Any active Contax users? - Or Confessions of an addict

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This thread maybe short lived as I guess "we" could be few and far between. As I long term fan and user wonder if anyone else is...

It started many years ago when I bought a new RX, then collected a load of primes to use... Later added a 159 as second body, lovely little camera..
With the arrival of autofocus I also ran a Nikon F80, later the D70...
Had always been attracted by the N system... So swapped the classic C/Y set up for an N1..... like all addictions this has grown.... so now hold the following
ND, N1 with data back and grip and NX body, 17-35, 50mm, 100m Macro, 24-85, 70-200, 70-300, filters extension tube and focus screens...
An 85mm F1.4 would be nice, but I'm not prepared to pay the crazy prices on ebay.... lets not even get on to the 400mm...

I'm tempted to pick up a S2b, looks like a superb piece of Contax engineering and the last of the manual series. Then add a 45mm pancake lens.

The Nikon D70 got replaced with a Canon 5D mark1 ... which has now been replaced with a Nikon D7000, which is great and far easier to travel with than the Contax kit.

Despite it's reputation the old N Digital can be persuaded into some great rendered images, quirky but a great challenge to use and enjoy. Shame the Mk2 never made on to the streets.
Using it with a CPL seems to have big benefits and produces those film like images with good tonal range for such old tech kit.
 
Last year I picked up a very lightly used and great condition first version of the Contax RTS, as I'd started buying manual primes to use with adaptors on my 5D, and thought it would be nice to play with film a bit seeing as I could get into it relatively cheaply (at least compared to digital).
For the RTS I now have Yashica ML 28mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8, and a C/Y Zeiss T* Planar 50mm 1.4. The image quality I'm getting on both the RTS and the 5D with these lenses is stunning, and a fraction of the cost of comparitive quality/focal length L lenses.
Do you have the N digital? If so, any photos you've taken with it, and how does it compare to a 5D with adaptors?
 
I don't care much for 35mm photography, film or digital, but I'd love to be an active user of a Contax 645!
 
I started off with a 139, when it first came out, with the T* 2.8 45.
I passed it on a few years ago as it was passed its best. But I have another one!
...and an RTS
Contax RTS by kendo1111, on Flickr
 
One of the reasons I went for the Canon was I was expecting to use the C/Y lenses with an adaptor, but I found it pretty poor with the adaptors available back 5 years ago, in the end to much hassle for little gain over the L series lenses I had. So I gave up, sold it and went N system for my Contax fix...

Try searching Flickr for 9designs, most of my pictures on their are from the ND. I believe there viewable publicly not that I've used it for years so who knows what they have sold on and shared now.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9designs/

I'd love to have a 645 as well..... just such a big investment, then will need a Coolscan 9000 :eek: and loads of time ...... Some 645 lens on the adaptor to the N1 and ND is tempting.

How does the ND compare, in some ways it can't simply doesn't have enough pixels so if you zoom in it quickly runs out of detail etc.... That said the Flickr picture I think show a unique render and quality... They print to A3 on my Canon i9900 just fine...
 
CONTAX RTS II Quartz given to me recently with a Yashica FR1 and three Yashica lenses -- there was also two Contax Flashes, the small one went BANG, leaving me with the huge hammerhead Real Time Flash 540 for which I have no instructions. I have done some tests with both cameras -- they both had suffered 'Bangs' -- CONTAX on a corner and frame counter sticks at 12 and Yashica on pentaprism and frame counter sticks on 'S' so I have to guess how many frames I take. Using a RED filter with CONTAX I found it under-exposes compared to a Weston Master V reading and giving the x8 allowance -- Roger Hicks told me that CONTAX had over-sensitivity to RED in the metering hence the under-exposure. 50mm f1.4 Planar seem sharp enough but not better than my 1970's 50mmf1.4 SMC Takumar on Spotmatic F
Contax RTS II Quartz by pentaxpete, on Flickr
 
Then it would not be as much 'Fun' as using FILLUM !
 
Lucky to have 645, N1, RX and RX2. They're all beautifully engineered, ergonomic and intuitive to use.
645 body often on C645 35mm, Hasselblad 100mm CFi or 180mm CFE.
N1 likes the 100mm N Makro and 17-35mm (my only zoom).
RX(2) usually with CZ MM 85mm f1.4.
N1 and RX occasionally on Hass 350mm FE with/out x2conv.
 
Nice cameras, but shouldn't this thread be in Talk Film and Conventional? You'll get a bit more comment there... although I see some of the film crusties are already here!
 
N-system2.jpg


The NX is missing from the shot, that arrived after this was taken some tome back.
 
A little weekend activity has resulted in buying a Contax 159 and a 45mm Pancake lens…..Wanted an S2b’s but they are over priced and going for too much… well they don’t sell from week to week, so good luck to the sellers on that.


Oh and I also picked up a Nikon FE2 with 24mm Lens for a comparison ;)
 
I had a 159 MM, in the early 80s. Was the best analog camera I ever had. Took brilliant pictures with Agfa, Fuji or Kodak films. I used mainly DIN 200, with some occasional DIN 400 material. I had it until 10 years ago, when I gave it to a friend - who replaced it a year later with a compact Canon. Maybe he still has it, I probably should go and ask him.
 
My CZ 45mm F2.8 Pancake lens arrived today....
I knew they were small but heck it's tiny, :jawdrop: Why I never bought one years ago???? will make great compact set-up on the 159mm
 
It's a lovely little lens.
 
159 arrived and is very nice as Contax should be, with the 45mm fitted is so neat and compact....pleased with this.
The FE2 is a disappointment, it looks fine, but feels some what tired !! foam seals going as well, nothing like the Contax quality... The 24mm focus is little slack but glass is excellent so it's useable. I think the FE2 will go back on eBay after a while and I'll find a better example to back up my D7000.
 
At last got both the Contax Real Time Flash 540 and the Real Time Wnder W-3 working !!
I had to fit 12 AA Batteries into flash pack with the two battery holders supplied and get batteries right way round trying to follow bad illustration -- I switched 'ON' and red light came on after a struggle then when I pressed the 'test' button there was a huge CRACK !!! as the flash discharged !! -- Thought I was going to be blown up especially as the smaller Contax flash unit had gone BANG ! and smelt of burning !! There was NO 'TTL' flash lead but I took some tests on the 'Auto' setting choosing different apertures and developed test film and flash seems to work OK after what must be over 20 years of non-use !!
Contax with Flash by pentaxpete, on Flickr
 
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