Which one should I buy

[BAPIEMAI]

First a little history about me:

A Minolta Hi Matic 7 landed on my lap a year ago and I never touched it since it looked too old for my taste (at the time I had an EOS 30 and a 300D)
Since then I got me a Mamiya 645 1000s and an Olympus E-300. One day I just shot a film with the Minolta and the damage was done, now I'm saving for a Leica (maybe), no more SLR for me (I will only keep the E-300 because digital is essential for my job).

And now the question you must hear all the time which one should I chose ? I have three options...........

Yes you guested right Contax G2, Leica M6 or Mamiya 7

Now I know all their technical details, pros and cons by heart, I have read all the reviews but every new day I decide differently, what I want is you to tell me which one you recomend just for my peece of mind although I am afraid that I will end up with all three of them and I will have to find a second job.

 

[Tim]

ai ai ai......what a question!

first off, welcome to RFF! and the madness that seems to go with it!

All three of thos cameras are substantially different - as you obviously know from drooling over the spec sheets and reviews.

The Mam 7 is a wonderful wonderful piece of kit, you will definately get the most detailed shots from it. The big question with a Mam 7 is - do you need that big a neg? If you're not going to blow it up to poster size then all the extra size and bulk of the gear (even tho it's a compact MF) is wasted. If you do regularly want to blow up to 20" x 30" or similar size then MF is the way to go. However another thing to consider with MF is that all the extras - enlargers scanners projectors etc etc etc - are more expensive.

If you don't need that kind of enlargement, then the choice between the M6 or the G2 comes down to the degree of automation you want or need. Either system has the ability to turn in stunning results.

But don't forget to have a look at the Voigtlander range, either. For a fraction the cost of the Leica or Contax they have some fantastic kit........ It's the old 80/20 rule - you get 80% of the product for 20 % of the price. Actually, with the Voigtlander gear, mostly it's 90%. Again, do you need the last little bit that the Leica/Contax provides? Or alternatively, are you prepared to spend the extra money just to own something so nice? 😉

A number of us here have already made THAT particular decision.

A nice alternative in the 35mm space could be a Voigtlander body with a Leica lens - keeps costs down, gives you a faster more accurate not prone to sunburn shutter (albeit slightly noisier), slightly smaller and lighter body, and the great glass..........

Ultimately, only you can decide. But there's two specific pieces of advice I'd give:
1) Think very carefully about what you want the kit to do. And be honest with yourself about it. Don't fall into the trap of buying gear that basically isn't suitable for what you want to do.
2) Once you've worked out point 1), just buy what you really want. Because if you make a compromise you'll end up trading up to what you wanted in the first place.

Welcome to RFF!

 

[BAPIEMAI]

Tim thanks for the reply but the broplem is that I do not need any of the three. I currently own a Canon EOS 30 with good lenses, a Minolta X-370 with more lenses, three Olympus (Digital E-300, mju II and IS-500 SLR), the Hi Matic, an instant Polaroid and a Mamiya (did I leave something out?).

Professionaly I am covered with the Mamiya and the E-300 but I am not in need in a new rangefinder. That is why I will not get a Voightlander, I have MF quality, 35 versatility and digital convenience. I just need a new camera that will be my last (for a few years anyway). I thought about Voightlander body/Leica Summicron but if I do that I will eventually get a Leica body anyway so it makes no sence for me.

As for print size I do want big prints but the 645 is enough for that. The thing is that I rarelly print my photos I just scan them and dump them in my hard drive.

I want the G2 because of the Zeiss glass which is better and cheaper than the Leica.
I want the Leica because it is all manual and I am fed up with my auto-everything SLRs.
I want the Mamiya because it offers the best quality in photography (except view cameras which I will never get, so I don't care)

So the question still remains a philosophical one, which one should I get/ what would you do in my shoes ?

 

[Doug]

Welcome! And yes, I agree, the three you mention are considerably different. Oddly enough, the Leica and Mamiya are rather closer in operation than either compared to the Contax, but it would be even closer if the Leica were an M7 too. Indeed, that would level the field a little, with all three having aperture priority AE. The 6x7 Mamiya will simply blow away the other two in output quality, but at the expense of bulk. I easily carry around a Bronica RF645 (smaller than the Mamiya, and another you might consider) on a daily basis without it getting in the way of other activities. I can also pack around a Pentax 6x7 (larger than the Mamiya) but it is rather bulky, garners attention, and gets in the way. This is an issue you'll have to decide of course. "No pain, no gain" as they say!

I've used a Contax G1 for a month, and it's a sweetie. Up there with Leica quality in both construction and optics, but with considerable automation and some digital controls.
Quite different in operation compared to the other two. Very high-tech. And at bargain prices too. Considerable bang for the buck even outside of considering these three choices.

The Mamiya 7 and the Contax G both have very limited lens choices, essentially proprietary. By contrast, the Leica M6 has lenses of all types and price points from several manufacturers, now even Carl Zeiss is joining in with a new collection in M mount. A broad range...

Reading over Tim's comments, I'll just add, "Dittos!" 🙂

 

[Doug]

I want the G2 because of the Zeiss glass which is better and cheaper than the Leica.
I want the Leica because it is all manual and I am fed up with my auto-everything SLRs.
I want the Mamiya because it offers the best quality in photography (except view cameras which I will never get, so I don't care)

Ok, this helps!

I'll point out the G2 is rather like an auto-everything SLR. 😱 The zooming viewfinder does not offer one of the often-mentioned RF attributes, that of seeing outside of the framelines. It's more like looking through an SLR with only the scene (or maybe 90% of it) visible. Its main attribute I think compared to one of those SLRs is the compact size.

As to Zeiss glass, feast your eyes on this website showing seven new Zeiss lenses to fit Leica: http://www.zeissikon.com/lenses.htm

So, except that it's still the least expensive, I'd think this might put the Contax in third place. Ironic for me to make that point, since I just recently bought a G1 and three lenses... for the exquisite quality so inexpensive now. The G1 turned out to have problems and has been sent back in favor of a G2...

Leica because it's all-manual... hmmm. You can easily pretend the Mamiya 7 is all-manual, as its only bothersome automation is the A on the shutter dial. I suppose a bit of gaffer's tape could hide that annoyance (temptation?). See, there you are: I think I've just picked the lovely big Mamiya as your next camera! 😀

 

[BAPIEMAI]

Ok Doug now you have done more damage than good 🙂 You added a fourth camera to my wish list. It combines the best of Leica and Contax (manual & lens).

Do you know if the Zeiss Ikon is on the market right now ? If it is I will probably choose this one. Where can I find more info ?

 

[Doug]

LOL, the Bronica is the same size as my M2 (with 35 'cron w/hood) in width and depth, but about 2.5cm taller. Big bright rangefinder, crisp spot... and only three lenses available. See the whole kit at http://www.tamron.com/bronica/ I believe the US importer is out of the 100mm lens now and no new ones coming in. As may be true of the Contax G2 system too, the Bronica is likely not actually being produced any longer. The film camera market isn't very healthy these days.

But, that's what's so remarkable and hopeful about the new film cameras still being developed and introduced! The Zeiss Ikon, which many hope will arrive bearing the classic Contax name, was originally due in May. I heard it may be delayed. Some of the lenses are just now becoming available, though. Hasselblad is the distributor. The Zeiss Ikon website may be the best resource so far, but RFF member Huck Finn may weigh in here with more informed suggestions!

Most of my RFF gallery photos were done with either the Bronica or a Fuji GA645W...