Cameraquest home shopping cart price list camera articles i buy wants repairs books adapters. Repairing and maintaining classic cameras photoethnography. This is a very specialized book for the small number of amateurs looking to repair the relatively few remaining prewwii contax cameras on their own. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website template. And tells the reader which ones are more likely to be dependable users.
I was lucky to borrow a used one from a camera store i worked in during my student days, along with the contemporary leica iiic, the contax with the 50mm sonnar, the leica with the 50mm summar. The contax g2 is like no other rangefinder on earth. Get the best deal for contax manual focus rangefinder film cameras from the largest online selection at. It certainly is thinner than the t2, and about on par with the t3, but taller than the both of them due to the need to fit a rangefinder mechanism into the camera. The contax company is one such company, and its rangefinder camera is just one example of film cameras still readily available. This book is very rare and hard to find, i must consider myself lucky to have one, but its available in pdf in mike haleys website not anymore. Its not an easy task to take this camera apart but the real fun begins here in part 3 where we repair the broken shutter and. Again, this article is only for your entertainment and education. There are many unscrupulous sellers who fix up a contax to make it appear to be working so that it can be sold for a good price. Contax and nikon rangefinder screw and bayonet lenses. Contax rangefinder camera by zeiss ikon with 50mm lens. Cq will not provide repair services of any grey market bessa iii w cameras. The nettax was meant to be a cheaper alternative, it was a derivative of the super nettel with a rigid body and interchangeable lenses with a specific bayonet and a very limited range of lenses. The nikon is a classic camera of the late 1950s that uses the nikon s mount, a bayonet mount that is similar to the contax c rangefinder mount used in classic contax rangefinders of the 1930s1960s not the current contax g range.
Zeiss ikon contax iia 35mm film rangefinder camera with carl zeiss jena sonnar 50mm f2 and accessories color dial fully functional. We sell a wide range of products ranging from adapters for lens mounts long past to the most current line up of lenses for sony, leica and nikon. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website overhauling a contax i shutter. Is the yashica electro the best deal in rangefinder photography. Contax stylised as contax in the kyocera era began as a camera model in the zeiss ikon line in 1932, and later became a brand name. The final products under the contax name were a line of 35 mm, medium format, and digital cameras engineered and manufactured by kyocera, and. This section covers germanmade zeissikon, contaflex, contax, contarex, etc. In most cases, kiev cameras have been neglected as a soviet plagiarism of low quality. Join rangefinderforum zeiss contax i rangefinder 19321936 the contax is the modern universal roll film miniature camera of unsurpassed efficiency and allround versatility. Voigtlander bessa iii wide 667 instruction book no instructions with your used bessa wide.
If you find this as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take. When it comes to autofocusing manual lenses on film cameras there is really only one option. A guide to the workings of this historic camera series. Get the best deals on 35 mm manual rangefinder film cameras when you shop the largest online selection at. Zeiss and zeiss ikon service manuals learn camera repair. The contax g1 is the predecessor to the contax g2 camera, the most advanced 35mm rangefinder ever made, and arguably one of the finest 35mm cameras ever made. Apr 01, 2018 photorumors reported about a new contax digital rangefinder camera rumored to be announced at photokina. Zeiss ikon contax 2 part 1 richard haws classic nikon. Peter tookes book on the repair of the prewar contax cameras. This particular item is being sold at a discount as it is in need of reparations. Canon 7 rangefinder camera 54pp, fully illustrated. Steve shares with us his journey through all manner of cameras until he found what he was looking for. The repair situation in the usa is now very difficult as many repair shops have been forced to distoninue repair service due to the lack of repair parts. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website purchasing a.
Lessons in life or searching for the right rangefinder. Japan film type 5 35mm picture size 24mm x 36mm weight lens yashica contax mount yashica ml 50mm 1. The retail price of a contax iia black dial with the 50mm f1. Earlier this year i attempted a ribbon replacement on a contax ii, and even bought the repair book, but gave up and sent it off for repair. Petrakla are nice and honest people but the repair work is a hobby and the cla is superficial nothing like a complete rebuild. The contax i is a high end 35mm rangefinder camera made by zeiss ikon to compete with leica models. Discussing contax t counter film repair in contax t. All contax rangefinders and other film cameras come in one of these three basic types as related to the cameras mode of focus. Lessons in life or searching for the right rangefinder by steve karsten today we have an interesting oped.
Most zeiss contax iiiii enthusiasts are familiar with the soviet unions contax copy, the kiev. Expect updates on the konost full frame digital camera before the end of the year contax digital camera concept leica m typ 262. Click here to go to main camera manual site right click on link below, choose save target assave to folder of your choice. Rangefinder lenses use a proven focusing technology. Mar 09, 2020 i guess i should be happy that the rangefinder and focus mechanism are still working.
The book includes detailed instructions to repair the following cameras. The camera came with the viewfinder broken, one of the lens in charge of the dioptry is loose and its a nightmare to repair. Jan 19, 2018 the contax g2 is like no other rangefinder on earth. This mount was also used by the kiev followers of the contax, from the first models to the kiev 5. Is the yashica electro the best deal in rangefinder. For years weve regularly received emails asking us if we can provide manuals and information about the wonderful contax rangefinder cameras.
Here are some repair shops that ive heard good things about. No one is making them and the top of the heap of 35mm rangefinder cameras is the contax. Get the best deal for vintage rangefinder cameras from the largest online selection at. I rarely endorse stuff here in my blog but i highly recommend peter tookes book on the repair of the prewar contax. Buy and sell used zeiss rangefinder camera lenses at keh camera. Rather it is a book to introduce one to the existential pleasures of classic camera photography. I used a damp cloth on the leather portions and they really cleaned up very nicely.
Unlike the original, which is a manual mechanism that you pull down by hand, the contax tvsiii has a motorised flap that. The contax tvsiii is the third and last in the range of tvs 35mm zoom cameras from contax. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website the contax ii jena camera. In that, even when at their best, with a new mirror, the rf second image on these prewar cameras is a bit weak an.
Not only because of how i found it but its extremely good build quality. Zeiss ikon contax iia type 56324 the contax iia was manufactured from 1950 to 1961, this one is what is known as a colordial model, the latter type made from 1954 to 1961, this one being made in mid 1956. The early cameras were among the finest in the world, typically featuring high quality zeiss interchangeable lenses. We are the largest internet source of cosina voigtlander as well as classic camera information. Jun 16, 2018 the contax t is about the size of a pack of playing cards, although admittedly it is much more densely built. I guess i should be happy that the rangefinder and focus mechanism are still working. Many considered the prewar contax the professional 35mm camera, while the leica was for amateurs.
After ww2 the contax ii was reborn as the kiev rangefinder camera, which was manufactured. The rts iii is a manual focus 35mm slr that delivers precise user control backed by cuttingedge technology, including the real time vacuum system, ultrafast shutter and more. Were finally here at the end of our contax 2 article. Today, we are going to tackle zeiss ikons masterpiece the contax 2 camera. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website about us. On an ipod touch or iphone, save this image to your iphone photo library by holding the main button on the front, then tapping the power off button at the top of your iphone. Contaxkiev rangefinder on mft micro four thirds talk forum. Making your own film spool, by mike elek en cy carl. Amazingly, with the proper adapter you can use nikon rangefinder and contax rangefinder lenses on your leica screw mount or m body and still have full rangefinder coupling two such adapters were made in the 1950s. The shutter works, but slower speeds are inaccurate. The contax i was a high end 35 mm rangefinder system camera made by zeiss ikon to compete with leica models.
The latest fullframe digital leica is the first and only digital m with a slim body profile thats virtually the same as 35mm mseries leicas of the past and present and thats why it tops my digital rangefinder list. Well illustrated, showing dismantling stage by stage, with full service instructions. Film of the month and casual photophile subscription. By the end of the week, the contax had claimed seven of those ten rolls. Most contax shutters in the working cameras were serviced. The contax g is the worlds most advanced 35mm rangefinder camera system. Overhauling a contax iiiii shutter and rangefinder. Zeiss ikon contax iiia with 2 cases, 4 cartridges, 2. The zeiss contax was arguably the best 35mm rangefinder made before wwii, with a larger range of faster and sharper lenses than leica. The super nettel was based on the contax i, with the same kind of shutter, but a folding body, a fixed lens and a short based rangefinder. In fact, its technological ethos employs certain tricks that are outright heresy to diehard fans of the classic rangefinder. Choose from a wide range of used rangefinder camera lenses and expand your collection. It basically works fine, the shutter fires on all speeds but the slow speeds are sluggish.
What are the different types of film cameras still available. Chunky sibling of the contax rx and rts cameras, the ax was released in 1996 and it remains the only camera ever produced that can autofocus manual focus. This is the method recommended by the currently published book on the contax cameras. Oct 10, 2007 flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Here we have a stunning and beautiful contax ii a 35mm film rangefinder camera, complete with zeissopton sonnar 50mm f2. Recently, i picked up a contax ii in what i consider poor condition. Its probably useful for repairing soviet kiev cameras contax copies, too. In 2017, its rare that there is still a manual 35mm rangefinder out there in the world and not as costly as a leica or a zeiss ikon.
In summary classic contax rangefinder camera is not just a tool to take great photos, it is a masterpiece of engineering which is a delight to use, a pleasure just to hold and a pride to own. It was the first camera with a rangefinder and viewfinder combined in a single window. Problems opening pdf files or printing problems click here. If the image below looks like your camera, click below to see the full manual. There are some people who have written repair manuals for the zeiss ikon contax. Beam splitter half mirror leica 3f 3c 3g 3a 3b repair parts for rangefinder dim. Mar 29, 2016 i was looking at an old russian 35mm lens jupiter 12 in a contax kiev rangefinder mount. Canon 7, vit, vil, p, canonet giii repair manuals, en.
S2 viewfinder is somewhat nicer than contax, you need a nikon sp for a great viewfinder. A week away with the contax t a perfect travel and street. These days there is a great demand for classic 35mm rangefinder cameras. The contax t my final word in pocket cameras by hern. Rangefinders and rangefinder lenses f stop cameras. The zeiss contax was arguably the best 35mm rangefinder. Use contax and nikon rangefinder lenses on leica rf. After coming back from cameraworks and looking beautiful after its total rebuild, repaint and recover, the rf on my model iii has its vertical rf alignment off just a tiny fraction.
Contax kyocera service manuals learn camera repair. Among these cameras was the contax t, an unbelievably compact 35mm film rangefinder that somehow marries luxurious excess to simple practicality and impressive performance. Zeiss ikon contax ii a 35mm film rangefinder camera with. Leica model iii adjust rangefinder vertical alignment. Zeiss contax iia, iiia cameras 100pp, fully illustrated. However, accurate kiev information has not been widely available in the west. Fake kiev iia black fake contax ii black rare russian. However, someone who has done the research, hansjurgen kuc, has to say in his book on the trail of the contax, vol. The problem with this method is that it is completely ineffective. In part 2, we took apart the rangefinder and removed the shutter mechanism from the chassis. This contax camera repair manual is not meant to be definitive. Contax g1 green label 35mm rangefinder film camera body body only sn. The contax ii and iii used the same mount, as well as the postwar contax iia and iiia models.
This cap coordinates with contax lenses that have a 55mm filter thread. The canon p rangefinder is a special camera for me. Green means go, so set af to saf and and the shutter. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website contax iiiii.
This are old products and it came from japan so i asume it broke on the flight, but for a 500 dollar camera, im. Can those lenses be mounted on an mft body without interfering with internal body functions and damaging the camera. For all users of classic and new rangefinder cameras. The first step was to determine what problems exist with the camera. Get the best deals on contax manual focus rangefinder film cameras when you shop the. Zeisss finest rangefinder 35mm film camera, the contax ii, was manufactured in germany between 1936 and 1941. Contax g2 instruction manual, user manual, free pdf manual. Contax ii cameras today range from rusting, unusable pieces of junk to very clean examples.
Leica, contax, kiev, zorki, fed, nikon, canon, voigtlander, etc. The nettax was meant to be a cheaper alternative, it was a derivative of the super nettel with a rigid body and interchangeable lenses with a specific bayonet and a. Because the rangefinder camera doesnt have to work around a viewing mirror, they are almost always smaller and lighter than slr lenses. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website overhauling. Zeiss ikon contaflex gebrauchsanleitung zeiss ikon contaflex book all models zeiss ikon contaflex iii zeiss ikon contaflex prima english german zeiss ikon contaflex beta. A week away with the contax t a perfect travel and. It was released in 1936 and was the successor of the contax i. Contax digital rangefinder camera to be announced at. This means, for the most part, repair persons attempted to loosen them up by saturating them with oil. Contax g1 green label 35mm rangefinder film camera body. I decided to specialize in the contax rangefinder camera because i found out there were no high quality sources of repairs anywhere. Zeiss ikon contax camera repair a home for your zeiss ikon contax, contarex or super ikonta camera. With the addition of the carl zeiss t lenses which have been tested to be some of the sharpest lenses ever created for 35mm, you have a combination that can produce outstanding photographs.
Moskow, lubitel, sputnik, estafeta, smena, vesna, kiev, fed up to fed3, zorki, zenit up to zenit 3m and start. Too bad since the rest of the camera stands up to leica m3 quality and the rangefinder of the contax even surpasses the leica. Save up to 40% off retail price and get a 180day warranty. For the germanmade contax rangefinder cameras, see the zeissikon section. The contax t is about the size of a pack of playing cards, although admittedly it is much more densely built. Zeiss ikon contessa 53324 repair manual write to me zeiss ikon contaflex rapid. Markus keinaths photohomepage camera and lens diy, repair. When i focus on an object 20 meters away through the range finder. The contax i was zeiss answer to leicas offerings in the 35mm market, one leica effectively controlled since it helped to create it in 1925. Contax ii instruction manual on mike butkus excellent website.
Japan film type 5 35mm picture size 24mm x 36mm weight lens yashicacontax mount yashica ml 50mm 1. The curtains have previously been changed, maybe even twice in its 78 year history and look good. The best place to go for repairs to japanese made cameras of all types and contax brand cameras made in japan is a camera store in japan that accepts repair work from the usa. Its the spirit of the legendary contax s, refined to the point of perfection. This is by no means a real repair and servicing manual for this camera and any damage done to your camera by following this is not my fault.
Contax manual focus rangefinder film cameras for sale ebay. Reprint of the original service manual from gaf on this camera. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone. Eight years ago, i shot with a leica for the first time and immediately found the. I rarely endorse stuff here in my blog but i highly recommend peter tookes book on the repair of the prewar contax cameras. Fake kiev iia black fake contax ii black rare russian rangefinder. The voigtlander r4m is a great 35mm rangefinder camera that should still be in production. Once a rich mans camera, what used to cost thousands of 1990s dollars is cheap today. The zeiss ikon contax camera repair website overhauling a. Lot of 6 kiev 3, 3a, 4 contax mount camera body part repair only 7889. Contax ii photographs, photographers and photography. Review on camera repair and restoration books tlrgraphy. Its not an easy task to take this camera apart but the real fun begins here in part 3 where we repair the broken shutter and adjust it until we get something acceptable.