) Prices at which sales take place are significantly lower than two or three years ago

I'm hoping that forum members who keep their eyes on these things will chip in.

dsymes
 
My impression:

I fear that the prices of wonderful II,IIa,III and IIIa have fallen, Particularly the III and IIIa.

Collectable Contax I cameras and black/nickel lenses, even in a non working state (as many are) seem very strong.

Just my impression

Michael
 
Hmm, Ide love a cheap, working, yes the meter too, III.

I think the populairty of the much cheaper Kiev 4a, has some effect im sure.

Maybe all the collectors are stuffed full.
 
I bought an 85mm f/4 Triotar and 135mm f/4 Sonnar for my Contax both for under $150 shipped. I liked the 40.5mm filter size shared with the 50mm f/1.5 and Jupiter 35mm f/2.8 lenses I already had.

They seem cheap. I don't really need the longer lenses but I couldn't pass that up.

I didn't really intend to get into early Contax stuff but so be it. I like vintage and quality German cameras, especially Contax, Zeiss, and Linhof.
 
No intent to buy really, but I was just looking at Contax cameras on ebay yesterday, and also thinking that many of the prices were down. I was amused to see one for several hundred dollars that needed repair. Not a fleck of gold on it anywhere either.
 
Perhaps one needs to be specific when it comes to reliability...the II/IIa and III/IIIa etc have great reputations but the Contax I (which is not now often described as a 'user') started a legend of complexity that has lasted to this day.
 
I'm sure the collectors all have what they want by now. As an example of pricing, a mint Contax ll with F2 Sonnar went on eBay recently for £280 and most still breach £100 for a body, with issues, in the UK.
There may be a slow down. The casual collectors and those, like me, who have romantic ideas about the old days realise that these cameras are very much more difficult to use than even the more modern film cameras, let alone digital. If you wish to slow down your photography, then take a Contax ll out for the day!
 
A quick note on reliability. The ll and lll series have only 2 real issues - ribbons and cleaning. Both can be addressed with a level of skill and a day's labour. After that, the camera will be reliable and accurate for another 10-20 years. If, like me, you purchase from abroad then you may discover the lower roller spring is broken - a Kiev replacement curtain drum sorts that. A Leica lll series would require an equal amount of work, so a Contax is no better or worse.
 
I've been hanging around the cheaper end of the eBay listings for quite a few years now, and my impression is that Contax prices hit their low point about one to two years ago, but have recovered somewhat in the last year, though they are still cheaper than they were five or more years ago. I must admit that US prices do look very low compared to here in the UK, but then they always did!

Even here, they look like extremely good value compared to those over-hyped things from Wetzlar, but everyone knows they are very unlikely to find one working 'straight out of the box' and that they are expensive to get repaired, so for those that don't want to attempt it themselves they don't seem such a good deal. Fully CLA'd examples do still seem to fetch a good price, even in 'well-used' condition.
 
The prices are complicated. Certain lenses still command a pretty penny, like the Sonnar 50mm F1.5 - post war versions. The 21mm Biogon is still quite expensive as are all the less common lenses. The bodies may be getting less expensive.
 
B-9 said:
Hmm, Ide love a cheap, working, yes the meter too, III.

I think the populairty of the much cheaper Kiev 4a, has some effect im sure.

Maybe all the collectors are stuffed full.
Click to expand...
The Kiev 4a is worth about what it costs - $50 or thereabouts. They look like Contax, but are not in the same league quality-wise, and I've owned and used a few - The post war Contax is in fact a vastly superior camera to any Kiev or pre-war Contax. The IIa, IIIa are more comparable to Leica M series cameras in fit and finish (not in technology though - Leica excels there). The Zeiss Contax lenses of the time were at least as good or not superior to the Leica lenses of the time - which says a lot for Zeiss. As noted they are comparative bargains today. I don't think a 35mm focal length lens better than the Contax Biogon existed in the early 1950's (the LTM Schneider-Kreuznach Xenogon 35mm F2.8 comes close or perhaps some other rarities - all very expensive and uncommon now though). The Biogon can hold it's own with modern 35mm rangefinder lenses in my view.

The Japanese (Canon, Nikon) were catching up fast at the time of course - still not at the Zeiss level in the early 50's.
 
traveler_101 said:
But doesn't Contax have a reputation for repair problems? If so that might explain price declines. I remember thinking about getting a Contax until I read about these issues. A quick search located this article by Gus Lazzari (scroll down).
http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00Wvy8
Click to expand...
The post war models are more reliable. I've never paid more than about a $100 for a professional servicing - some don't need it too. They are straightforward to CLA by any competent camera tech. There is some sort of peculiar mythology going around that says they are special to service - they are not. The rangefinder adjustment on post-war models can be a pain to get right in vertical alignment I am told however, but it can be done.
 
I have a feeling cheap Contax IIA's on sites like eBay are so for a good reason. If the camera is fully functioning......truly fully functioning and smoothly operating like a good one should be, you won't find one if those for $250-$350. It's easy enough to make one look good externally. I'm glad I have the one I do and am not trying to wade through the junk to find a nice one these days.
 
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