Question for Contax I, II, II, IIA, IIIA owners

Erik van Straten said:
I don't see them that cheap on eBay.

Erik.
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Both were eBay sales. They are rare, but not that sought after either, so they are not necessarily expensive. Don't go by the overpriced unsold ones - the pricing by that particular dealer seems to be targeted at (supposedly heavily discounted) off-ebay sales rather than moving anything within ebay.
 
My IIA outfit (21 Biogon, 50, 85and 135mm Sonnars) splits about 50% of the time with a Leica M4 setup (21 CV, 35, 50 and 90mm Summicrons and a 135mm Tele Elmar) in shooting black & white. Sometimes I'll even shoot them together, the IIA with the 21, 85 and 135 along with the M4 and 35mm f2. That's the best of both worlds and lowers amount of lens changes.

Since going back to B&W film shooting and processing/scanning it myself, camera time behind my Olympus E-M1 digital outfit has gone down significantly.
 
I have had a number of contax cameras in the past. At present I have a Contax 1 version c and a II. I like to use the model 1 mine has been cleaned and in nice running shape. I have an uncoated tessar 2.8 and sonnar 1.5 I ALWAYS use a hood and I don't shoot towards the sun. I use a yel & red filter now and then with good results on B&W. Only complaint is how close the shutter speeds are and how hard it is to read the speeds.
 
I don't shoot my IIa enough. Mainly because for a long while the frame counter was messed up (I've repaired that), and I only had the 2/50 Opton-Tessar, which makes me feel like I'm using a fixed lens camera. I have recently gotten a Nikkor 135 for it, and might be able to pick up a Nikkor 100 (unless I get outbid). But the lack of an affordable 35 keeps me from really embracing it, and having another rangefinder outfit of full kit (Leidolf) which gets more use.

I like the way it handles, the 2/50 is great (even though it needs a cleaning), and all the little quirks don't seem to make a difference on the outcome of the image. When I do shoot it, it depends on what film I have in it, and what the light conditions are on whether or not I use a filter, of which the orange is my favorite.

I bought mine because of the fact it was not a Leica. A metal shutter appeals to me more than having to fix burn holes all the time (had enough of that with FSU cameras). It was also much less expensive to buy than a Leica III(pick a letter) with lens. I hope to get a 35mm for it sometime this year, so I can give it something more than a monthly run through the shutter speeds, then back in the drawer.

PF
 
Hello,

be careful with the Nikkor telephoto lenses: to use them on a Contax, they should show a 'C' engraved on the barrel, otherwise, the focusing would be incorrect.

E.L.
 
Elmar Lang said:
Hello,

be careful with the Nikkor telephoto lenses: to use them on a Contax, they should show a 'C' engraved on the barrel, otherwise, the focusing would be incorrect.

E.L.
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Beware, on the barrel literally means on the barrel - there is a lonely "C" (complete with the hyphens) on the barrel side near the mount. A C as part of the lens name on the front bezel merely means the lens is coated - many eBay sellers get that wrong...
 
Since 2012 I have been putting a lot of film through my Leicas and Zeiss Ikons. This thread has caused me to take my reliable Contax II out of the drawer and start using it again.
 
I notice that eBay prices can be all over the place. As someone who hasn't been following prices actively, it makes it harder for me to work out what a current fair price for a tidy II actually is. Not quite ready to buy, yet, but I definitely want one, this year, hopefully.
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
I notice that eBay prices can be all over the place. As someone who hasn't been following prices actively, it makes it harder for me to work out what a current fair price for a tidy II actually is. Not quite ready to buy, yet, but I definitely want one, this year, hopefully.
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Hi Brett,
I've managed to accumulate quite a few contaxes and the prices haven't been too expensive (<$200 i think). If you'd like to play with one I'd be happy to send you one of mine to borrow for a while...
regards,
nathan
 
nhchen said:
Hi Brett,
I've managed to accumulate quite a few contaxes and the prices haven't been too expensive (<$200 i think). If you'd like to play with one I'd be happy to send you one of mine to borrow for a while...
regards,
nathan
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Dear Nathan,
Thank you so much, that is such a very generous offer, however I was actually lucky enough to find a Kiev 4A at, of all places, a local Hobart tip shop late last year for $10. It needed a replacement back as one of the latches was broken, but was otherwise in full working order. A local Soviet camera enthusiast was kind enough to offer me a replacement back, so for the princely sum of $10 I had a working Contax clone with Jupiter 50mm f/2. So I have had a taste of what using a classic Contax would be like, and apart from the rather squinty viewfinder (I wear spectacles) it was all good. Very good, in fact. But it has whetted my appetite for a real Contax and I definitely want a II, now, even if I have to take the learning curve of working out how to repair one myself. I can fix most other cameras I put my mind to, so I am not afraid to jump in the deep end, if I have to. Having acquired a few examples yourself, I might call on your expertise when the time comes to purchase, if that's OK, though?
Cheers,
Brett
 
Elmar Lang, and Sevo: Yep, I know all about the 'C'.

14207024520_e285ce8c14_z.jpg

Zeiss Contax IIa with Nikkor-Q C f3.5/13.5cm 'C' by P F McFarland, on Flickr

PF
 
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