Zeiss Ikon, 'The Classic Model':

[Jpeg]

Hi, I'm new here but I'm still into film. Our local camera shop in Seattle had a Camera Expo last spring were all the different camera companies had a booth. Zeiss Ikon had in their booth a film RR Zeiss Ikon 'Classic'. I realize it probably isn't made by Zeiss but more like some Japanese company. I was very impress with it's feel. What bowled me over was it's rangefinder. I never looked through such a bright clear rangefinder in my life. My bet is that it's got the Leica M's beat all to hell. It's very expensive and the lenses are very expensive, -but not as expensive as a Leica M. The Contax G's don't even come close, special when it comes to the rangefinder. Just curious, does anyone have the Zeiss Ikon 'Classic', and how do you like it?
On a side not I used to have a Contax T2 which I took everywhere. I sold it several years ago when I decided to go into digital. I've been kicking my self ever since. So, I bought the Leica CM. For some reason the CM didn't press my buttons like the T2. For one thing it's viewfinder is not nearly as bright as the T2, -infact the T2 seems to have a brighter and better rangefinder the the Contax G's. Anyway, I sold the Leica CM so I could buy the SONY NEX-7, A great camera specially when you can put old manual focus lenses in them.
But, today I was at thecamera shop and they ahd a used Contax T2 in excellent condition. I couldn't resist: I bought it. I still like film and the T2 was a great little camera to take everwhere. Now my ambition is to get the Zeiss Ikon 'Classic'.:angel::angel::angel::angel:

 

[Jpeg]

Just Got 'Freaked Out'!:

Just Got 'Freaked Out'!:

Sunday, went on a photo shoot about the city of Seattle, with four different camera's for comparisons: (1) my Leica R 6.2 with Simmilux f/1.4 50mm. (2) a barrowed Contax S2b with my Planar f/1.4 50mm., (3) my Sony NEX-7 with kit 18-55mm. zoom lens. (4) my newly purchased Contax T2 p/s.
I was stunned with the results: I own both the Leica R Simmilux f/1.4 and the Zeiss Flanar f/1.4 which I have been using with my NEX-7. I always felt the Zeiss Planar was sharper then the Simmilux f/1.4 and it also was with the Contax s2b vs. the Leica R 6.2. The shocker was the little p/s Contax T2 was also sharper then the Leica R 6.2 with it's big Simmilux f/1.4. In fact, the Contax T2 was so simular to the NEX-7, I couldn't believe it. The NEX-7 had brighter colors, but detail was almost identical. The Leica had the most subtle colors, followed by the Contax S2b, then the Contax T2 and the brightest was the NEX-7. The two Contax's were the most accurate in color. The NEX-7 missed a few times in it's focusing, the Contax T2 focused spot on every time in Auto Focus.
All in All, it's an outstanding showing for the Contax T2, a mere point and shoot and the cheapest of all four, with the Leica R 6.2 with it's Simmilux f/1.4 lens being at the bottem of all four but the most expensive by a wide margin. The little T2 is a definate keeper, but now I don't know what I'm going to do with my Leica.:bang: