Zeiss Contax Month - April

markjwyatt

markjwyatt

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Apparently we have a Nikon Rangefinder Month- March. In that spirit I would like to declare April "Zeiss Contax Month" unless there already exists such a month, or April is taken by another camera. January should really be the correct month (since the Contax and Leica were the original coupled rangefinder 35mm cameras introduced 1932), but I don't want to wait until next year!
 
Someone needs to buy that Contax II that is in the classifieds (before I invest in yet another camera system)!
 
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Marrakech
Contax G1 | 45mm | Kodak ColorPlus 200 | Pakon scan
 
The pre-war Zeiss are such well made stuff, whether a folder, TLR, or Contax, with optics that always surprised, in a good way, but the rangefinders chewed up my glasses and none of it survived 'the Great Camera Sell-Off of 2018/19.'

In a few ways, the old Contax rangefinders I owned and used were better then even M mount Leicas -- longer rangefinder base, bigger rangefinder patch, more contrast, and the lack of frame lines is just so liberating. Sold the Zeiss though; kept an M3.

Hard to imagine something made so long ago still functioned so well. World was a different place back in the late 1930's. Hope I'm doing as well in my 80's.
 
steveyork said:
The pre-war Zeiss are such well made stuff, whether a folder, TLR, or Contax, with optics that always surprised, in a good way, but the rangefinders chewed up my glasses and none of it survived 'the Great Camera Sell-Off of 2018/19.'

In a few ways, the old Contax rangefinders I owned and used were better then even M mount Leicas -- longer rangefinder base, bigger rangefinder patch, more contrast, and the lack of frame lines is just so liberating. Sold the Zeiss though; kept an M3.

Hard to imagine something made so long ago still functioned so well. World was a different place back in the late 1930's. Hope I'm doing as well in my 80's.
Click to expand...

The Contax II is my favourite camera of all time. I own 2 camera bodies (one of them soon to arrive on my door). I sold my Leica gear in order to invest in Contax. It is my hobby and I am slowly learning things as I go along. I view using the Contax like fly fishing on beautiful lake, it's all about the process.
 
Beautiful shots everyone. Zeiss optics just work so well (especially with capable photographers standing behind them).
 
April Contax Story:

Last week I traveled to Detroit and Wisconsin. Leaving California, my Contax iia apparently flagged during a hand check. They insisted on X-raying it (I had film in it- I wound it up and sacrificed half a roll). The female security who wiped it looked at it and said (paraphrasing), ' My dad gave me a camera just like that, I think'. I asked a few questions and she confirmed it was German, and said she still had it. When another security guard came over after the camera flagged, I wound the roll, removed it and handed it to him. He X-rayed it and commented (paraphrase), 'wow, that is a dense camera'!

Coming back through Chicago, the camera did not set off the detector, so I suspect it was a fluke (I have done a hand check at least once before with no issues).

I dropped by Westborn Camera in Dearborn and looked at a lens (Sonnar 135mm, Captain Jack collection; had fungus). I also stopped by Alpine Camera in Des Plaines Illinois and picked up some more FP4+. Nice people and they have some quality cameras at reasonable prices. No Contax stuff at the time.
 
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