Contax N1 advice

dave clayton

dave clayton

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Hello all
Looking at a contax N1 and the Zeiss 24-85 zoom lens to match. So what im after information wise is who has used the system and is it worth it ie draw backs and positives. if i get this i will be selling my D300 and for the first time ever be only working in film so its a big jump but looking at the camera and lens it may be the right jump
 
Well I had to look it up on google and I would guess most members would recommend the Nikon F100 instead...... and one good reason is the lenses would be a lot cheaper than Contax.
 
But he hasn't asked for other recommendations Brian, just if anyone has used the camera..... I haven't used so I'm being about as much help as Brian. :D
 
Andysnap said:
But he hasn't asked for other recommendations Brian, just if anyone has used the camera..... I haven't used so I'm being about as much help as Brian. :D
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Lateral think Andy ;) some sort of reply is better than a deafening silence because no one has owned the N1, but you never know from amongst the members of all the forum inc the digital mob.:D
 
the F100 is a good bit of kit but ive taken a fancy to the Contax range and saw this one come up at a ok price so thought id pick some info up. The lens has some great reviews and had a good play with it today and the controls on it are so well made and feels great to use
 
dave clayton said:
the F100 is a good bit of kit but ive taken a fancy to the Contax range and saw this one come up at a ok price so thought id pick some info up. The lens has some great reviews and had a good play with it today and the controls on it are so well made and feels great to use
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Can this camera take Yashica manual focus lens or is it all AF, if it can take MF lenses then there are some good Yashica ML lenses they might save you some money although I wouldn't mind a set of Contax lenses but can resist as I really want to take up medium format again.
 
i will check the book in a mo and see if it will take the MF lens cant see any reason unless they changed mount or some crazy idea
 
Looks like they had that crazy idea

The N-series bodies used new N-mount lenses made by Carl Zeiss, with electronically controlled aperture and autofocus. Nine lenses were produced for the mount, a mixture of primes and zooms.[2] CONTAX did sell an adapter (NAM-1) allowing lenses from their 645 medium format system to be used on N bodies.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax#CONTAX_N-series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax#Lenses_for_CONTAX_N-Series
http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center/contax_n.html
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/contax/contax_n1/contax_n1.htm
 
abbandon said:
Looks like they had that crazy idea



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax#CONTAX_N-series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contax#Lenses_for_CONTAX_N-Series
http://www.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/service/download_center/contax_n.html
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/contax/contax_n1/contax_n1.htm
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H'mm all confusing as was going to ask Dave if the N1 takes the M42 adapter which would make it versatile and interesting if he wanted to play with old screw (M42) lenses. But I suppose he can always get a spare Contax 139 to use those.
 
Out of curiosity has a look on ebay at N1 prices last night. Bodies start at around the £80 but lenses....ouch. Reminds me of the Leica SLR's that I looked at. Bodies reasonable but not the lenses. The camera looks OK specification wise. What is the spares & service support like for Contax?
 
As Kycocera left the camera market in 2005 long term support does not look good

http://www.contaxcameras.co.uk/

Kyocera will continue to provide after-sales services to its customers for their CONTAX-branded cameras, and the exclusive lenses and accessories over the maximum period of ten years within the specified time of each model.
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Not really much interest in film bodies however people will pay for Ziess lenses and it seems there are plenty of other cameras that they can be adapted too googling I saw references to Sony and even the ability to retain auto focus on Canon.

http://conurus.com/contax
 
the main reason for buying is that massive lump of glass the reviews of it look like its a cracking lens to use and the fact its modded now to fit other camera's says something. and the body looks worth a gamble and feels good in the hand and the finder is quite nice only bit that is off putting is the level of automation its more like a digital but a few functions on it would be handy for landscape
 
For about 30 years only had a Pentax S3 with 35mm, 50mm and 135mm lenses and then decided that no matter what 35mm camera or 35mm lens I bought it was never going to match a medium format camera for quality of results (proved to me in camera club comps)...so changed to MF. So what am I saying? A 35mm zeiss lens on a 35mm camera will never match say a medium format Bronica, Rollei and so on for quality of results....a big un will always beat a littlun
 
talking of big uns ive got 5x4 and 6x9 here so that is not a problem but it will give me a very good 35mm neg tho. its a shame the contax 645 system is mad prices because i would be tempted to make a move to 645 and ditch 35mm for walk around
 
dave clayton said:
talking of big uns ive got 5x4 and 6x9 here so that is not a problem but it will give me a very good 35mm neg tho. its a shame the contax 645 system is mad prices because i would be tempted to make a move to 645 and ditch 35mm for walk around
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Well just IMO if you are a digital owner\user wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, and would use digital for general use and a Medium format camera for pleasure or for a different look or quality of results or playing with B\W etc....but I've only got an old half working digital compact for quick snaps so really only use film so my opinion might not be of any use..............but my son has a Canon 350d and doesn't bother using it any more as his camera mobile does all he wants :rolleyes:
 
I have in the past used Contax gear.

Not the N1 but RTSIII which I think was its predecesor.

Contax glass is very nice and as already pointed out expensive. I am not sure if it is worth the extra money over Nikon, Canon or Leica glass.

Contax bodies are nice well made but heavy, I think heavier than the D300.

If you can get an N1 with lens cheap then I think it might be worth a dabble but to be honest I would struggle to recommend it over other camera manufactures. I have in the past looked at getting another RTSIII but it offers little more than what some of Nikon gear I have does.
 
If you want one Leica lens on the cheap then use the manual focus Minolta 35-70mm f3.5 macro.... the word on the net is that it was made when Leica and Minolta cooperated so the lenses are similar...of course not in price.
 
looking on paper at the idea of getting a 35mm system may be a step backwards after looking at the mamiya 645af system that is coming in at the same price and offers some great optics as well plus the 645 format is better than 35mm for quality so may be a dumb idea to spend cash on that when a 645 system gives better quality
 
MF... you know it makes sense. (y)
 
i think 35mm has a good place but the issue is buying into a system with stupidly expensive glass with a smaller format stupid when the cost of each lens is double a canon/nikon lens
 
dave clayton said:
i think 35mm has a good place but the issue is buying into a system with stupidly expensive glass with a smaller format stupid when the cost of each lens is double a canon/nikon lens
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...and you will have to decide is film for you..maybe you can borrow a 35mm camera and take a few rolls and then go from there..after all any film camera is basically just a light tight box separating the lens from the photographer.
 
excalibur2 said:
...and you will have to decide is film for you..maybe you can borrow a 35mm camera and take a few rolls and then go from there..after all any film camera is basically just a light tight box separating the lens from the photographer.
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ive been shooting film and processing my rolls since 2009 when i started my degree in photography and had had several shows of my work in the southwest mainly shot on film.. its not a case of deciding is film for me its more whats the pro's and cons of the system i asked about in my first post and had anybody used the system in question.. regards to borrowing film camera no need i have a 3/4 35mm cameras 2 medium format cameras and a 5x4 camera and all associated film and processing kit
 
dave clayton said:
ive been shooting film and processing my rolls since 2009 when i started my degree in photography and had had several shows of my work in the southwest mainly shot on film.. its not a case of deciding is film for me its more whats the pro's and cons of the system i asked about in my first post and had anybody used the system in question.. regards to borrowing film camera no need i have a 3/4 35mm cameras 2 medium format cameras and a 5x4 camera and all associated film and processing kit
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Sorry I thought you were more of a newbie as you mentioned the D300......and would guess the cameras you have are not AF and thus the mention of the N1.....well for example they are very handy when you can't get children to sit still (too many OOF shots) and bought a Nikon F90s only for shooting them. (y)
 
the D300 was my main working camera for weddings and events since ive canned that area to work on other less stressfull and B/S filled stuff i dont use the d300. the main selling point on the N1 was the lens and af system for use when i do the odd mates wedding n such like or event. but is it worth that price tag when a 645af is coming around the same cost and lens are a tad cheaper the zeiss but still bloody good
 
Well here, be careful you don't get the GAS syndrome as I started off with a Pentax S3 with 3 lenses and a Nikon EM with 50mm lens (bequeathed to me), RB 67 and Bronica Etrsi..and now have about 20 35mm manual focus cameras and 2 AF ones plus about 50 lenses, not forgetting many compacts :eek:
 
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Contax N series has a different lens mount to the contax manual cameras (rx, ax etc). The N series is fully electronic, and is prone to failure. Once failed, is completely useless, as it is impossible to fix. The N series lens do not mount on any other camera.

I once got a N series, but the lens focusing failed after a few days. I was lucky to be able to return. I have to admit, I do look at the ffordes listing of N series from time to time, and the fingers start itching.

On paper, it looked very attractive. Last of the contax, with a redesigned zeiss lens and AF. But, in reality, I found AX better, since it can AF all manual lens that can be mounted on it - the only camera ever to be able to do so- and is certainly more reliable.

Heavy though, really very heavy.

The zeiss lens are very very good, as you know.

On balance, Contax Range finder remains my favourite, though not the best for wedding, I would guess.

I believe there are some zeiss lens on Nikon mount, so that might be a good combination. Never looked at it closely myself.

Incidentally, contax was the first, somewhere in early 2000 to bring out the first full frame dslr. Way ahead of its time, that company was.
 
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