Show Off Your Contax

[tyrone.s]

1937 Contax II with 1954 Jupiter J8 by BigDragon, on Flickr​

Sorry, also posted in the German Cameras thread. I received this beauty yesterday from another member. My first Contax II. Ever since I bought a 67 Kiev 4a I've had a hankering as there's something about the Contax that 'clicks' for me. Currently fitted with my 1954 Kiev's J8. The Kiev has a broken shutter ribbon.

I'm now wondering if I should get a Zeiss lens to go with the II ...

 

[Bill Jones]

Lens for Contax II

Lens for Contax II

That's a nice looking Contax. A nice pre-war Jena Sonnar f=5cm 1:1,5 would be a good addition, not only for its looks but also for the pictures it would take. You'd get a period look straight out of the camera. For a more modern look you could increase the contrast in any of the raw processors. It deserves a high res scan if you do this.

Bill

 

[tyrone.s]

That's a nice looking Contax. A nice pre-war Jena Sonnar f=5cm 1:1,5 would be a good addition, not only for its looks but also for the pictures it would take. You'd get a period look straight out of the camera. For a more modern look you could increase the contrast in any of the raw processors. It deserves a high res scan if you do this.

Bill

Thanks, it's smooth as to use! I'm just drying a roll now from the Jupiter, looks promising and the perfectly spaced negative frames over the roll (about 24 exposures long) is very pleasing!

What's the going price for a pre war 1.5? I can't believe the eBay pricing and the pricing of the Jupiter equivalents seems pretty formidable at around $350+ Australian.

 

[Bill Jones]

Sonnar 1.5

Sonnar 1.5

Hi Tyrone,

Sorry I can't help with the price of the lens. I got my one in 1986 on an O. series Contax II ( one of the last 500 Dresden Contaxes) for US $100 including the camera. As a possible indicator last year I got a beautiful pre-war Jena Sonnar 5cm f=1:2 for US $60 from a dealer in Mass, USA.

My gut feel is about US $100 would be reasonable for a really nice one. E-bay prices are unreal.

I now use these lenses mostly on the Sony A7r. Same look as the Contax and I'm not putting much wear and tear on the older camera.

Your Jupiter is as, you may know, is a Sonnar made in USSR/Ukraine. The difference in the look compared to the pre-war Sonnar is the Jupiter is coated and thus has more contrast in the pictures.

Bill

 

[Vintage35]

Here is mine. I did a CLA of the top end and got it working great, then I did a do-it-yourself touch up plating of the red tarnished areas

1951 Contax IIa with a 1946 post war Jena 5cm 1:2

 

[lam]

Used a spare G1 body as painting practice..

Black (Panda) Contax G1 with Gaffer Special 45/2 Planar by Dave Lam, on Flickr

Oh the fun can be had 🙂

Black (Panda) Contax G1 by Dave Lam, on Flickr

 

[bobby_novatron]

Family portrait

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Well, I had this one for a while, investigated getting it repaired, but then sold it outright to Henry Scherer. In time, I expect we will see it on the market after he makes it perfect.

Henry was terrific in our short exchanges. He told me right off that the line was long.

 

[paapoopa]

 

[lam]

Recently combined two G2's to make one working one..
Mostly black Contax G2 by Dave Lam, on Flickr

 

[Gregm61]

100% fully operating Contax IIA, including the high shutter speeds, purchased a year ago from Henry Scherrer..



21mm Biogon image..



135mm f4 Sonnar..



and 50mm f2 Sonnar..

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Nice collection of lenses. Slightly envious. Which is your favorite, if you have one?

 

[Gregm61]

That's a tough one, but I would have to say the 21mm Biogon is a lot of fun, being able to go so wide and it is so well corrected. Most newer superwides work better against the light, but for a lens designed in 1954, it just doesn't get better.

The other lenses would be 1a, 1b and 1c on the list though, LOL...

Couple of other 21mm Biogon images..

 

[Alfasud]

The 6x9 Kontur finder works well with the 35mm lens

 

[lxmike]

my newly acquired II with Sonnar 50/1.5 for £88, money very tight recently but jumped at this😀

 

[Leicabimmer]

Contax 11A BD 35mm Biogon

Contax 11A BD 35mm Biogon

Here's my iiA BD with 35 2.8 Biogon day in day out companion camera. Functionally perfect.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica M5, Summicron 90mm f/2 v2, Tmax400.

My Contax I v4 with Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 black/nickel.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica M5, Summicron 90mm f/2 v2, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

Erik, that is indeed a fine camera and lens. Does it have a black distance scale on the lens mount? It is interesting to compare a contemporary 'no slow speeds' Contax I with a Leica II both visually and technically. I have no desire to start another Contax vs Leica war (Mind you there's not been one for a while!) but they are so very different.

 

[Dralowid]

Don't know if I have posted this before, at one point I had four of the things (apols for poor scan)...a return to sanity has reduced this to two...


img020 by dralowid, on Flickr

...and I chose to keep the ones without slow speeds.

IMG_1633 by dralowid, on Flickr

They used to be so very cheap...