Contax Rangefinder

Contax G2 – The Finest Camera Ever to See my Minds Eye

By / / Advanced Compact, Rangefinders (Changeable Lens) / 34 Comments

Back in 2005 I had just started getting back into shooting Film and had bought a Minolta Dynax 5 to accompany my Konica Minolta 7D DSLR.
What I then wanted was a Leica – almost everyone starts off wanting a Leica, very much like when one starts of being interested in Wrist watches wanting a Rolex. I never did get one though – I was on Amazon’s website and when I typed “Rangefinder camera” an advert for an open box Contax G2 with 45mm Carl Zeiss Planar lens came up for an expensive £550. I had never heard of Contax and had no idea what a G2 was but after a short read on the Web I took a punt and received it in a couple of days.

Contax T (front)

CONTAX T – The 1st One – A Compact, Manually-Focused Rangefinder – By ‘grain_frame’

By / / Advanced Compact, Rangefinders (Fixed Lens) / 19 Comments

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.

A Contax G1 camera

Contax G1 – Much more in-focus than out-of-focus – By Chantel Wakefield

By / / Rangefinders (Changeable Lens) / 33 Comments

“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

Contax iia

Contax IIa review – Chasing that Classic Look with an Unaccountably Affordable Vintage German Rangefinder – By Phil Calvit

By / / Rangefinders (Changeable Lens) / 26 Comments

Like most of you good 35mmc readers, I’d love to own a classic Leica. And like most of you (unless you’re a more posh lot than I’d assumed), I’ve been unwilling to make the life sacrifices (unheated house, unpaid cell phone bills, kids skipping college, etc.) necessary to actually buy one. Instead, I have opted for a (much more affordable) Contax iia with a 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, and a couple of rolls in, I’m not disappointed! 

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