Show Off Your Contax

[darkkavenger]

Sorry for the spam... but I love this contax-IIIa!!! I received today my Leicatime Convex softie 😀 I tried it and it feels very nice!

Cheers!
Max

 

[Doug]

Max, are the meters on your Contaxes working accurately?

 

[darkkavenger]

Hi Doug, the meter on the IIIa is fairly accurate, within half a stop when I compare with my Sverdlovsk-4 meter. On the III, the meter is dead. I hope to have it fixed by H.S. 🙂

 

[Ash]

It's for sale, so I thought I'd best take a nice photo. You know, one for the road.

 

[Santafecino]

I trust everyone saw the Contax IIIa on eBay with Sonnar f/1.5 for $200. If you were wanting one . . .

 

[Mike Wood]

The new Biogon 4.5

The new Biogon 4.5

I may as well join in the show: here's my Contax IIa - a black dial model with a newly acquired Biogon 21mm f4.5 super wide lens. It just arrived from KEH yesterday and I have spent the day shooting a couple of rolls of Reala around Sydney Harbour with it. I must say that I am very impressed with KEH - it was rated "BRG", ie likely to have more than usual wear and scratches, but it is actually what most ebay sellers would describe as excellent or even E+.

I also use the 50mm Sonnar f2 and was also pleasantly surprised by the results I got with it in China recently:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10816453@N00/sets/72157600063945871/

 

[frangipani]

contax confusion: dating dilemma!

contax confusion: dating dilemma!

Hello, I'm intending to sell this Contax for my uncle (in need of cash) but my exhaustive research has left me completely confused about its likely production date so I'm appealing to the experts! The serial number is F 21919. (50/1.5 Sonnar lens Nr 88298)

One source suggests 1937/8 :
www.cameraquest.com/zconrf2.htm
"When was your Contax II or III made? According to ... Foto Saga in France, ...
the first letter before the serial number denotes a block of 99,999 serial numbers ... F 1937/8 ...."

but a reference on this site suggests 1955/56 –
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-17336.html
On the Trail of the Contax, Volume II by Hans-Jurgen Kuc.
Contax IIa, PC sync
Letter, Serial Number, Production dates
F, 20,001-25,000, 3/1955 to 7/1956

Can anyone enlighten me re model number & date?

 

[HuubL]

Frangipani, the camera is a Contax IIa from around 1956, not a II from 1937. Regards, Huub

 

[frangipani]

Hiya Huub, Your words of wisdom are very much appreciated!
Many thanks,
frangipani

 

[darkkavenger]

Lovely setup, Mike ! 🙂 and welcome!

Btw, should I put this photo below in :

- Women and cameras
- Show off your Contax
- Camera and coffee

???? :angel:

( Contax IIIa, Jupiter-3 50/1.5, metal clip-on Zeiss-Ikon yellow filter (G3) )

that was taken after my photo-shooting with my friend Martina 🙂
I posted some photos on Flickr of that photo session, I have to scan & dust-clean more!

btw the photo below was taken with a nokia phone bearing a Zeiss Tessar... I must say I prefer the Sonnar with which I took the portraits! When a 180/2.8 Sonnar will be available for compact phones, maybe I'll decide to evolve.

P.S. : The photos taken with the Contax will be shown tomorrow or monday 😉

 

[joachim]

My G1

My G1

After having seen the Minolta CLE users having fun today, I thought I could contribute to this thread. The pictures show my G1 with the two lenses I find most useful. The Planar 35, was my first and is still my most used lens. I like the focal lenght. As the picture shows it makes a very nice and compact package with the G1. The Planar 45 is quite a bit larger.



The Sonnar 90 augments the 35 in a very nice way. These two are my most used lenses - A classical pair!

 

[Bobfrance]

This one used to be mine.

Now gone to a good home with another RFF member.

Great camera. 🙂

 

[joachim]

This one used to be mine.

You miss it???

 

[Bobfrance]

I do. Especially the glass.

I intend to buy a G2 when funds allow.

 

[fbf]

same here. I sold my whole set of G2. I miss the glass a lot but not so much of the noisy AF. I hope there will be a digital back for G series or a new digital RF G3 model one day.

 

[joachim]

same here. I sold my whole set of G2. I miss the glass a lot but not so much of the noisy AF. I hope there will be a digital back for G series or a new digital RF G3 model one day.

Forget it. Who ever does this, will want to sell lenses. That is part of Leica's problem that there are zillions of used top quality lenses out there.

 

[tripod]

My Contax II with very radio active J12. 😉

 

[kuzano]

You misspoke......

You misspoke......

I may as well join in the show: here's my Contax IIa - a black dial model with a newly acquired Biogon 21mm f4.5 super wide lens. It just arrived from KEH yesterday and I have spent the day shooting a couple of rolls of Reala around Sydney Harbour with it. I must say that I am very impressed with KEH - it was rated "BRG", ie likely to have more than usual wear and scratches, but it is actually what most ebay sellers would describe as excellent or even E+.

I also use the 50mm Sonnar f2 and was also pleasantly surprised by the results I got with it in China recently:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10816453@N00/sets/72157600063945871/

eBay sellers would rate that as "Minty".

 

[joachim]

My Contax II with very radio active J12. 😉

I see it glows orange in the dark. What did you do to the background to make it glow green?

Never handled a J12 (Biogon clone?). How does one set the aperture? You have to get your fingers in from the front?

 

[tripod]

The aperture dial extends forward in a hood-like manner inside the lens barrel. It is no more difficult to change aperture than on an I-22 or 50mm Elmar f3.5 for example with their little tabs.

The green table top is my nuclear workbench.
Homer Simpson. 😉