What is this?

[Grytpype]

First impression when I saw a thumbnail of this camera was that it was a regular Kiev-4/Contax fake, but on a closer look it seems much more interesting.

For a start, the meter, the body of which is the high-profile Contax III/Kiev-III-IIIA type, has a perforated flap, implying dual-range, which I have not seen before. The meter scale is unlike any Contax or Kiev. The meter knobs, viewed from above, appear identical to the Contax IIIa, but not quite identical to the Kiev-4: the red numbers on the shutter-speed dial of the Kiev meter only go to '8'. The shutter speed ring is also much deeper than any Contax IIIa or Kiev.

I thought at first that the focus-wheel looked like Kiev, but the pictures of this are not too clear, and there is no sign of flash-sync, so giving it the benefit of the doubt, my best guess would be that this is a conversion on a genuine Contax III (J.75934). Can anyone say where the metering parts came from?

 

[santino]

Real Contax iii with modified Kiev top?

 

[KoNickon]

The top of the meter dial looks like it's from a IIIa, but the base of the dial is unfamiliar to me. The meter readout isn't from a IIIa, but the meter certainly has been "hacked" into the III's meter compartment.

 

[nhchen]

I remembered reading about these a few years ago.
http://zeisshistoricasociety.org/articles-zhs/hybrid-contax-iiia-and-dual-range-exposure-meters/
Apparently it was a factory repair made post war when the contax iia was in production.
Nathan

 

[xayraa33]

it is a Contax III from 1938/39 with a modified meter/rewind dial of the post war Contax IIIa style.

I don't know if it is a mish-mash of parts done by a camera tech much later on or if it is a later factory refurbishment or a genuine factory prototype made in that 1938/39 era .

 

[View Range]

Another Zeisshistorica article is in

https://issuu.com/zeisshistoricasociety/docs/pdf_zhs_journal_autumn_2004

 

[Grytpype]

I remembered reading about these a few years ago.
http://zeisshistoricasociety.org/articles-zhs/hybrid-contax-iiia-and-dual-range-exposure-meters/
Apparently it was a factory repair made post war when the contax iia was in production.
Nathan

Another Zeisshistorica article is in

https://issuu.com/zeisshistoricasociety/docs/pdf_zhs_journal_autumn_2004

Thanks, both! That explains it completely.

Both articles show pictures of identical cameras, and of the replacement kits used. I thought it looked much too professional a job to be someones bodge-up.

Steve.

 

[santino]

Who is going to get it ? 😀
Seems to be quite rare..

 

[richardHaw]

what's going on with the holes? 😱😱😱

 

[Grytpype]

what's going on with the holes? 😱😱😱

Gives dual-range: high range with flap closed; low range with it open.

 

[richardHaw]

Gives dual-range: high range with flap closed; low range with it open.

yes but is that original? I have never seen them like this one 😱😱😱

if it's DIY then that's going to hurt his resale 🙄

 

[Grytpype]

Made 163EUR.