The Contax T is a compact rangefinder introduced in 1984. It was the first in what would become a line of premium point-and-shoot cameras, a segment pioneered by Contax. It was also the first Contax camera developed since acquisition of the brand by industrial giant Kyocera (formerly Kyoto Ceramic Company), and they aimed to make a splash.
“I loved owning one for two weeks until every photo came back out of focus.” This was a comment from a popular YouTuber under another popular YouTuber’s review of the Contax G1 35mm Rangefinder Camera. I won’t name names, but if you think about the first few film photography YouTubers that come to mind, he’s probably on that list.
For those unfamiliar with Contax G series, the G1 is a premium interchangeable lens camera made of aluminum and titanium. It was once described by TIME as “a thoroughly modern version of the classic Leica, proof that retro is the wave of the future.” Designed to be used with Carl Zeiss G-mount lenses, it cost over $2,000 when it was originally released in 1994. These days, a G1 camera body runs anywhere between $350-$500 on average, depending on the condition
When my girlfriend and I made the decision to visit Japan a year ago, I had just got back into film photography after a long hiatus and I knew I had to find the perfect travel camera for this trip.
The Contax TVSiii is the third and last in the range of “TVS” 35mm zoom cameras from Contax. You would think that being the last, it would be the best. Some people say it is, but In most ways I disagree. In fact, if you read my Contax TVSii review you’ll already know that buying this 3rd version made me realise that the 2nd version was better suited to me. Since then, I’ve shot a roll with the TVSiii and unfortunately found it very frustrating… in both bad and good ways
The Contax TVSii is the 2nd of 3 zoom lens cameras in the Contax T range – the TVS came before, and the TVSiii followed. Though quite similar in appearance to the fixed focal length T2, at first glance it’s the lens on the front of the TVSii that’s the most obviously different feature. In actual fact, the TVSii is a fair bit different to the T2 – there are a few shared features, but as you’ll read, I think they might be better implemented on the TVSii…
