Zeiss Contax IIIa Package: Value?

Dave S.

Dave S.

Well-known
Local time
3:30 PM
Joined
Nov 14, 2008
Messages
308
I have a chance to buy a Zeiss Contax IIIa package at a local thrift and have no idea the value of this camera. They want $550 USD for the package.

Comes with:


Zeiss Contax IIIa camera body (with original camera case)

50/1.5 Sonnar (with front cap)

35/3.5 Planar (with caps and case)

Accessory viewfinder (with case) for the the 35mm Planer (goes in the fash shoe)

Original Instruction Manual


Everything looks very nice and appears to function correctly including the exposure meter.

NOTE: Previous owner engraved his social security number along the back of the top plate below the viewfinder :(.

Any suggestions on a good price would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Dave S. said:
I have a chance to buy a Zeiss Contax IIIa package at a local thrift and have no idea the value of this camera. They want $550 USD for the package.

Comes with:


Zeiss Contax IIIa camera body (with original camera case)

50/1.5 Sonnar (with front cap)

35/3.5 Planar (with caps and case)

Accessory viewfinder (with case) for the the 35mm Planer (goes in the fash shoe)

Original Instruction Manual


Everything looks very nice and appears to function correctly including the exposure meter.

NOTE: Previous owner engraved his social security number along the back of the top plate below the viewfinder :(.

Any suggestions on a good price would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...



It can be a good deal if everything is in tip-top shape.

One well known pricey dealer sells a minty 35mm f 3.5 Planar lens for around 1200 dollars.
 
Agree w/xayraa33. It sounds like the thrift store has done their basic eBay research, i.e., the most valuable item is the Planar.

Dave S. said:
I have a chance to buy a Zeiss Contax IIIa package at a local thrift and have no idea the value of this camera. They want $550 USD for the package.

Comes with:


Zeiss Contax IIIa camera body (with original camera case)

50/1.5 Sonnar (with front cap)

35/3.5 Planar (with caps and case)

Accessory viewfinder (with case) for the the 35mm Planer (goes in the fash shoe)

Original Instruction Manual


Everything looks very nice and appears to function correctly including the exposure meter.

NOTE: Previous owner engraved his social security number along the back of the top plate below the viewfinder :(.

Any suggestions on a good price would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
I have a couple thrift stores nearby that often get cameras. I couldn't figure out why every camera item was priced at top dollar (but every other item was thrift store cheap). A Leica M3 was 1200 with a few lenses, for example. A Bolex with a bunch of decent Kerns was $500. This over a couple years period.

Then I was at the local camera show talking to a vendor. He mentioned "xyz stores even call me for price estimates. I alway go really high, to help them out." I said "oh, so you're the one pricing that stuff?!" Yep he says, "Then STOP!" I say!
 
I don't know Contax prices, but I did what you can do; looked at completed sales on ebay. The Planar is going for about $400, so don't let that higher quote sway you into thinking you're getting a great deal. Does the camera work smoothly, and the shutter tapes are unbroken? Thrift store cameras are usually beat up, and they get them for free or very cheap. Funny how they then think they are specialty camera dealers, and can ask high prices. I'd ask for about $300, and pass if they say no. Too many broken cameras, too many people thinking ebay prices are the market price for face to face.
 
A few years back, I purchased a cosmetically decent-looking III-a Contax with a 50mm f:2 Sonnar from KEH for less than $200.

The lens has some light cleaning marks on the front element, and while the camera itself seemed to "mostly work", the speeds below 1/30 were gummy and the test roll revealed that the shutter was capping at speeds above 1/200. Also the meter cell is weak.

After investigating overhaul costs from Henry Scherer, I decided to put my III-a on the back-burner. :(

I would suggest that the "safe" value in your thrift-store package is in the lenses & finder - you can readily inspect them for scratches / haze / cleaning marks, etc. If the glass is decent and they show no signs of corrosion or impact damage (dinged filter rings), then I would suggest that the two lenses and finders might be worth $550, but the camera body itself is a gamble - you won't know what you've got until you test-shoot or have it checked-out by a knowledgeable professional.

KEH used to regularly have decent-looking II-a / III-a Contax bodies in the $125-$200 ball-park...


Good luck ! :cool:
 
Frank is dead on. Offer $400 if the lenses and finders are clean. Explain the issues with the body that might pop up. Most thrift shops are willing to haggle.
 
Thanks for the information everyone! I'll stop by tomorrow and see if its still available. I have 3 follow up questions:

1. What does "the shutter tapes are unbroken" mean? How can I check this?

2. How can I check to see if "the meter cell is weak" ? ( I followed the procedure in the manual to check the meter and it responded accordingly - the needle went to the center mark. Does that mean it's okay?

3. On collectiblend there is a listing for a 50/1.5 R Sonnar. What does the "R" stand for? Are the R versions really worth a lot more as collectiblend indicates? I didn't notice if it was a R version or not when I looked at it the other day.

Thanks again!
 
R-Sonnar

R-Sonnar

An R Sonnar is a special Roentgen or x-ray lens. Its rear element touches the x-ray film so there is no way it would fit in the Contax. It would not allow the shutter to close. None were mounted for Contax cameras.
 
Last edited:
Dave S. said:
Thanks for the information everyone! I'll stop by tomorrow and see if its still available. I have 3 follow up questions:

1. What does "the shutter tapes are unbroken" mean? How can I check this?

2. How can I check to see if "the meter cell is weak" ? ( I followed the procedure in the manual to check the meter and it responded accordingly - the needle went to the center mark. Does that mean it's okay?

3. On collectiblend there is a listing for a 50/1.5 R Sonnar. What does the "R" stand for? Are the R versions really worth a lot more as collectiblend indicates? I didn't notice if it was a R version or not when I looked at it the other day.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...


1) Shutter-tapes: the Contax RF shutter is a system of horizontal metal "slats", stacked edge-to-edge and joined with a linen cloth tape along each side-edge ( somewhat like Venetian blinds ). They are in two groups, an upper "stack" and a lower "stack". A preliminary check would be to remove the back-panel, and observe the operation of the shutter while winding-on, then releasing the shutter. The slats should remain absolutely horizontal and parallel to the upper and lower edges of the film-gate. The upper and lower stacks should move smoothly and swiftly, with no hesitation along the way. If the slats are slanted or bind, this indicates trouble inside the mechanism ( may or may not be bad shutter tapes ), and that the camera body needs professional service.

2) Meter Check - if you have a reliable hand-held meter, a comparative check against the camera-meter is probably best... If that is not possible, with the meter door CLOSED, turn the big meter-ring clockwise until it stops (the numeral 5 on the outer scale will be at / near the red pointer arrow). Now turn the meter ring COUNTER-clockwise, and watch the meter-needle: when it just lifts-off its stop-pin, stop turning the ring, OPEN the meter door, and point the camera towards some brightish light (shop window, overhead fluorescent light, etc.) - the meter needle should swing all the way to the front-end of the window. Close the meter door and see if the needle returns to the other limit. Repeat a few times.
Then set the ASA / ISO scale to 200, and turn the meter ring to bring the outer "250" numeral opposite the middle between the "16" and "11" on the center ring ( this would be "Sunny f:16" ), open the meter-door, and point the camera at the bright light again.... the meter needle should ideally line-up with the black diamond in the center of the meter scale.

These are very rudimentary tests... I played around with the one in my camera, and got it to respond to light, but am not entirely convinced of its accuracy. With my camera, with the meter-door closed (no light reaching cell), as I advance the meter-ring counter-clockwise, the needle begins to lift-off its stop when the "1250" on the outer ring lines-up with the first "A" in "ASA". If I continue to advance the meter-ring to its stop, the needle just passes the dot on the meter scale, but stops short of the diamond.

Ultimately, with the meter-door open, the meter-ring advanced all the way counter-clockwise, and the camera pointed at brightish light, if this will not "peg the meter" at the high end of its scale, the cell is probably weak / dead. A bargaining-point, but not essential to the operation of the camera itself.

3) Looks like Bill Jones covered the R-Sonnar question.

Good luck !

:cool:
 
I stopped by the thrift store and checked out the shutter and light meter according to the suggestions from Luddite Frank. Both checked out okay. The lenses looked good too. Shutter speeds all sound accurate. I offered them $350 and the woman said “well, i’m not the camera expert...” looked around and said “could you hold on just a minute” then she went in the backroom (presumably to check the big auction site sold listings), came back and said “that sounds like a reasonable offer” and sold it to me for $350. The guy who rung me up said “you must have caught her in a good mood to get the price reduced like that - nice camera!”

Thanks everyone for the help in figuring this out! I think I got a good deal, maybe not great, but good.

FYI: Looks like this is where the serial number falls: D, 76,001-86,000, 3/1955 to 1/1956

Here’s a picture of the package

19842738796_ca6a07cd97_z.jpg
 
That's an excellent deal! The IIIa is a later color dial as well, which is nice if you ever want to use the camera with flash. Can't wait to see photos from it.
 
Congratulations on getting this package at a great price. Now all you need is 21/4.5 Biogon and 85/2 Sonnar, and you will have a wonderful system. I happen to own them, and they are definitely worth it. Post-war Contax cameras are wonderful! Enjoy it!
 
Congratulations, Dave !

Looks like nice gear.... the two lenses/caps , finder, and case are all conservatively worth $350... hopefully the camera body is in good working order too !

Please share some pictures from it !


Frank
 
Yes a good deal without any doubt.
The llla shutter tapes are not subject to the wear that the earlier ll and lll suffered and are rarely a problem unless the camera has a LOT of use - I guess your sample has not. A simple CLA from a reputable repairman will get the shutter back to spec, while Henry Sheerer will do a fabulous job of restoration there really is no need to put it on his waiting list as the mechanisms are easy to get to and easy to clean on the llla.
Good job and look forward to seeing the output - another classic saved by a user.
 
Nice find Dave! I haven't seen anything anywhere close to that nice in a thrift shop around here.

I have a 50/1.5 - its a hell of a lens. I haven't had a chance to use the Planar but the results I've seen from it on Flickr look stellar.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom