Contax T3 vs. Nikon 35Ti

Contax T3 vs. Nikon 35Ti

  • Contax T3

    Votes: 209 68.1%

  • Nikon 35Ti

    Votes: 98 31.9%
  • Total voters
    307
Seems like a huge nuisance I can't believe I couldn't find any info on this fact til now. Is there something else around 35-40mm PnS w/ ISO control then?
 
Good lord I recall reading this debate in photo mags 20 years or so back (no internet forums then - how quickly we forget). I cannot say directly. I had the Contax T2 and thought it to be brilliant. It was tack sharp. The T3 was said to be better still but small and a little pockey to handle. Particularly its itsy bitsy buttons. The Nikon was designed superbly though and was a lovely bit of kit to look at and fondle.
 
Just got this beauty!

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Never liked either of them tbh. I've had two T3's. Sold the first after 3 months, then a couple of years later bought another to see if I made a mistake. What with all the praise it keeps getting. Sold it after one month. Fiddly little thing. Options in the menu that should be on the camera. Smooth and in my opinion, very girlie.

The Nikon is too big, heavy and those annoying flash on/off buttons on the front you have to hold in. OMG, who thought that one up!

The pictures from both, and from all the top high end compacts are so close in quality that it comes down to ergonomics in my view. I never liked either of these camera's for that.

Paul
 
There was a Nikon 35Ti on sale for $250 at RFF very recently, and I was about to buy it!
I have Contax T2, and this made me GAS-less.
 
I bought a 35ti that I had to send back due to shutter and advance problems. It's a beautifully executed camera that you can customize to a great extent by programming it correctly ( you can get rid of the panorama frame marks, set a custom flash mode, etc). If to worked, I would have kept it, some test frames looked great! Unfortunately, due to this experience, and seeing how complex it is, I won't be buying another one unless the price is really right.

I have a Rollei AFM 35 that I bought for little money, mint, and it's a keeper. Almost ten years younger than some other P&S cams, great lens, easy to use, and essentially pocketable (jacket pocket). You have to remember to turn the flash off though.
 
Tried both, the T3 was the better camera in terms of IQ ( just slightly), flash and size/weight (more so). The Nikon gives better exposure and framing detail in the viewfinder (something always wanting in the T3/T2) and has a panoramic mode while the T3 doesn't. Both are high quality but a used T3 has always retained a price close to when new while the Nikon, Contax T2 or various TVS iterations have dropped considerably from when new. My only qualm with the T3 was the built-in lens cover as it tended to hang up every so often. Like any used camera, make sure there is a reasonable return policy as they are expensive to service.
 
I caved and bought a black T3 the other day (and a Ricoh R1), and I think it's completely cured my compact GAS.

I've held but not shot the Nikon, and in the hand I definitley prefer the T3, (although those 35ti dials are very pretty).

I shot my test roll in the time it took to walk from the camera shop to the car, and got the very impressive results today. I've got a roll of BW400CN in right now and I'm itching to shoot it
 
I doubt you will go wrong either way. I never had the Nikon, but can only say the best for the T3. The ratio image quality to size is just amazing.

Cameras come and go, cameras work and break. Exception: The T3, it has been on every major photo projects of mine since 2009 and continues to do so, and has never let me down. The only thing prone to failure is the lens cover blades (I shoot with filter all the time anyway) and the spool teeth (fixed mine myself, all good).

It has weaknesses...like all small point and shoots. The question will be less what is the better camera, but which weaknesses do you think you can easier work around?

Contax T3 samples from the Caucasus in Georgia:

Kodak Chrome Elite, Hasselblad X1 scan.

schoen_02-3_o.jpg



Ilford FP4+, B+W yellow filter; Hasselblad X1 scan.

2_-Bearbeitet-Bearbeitet_o.jpg
 
I still have both T3 and 28Ti. T3 does have better IQ, but there is something special about 28Ti I just have to keep it. The 28Ti has a very different rendering compare to T3, it has a very classic look rather than T3's modern zeiss(sharp) feel. I will share some examples from both so you can see the difference.

T3:

Negative0-18-18(1) by damonsong, on Flickr

Negative0-14-15(1) by damonsong, on Flickr

Negative0-31-31(1).jpg by damonsong, on Flickr

28Ti

Negative0-09-09(1) by damonsong, on Flickr

Negative0-08-8A(1) by damonsong, on Flickr

Negative0-07-07(1) by damonsong, on Flickr
 
NLewis said:
To answer my own question, a reviewer of both who bought the T3 specifically for its reduced shutter lag found that, even with selectable pre-focus, the T3 had a bit of lag and in the end was not significantly different than the T2 in that regard. Apparently, neither come close to the Olympus XA and its wonderfully direct shutter control. With that in mind, I think I'll stick to the T2 and its manual controls, although others like the T3's small size and upgraded lens.
Click to expand...
I had two XA. Unbelievable small true RF cameras, but the optics never satisfied me. Now I have a T3 and... the optics is superb. A true film camera. The AF is very fast (I've selected the customized option of having focusing as you press partially the shutter). Anyway since I don't like menus I'd like also try a Contax T (here you can select a hyperfocal distance without pressing buttons).
But I'm anyway happy with T3.
The best PS camera for me.
 
I have T3 and 28Ti.

Nikon = Smarter metering, smarter flash, but more bulky, slow focus, no filter, no hood
T3 = Normal metering, normal flash, smaller, focuses faster and closer, takes filter or hood

Both take great pictures.
 
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