Contax G1 Review: Does it live up to the hype?
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The Contax G1 is a camera that I came very close to buying in the past when I was working with a lot of 35mm film. I recently borrowed one off of a friend and spent a couple of days shooting with it to see if it lived up to its reputation, both good and bad.
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People are really out here complaining about the autofocus in a camera from the 90s lol and its not even that bad. Stop comparing an early 90’s rangefinder to your new sony A90000iiiii
The biggest issue with the focus is because you don’t view through the lens or have a rangefinder patch you can’t be sure if it has focussed correctly or the focus has been fooled.
I have both the g1/g2-the g1 is the perfect everyday camera: adventures, out with friends, or whatever. The g2 is ‘quicker’ and more of a workhorse-you can def shoot street with the g2 vs the g1 is more methodical.
The autofocus on the g1 isn’t bad at all tho, you’re right 💯
😂😂😂😂
Just a Note on the G1's manual focusing wheel, it is not just a zone focus setting, it is an AF assisted manual focus using the rangefinder af system. While using the manual focus dial the rangefinder af stays constantly on, and if look through the viewfinder, the distance scale is replaced by a center marker and several bars to the left, right, or center. If you are steady on a subject, the AF focus system will tell you when you are behind, in front of, or right on the object (once the bar is in the center). So you actually can use the manual focus in a useable way that isn't just guessing. Also, if you look at the screen on the left of the camera it will tell you the exact distance you are focused to, both in MF and AF. This is an amazing little camera that really does everything you could ask a RF camera to do. The only things it can't do are the accurate big viewfinder framing of an SLR.
It sounds like the perfect street photography camera ever
I have a G1 with a 45mm, it’s a great camera, viewfinder is easy to get used to. Seems to focus fine. Pictures I have out of it, are great. It was not expensive, when I bought mine.
The 45mm f2 is the best lens I’ve ever used. Fantastic results from it every time. I love the G1. Unfortunately these are old cameras now and they are almost impossible to repair once they fail. Mine still works great. No focus issues at all. One of my favourite 35mm film cameras ever.
Man, I love this camera. I shoot people exclusively and I’ve always believed the person makes the camera. But man, this camera just pushed my work and - crazy thing - I shoot in Aperture Priority. The meter is so on point, I’ve just given up manual to just focus.
The ONE issue is that my Green Label didn’t take my friend’s 21mm and it kind of messed the parallax curtains. No explanation - it took a 35mm.
I never thought I would love a camera so much, they’ve been just tools for me but this camera will be forever special
I have both G1 and G2 and I never have had any real focus issues except those of my own making, the in viewfinder information is essential in understanding what the AF system is doing. As others have said the lenses are incredible and people spend many hundreds of pounds converting them to M mount, that 45mm...... I have got some of the best shots I have ever taken from these cameras, they definitely benefit from spending some time getting to know them. Thanks for another interesting video Kyle.
Do you have any resources or how to videos on the focus system? Starting from scratch and all my photos are out of focus!
I loved owning one for two weeks until every photo came back out of focus :)
Make sure the camera has the green label inside of the film chamber ;)
Ooof tough
It is a camera that needs time to get used to. Its a camera that you really need to listen to - and that tells you if is in focus or not.
You just dont know how to use it
@@noizephoto it's a camera you really don't need to buy lol
Pleasure lending it to you buddy! Results are definitely amazing, but I fully understand your issues with it too. It's just so nice to hold and use that I keep going back to it!!
What kind of camera strap is that in the vid?
I'm pretty sure I purchased it off of Etsy by searching Leather Camera Strap!@@eagleharbour3336
Hi Kyle, One of the things I love about your videos is you don't sugar coat things. You this the bad as well as the good. Much appreciated in a photography world that pumps the hype.
Thank you.
I love my G2! best camera I have ever owned. Only draw back is that mechanical issues are pretty common with these cameras and mine is currently getting repaired :( and it's not very easy to find a place to repair them. So if anyone is looking to buy, keep that in mind.
You honestly just saved me from making a purchase on this camera. I have a huge issue with small viewfinders as well and would’ve made a video on it complaining about it the same way you did, so thank you! Keep up the great content KYLE :-)
Thanks, Kelsey. Glad this one helped!
If you use the G1 on a regular basis , you will get used to the viewfinder. The most downside of this camera is in my opinion it the electronic inside and the fact that most of the electronic is not repairable.
I use this Contax G System all the time, and it's inspiring and a joy to use for me. It feels fantastic in the hand, it is light in weight, the 45mm is the best lens ever in my opinion. The other lenses are fine, but not at the same high level of the 45mm lens.
😁 That's what I'm here for.
I bought a non-green label, a 35mm and didn't realize the 35 was incompatible. I had to manually calibrate the camera to enable the 35. Works.
I love mine. Generally rock the 45mm lens but would like to add a couple of the other lenses.
I bought a G1 to try it out & then promptly sold my Leica M5 & M7 to get a full G2 kit & haven't looked back since. My only complaint is really the lack of parts support if it ever bricks and the manual focus can sometimes be a real chore to use. But it has by far & away been my favorite 35mm camera I have owned. I wish they made Sonnars for this that weren't so long (the Sonnar formula is my favorite out of any lens) but they only make the 90mm & the Zoom. The 28mm was actually the lens I liked the least. It's sharp and punchy but too clinical. The 45mm Planar & 90mm Sonnar steal the show. I wish I used the 90mm Sonnar more because it has the best color rendering of any of the lenses for these but the 45mm Planar is a very good substitute. I'd love to get a copy of the 35mm Planar to replace my 28mm since the character of the 28 just doesn't do anything for me.
The G1's I have had usually had a tendency to miss focus if the subject was at an angle. It parallel or perpendicular, I found it would grab focus right away...both on the G1 & G2. The G2 is very much a better camera than the G1 but with todays prices it's almost impossible to justify. That said, you get glass thats decades ahead and much nicer aesthetically than the offerings from Leica at a fraction of the price.
I'll take a Planar or a Sonnar over a Sumicron any day of the week. Sorry not sorry.
I'm attempting to rebuy this system as we speak. The 35mm F/2 Planar I remember being my favorite when I owned this system in the early 2000's. A lit bit wider than your niftyfifty which I enjoyed, but not so much where I would consider it a "wide angle lens". It was basically the only lens I carried around even though I had the 90 and the 21.
Thanks for the great viddie and critique. The best introduction to the G series should be through the Planer 45mm lens. It’s jaw dropping sharp, but like you said you’re into landscapes. Maybe not the right camera for you. Also, some people don’t realize how simple the manual focus dial works. You put the brackets in the viewfinder on the subject and turn the focus dial. The viewfinder will alert you when your in focus, then you recompose. It’s more accurate than the autofocus. I get it about the viewfinder and with with all the data in the window it’s a bit over the top. The parallax adjustment for close ups is pretty cool, but you wouldn’t see that in a landscape, and like some have said in the comments, once the camera dies you’ll have a beautiful paperweight.
Thanks again Kyle.
For sure. Even just by reading all of the comments you can tell that this is a camera that suits everyone differently. No doubt it's very capable, just didn't fit me for the type of work I do.
As much as I do covet the Contax G and Leica M cameras I still get the most fun from the L39 rangefinders, they're all analog and you get such beautiful character from an amazing variety of bodies and lenses... and at low cost too!! FED, Zorki, Leotax, Nicca, Canon, Voigtlander, Leica OMG :D
M39 is underrated
Very fun camera to own/use... I only sold my G2 and G1 because I knew I would have an expensive brick when the shutter went on it eventually
Thank you Kyle for your always insightful videos - I would recommend you to use a 45mm lens to really test the camera's performance (specially the focus problems, even worse when using the 90mm) - This is a camera we owned 3 times in the course of the last 10 years and once you really know how it works, its a superb camera to carry all the time, and one of the best to hold in the hand, having same feeling and weight as a Leica M.
And for the price of the body and the lens, it's a great investment, even if the camera breaks down, you can get another one for little money. the viewfinder is not great we agree, but it's a perfect point-and-shoot that requires little getting used to and yet allows you to create anything you want it to with its manual controls.
Contax G2 is actually very similar in performance, it is faster but really is not as you'd hope it would when it comes to accuracy, still messy sometimes. G2 is also bigger and bulkier and with so many more unnecessary buttons in our opinion.
G1 is a great camera to own - not the best, but one you can end up loving.
Exactly
Cheers. Maybe I'd have to shoot with one for a longer period of time, but I just can't see myself getting used to the viewfinder, and because of that, I'd likely reach for a SLR before this.
@@KyleMcDougall I hear you - wha about getting a CONTAX Aria, at least when it come to quality lens you could give the Zeiss 84 1,4 a try too
I own a G1 right now.
Despite of the lack of focusing speed, G1 is still my favorite camera along with FM2.
The build quality is just beautiful, even just holding the camera in your hand is worth it XD.
And rather cheaper Zeiss lenses comparing to Zeiss lenses on other mount.
Though the performance might not good enough, it's still a good camera.
The lenses are made by Kyocera and signed off from Zeiss with the Zeiss branding. That being said, these are the sharpest lenses I've ever shot personally. Not saying a lot, as I haven't owned TONS of lenses. But quite a few from many manufacturers. My dad has a Leica and I would say these lenses edge out his.
So I was kinda itching to get a camera to replace my f100 + 35mm f/1.4 Sigma Art that was lighter and compact for travel as I already travel with a Fuji gw690, A nikon z6 with a slew of lenses, a crapload of film and a 35mm body (the 35mm film I use for creative films or cross processed films and the 6x9 I use alot of slide.
I was fighting with buying a 35ti but I could never find one locally and if it did pop up it got sold fast. I started researching the g1 system, and realized it looked beautiful, and at the same time I think its a bit underpriced to be honest. Your review came up (and I am already a big fan of your channel since I also shoot 4x5, and shoot alot of 6x9, 6x45) I went to a local Camera swap and happened to find a Mint G1, 45mm f/2 (which apparently is a really really good lens), a databack (which i should have opened the box and just found a second regular back) and the TLA120 flash (which makes the camera super cute!) all for 650 Canadian.
While I have yet to shoot a full roll of film yet, honestly the autofocus isn't that big of a deal, it seems to get focus and I feel like I'm like you a bit. I don't take many portraits and if I were it would be with the digital system. The autofocus seems to find my subjects (mostly landscape/street) and take the picture. And the viewfinder imo isn't that big of a deal.
I'm really happy I bought the g1 honestly. It really lightens my load from my previous 35mm setup, and honestly it might be one of the most beauitful cameras i've ever used and all for a fraction of the price of the more expensive contax point and shoots that people seem to drop massive amounts of money on.
No regrets.
So I’m literally taking my G1 out of the KEH box and placing the batteries in it for the first time as , “Hey Kyle has new video up! Cool! Let’s see what’s it about!”
Dang man I am so excited to watch this!
My first impression is that it feels so much like my Fuji XPro 2.
Oh no! Not what I was expecting. I totally agree about the viewfinder. However I love the sound of the shutter and ease of adjusting the settings. I also like the distance gauge on the bottom of viewfinder to let you know where your focus is.
Hey Len, definitely a camera that suits everyone differently. And it's obviously very capable as well. Hope you enjoy it!
Have you had any issues with the auto focus? are most of your photos in focus?
I bought my G1 green label with the wide, 45, & 90 for a trip to Romania & Amsterdam in 2018. It didn't fail to impress me. I got used to the viewfinder. As for the focus, mine was always great but def can't focus up close. I still use mine frequently.
This is definitely a camera that seems to fit everyone a little different. Glad you're enjoying it, Devon.
I primarily use SLRs.
However, when I shot stage events, golf matches, funerals, recording studios, theatre, and weddings, I preferred using rangefinders because they do not have that noisy mirror slap.
I purchased the Contax G1 with 21/28/45/90mm lenses to replace the 40mm fixed-lens rangefinder (Canonet QL17) I had been using because I needed interchangeable lenses. The Contax G1 was a great camera but it was not quiet enough for my taste.
For shooting quiet social events, I eventually replaced the G1 with a Leica M6.
I ran with a Contax G2 for several years with the 28mm and 45mm lenses. Took it to Europe in 2015, but found that some of the issues you had with the G1 I had with the G2, mainly the inability to lock down some dials to prevent accidental adjustment. Great review of the G1!
Thanks, Alex!
I got my Green Label G new in October of 2000 and by some miracle it has stuck with me the past two decades. That said, I find mine best suited for panning photos and portraits. I tried to be swift on the streets with it a few times and it just does not like to pick out a subject in a crowd as quickly as I would like. Mine also does not like temperatures below 35F where it just gets a bit lethargic. One last thing about the G1, it cannot take the Zeiss G Zoom Lens, but I do enjoy my G 35MM F2.
Still have the Green Label G?
Please try the core 35mm and 45mm👍
Both of them are great but different directions in photo quality.
Been looking at it for a while, thanks for the review!
No problem!
Great video as usual Kyle, I think how well the autofocus works is really determined by the style in which you shoot. if your a slower shooter and you shooting a lot more landscapes and slower moving subjects then the camera is fantastic. Ive tried to use it shooting some street and the G1 autofocus is a little slow. So you could just lock the lens at the desired focus mark you choose. One thing I also found about the focus is that when shooting through windows or mirrors it can trick up the auto focus so that's also something to think about. But I think the quality of the camera outweighs the focus issues. You get way higher shutter speeds especially in auto mode and your choice in picking ISO stops are more precise. I would shoot 500t and you can actually set the camera to ISO 500 which I think is great.Also for the price of a complete package those lenses are unmatched. That Zeiss glass is top notch when squaring up against any Leica glass.
Believe me the G1 or G2 have been very intriguing to me as well for awhile. I’ve heard everyone who’s had one has loved it, yet I’ve heard they die 😭 and nobody can repair them.
So interesting to see how different people think about this camera! Seems like you either love or hate the G1…
My G1 had an electronic error when I bought it and was lucky enough to be able to get it repaired. Really love shooting with this camera ever since! Really amazed by the 28mm and 45mm lenses...and man, how fast can you burn through a roll of film with this camera!?!?
For sure. Very mixed opinions on this one, which is great. Things are bound to suit us all differently.
Shhhhhh.... thanks to this review, no one will know how good this little camera actually is!
I'll admit I was quite perplexed at seeing you, Kyle, reviewing the G1. It seems like this would be pretty much the antithesis of so much that you appear to like about cameras, apart from the Zeiss lenses! In contrast to the deeply inspirational viewfinder of an SLR, or a Leica, the viewfinder here is more of a precise framing guide (that, also rather brilliantly for a rangefinder, automatically zooms to adjust to the focal length of the lens used and correct for parallax). Previsualise your shot, then precisely frame it with the finder. That's how I use mine anyway.
The lenses are stellar and the camera is so easy to use that really **all** I need to think about is composition, which leads to fantastic images. It's a camera with all the advantages of a Fuji X-pro, combined with all the advantages of film. Basically a perfect camera for me. Just imagine you are a 1990s dentist taking photos on holiday, and the G1 works exactly as intended 😂.
It's wonderful that we film photographers today can have so many different old cameras to choose from, to suit so many different shooting styles and preferences.. :)
Definitely agree with you on the options, and how we're all after something a little different. But yeah, this is just a camera that has intrigued me for a long time, even though it's far from my preferred way of working. I am a sucker for Contax/Zeiss though, so there's that as well!
love this camera, bring it everywhere i go :)
Thanks - I went down this rabbit hole a few months back and decided against it for some of the reasons you mention, interested to get your perspective.
Thank you. You covered the things which really impact the user experience.
All about those stunning lenses 😍
That’s what tempted me!
Nice to see your images of Hastings, my home town 🙂
I'd like to add, that the G1 isn't being made out of Titanium, but rather Aluminum, which does have a "titanium" coating received from Kyocera, which bought the CONTAX brand from Yashica, back into 1983...and the "silver label" G1 could being upgraded to accepted the full Contax G lenses line-up, minus the 35-70 zoom, of course. Via firmware hack, see other YT videos.
Great review Kyle. Would you say a zeiss m mount lens would be comparable to this biogon lens? The image quality is outstanding.
Thanks, Jason. I've never used any Zeiss M mount glass.
I bought a G1 about five years ago. I got sick deal on it... $259 for the body and $150 for the 90mm. Both in mint condition... I have not had issues with out of focus, but yeah, the viewfinder is sad for such an otherwise fine camera...
So interesting that you were not high on this camera, these are some of my favorite images you've made
Cheers, Andy. It's definitely a capable camera. Just didn't enjoy using it.
I love it overall. Although if I could change one thing, I’d like the view finder to be bigger.
But I love it as a camera for some chill and easy shoots. I have the Green label, a 28 and a 45 lens.
Do you lenses wobble inside when you shake them ? Or just my copies 😂
@@theliaoguoman I've never tried shaking it. But it could be because it's an autofocus lens that's why there's some play inside. Not sure tho.
@@MamboFerido cool man. Yeah, i guess it might the design of the lenses lol
I shot with a G1 for about a week and half or two weeks 6 years ago and those rolls still are some of my most prized shots. I get the letdown of the viewfinder, but the color contrast on portra and they grey tones on Tri-x are something special, borderline magical. I’ve resisted buying one since because as an electronic device, it could be a very expensive brick if it died. AFIK, no one repairs them anymore.
They are basically like 100-200 plus pric of lens
@@Chris-ey7zy Indeed, but even that can be expensive if one breaks. Or, put differently, we need a distinction between cost and value: I think, for me anyway, I'd rather spend a little more, or shoot on a different platform, than lose ~$200 if I bought a kit and had to replace the body. (Though, perhaps I wouldn't if I got more than a year's worth of shooting before that happened.)
I love my G1 but I'm curious if you have a travel 35mm you would recommend instead of this?
I'm a big fan of the Contax 139Q and 45mm Tessar combo.
Film as such has inherent limitations. Contax were beyond the curve when designing and making these cameras. Compared to your typical bare bones SLR, this undoubtedly is appropriately described by you as premium. Contax user from the ether. By the way these are some of your nicest images yet. Though the lens quality possibly contributes a great deal to the tones and contrast in the images.
In my experience, G1 green label, very good AF performance on G21/G28/G45. If you shooting with G35, you may got 3 to 4 out focus photos in 10 shoots. The best usage of G90 is convert to mirrorless digital cameras.
G45 never comes off of my G1. I’ve only missed one shot that comes to mind with this camera/lens combo. I also have the G28 and G90, but the G45 is my favorite. I occasionally use the G28 for landscapes, the G90 gets zero use.
Did you visit the seaside museum of old cars or was it time slip village! I've never seen so many old cars just parked out on the street.
The viewfinder is a deal breaker for me. Looks awesome for sure, but I gotta be stoked using it and by the sounds of it I won't be. Thanks for the review, I can finally forget about this camera.
Yeah, it was definitely a let down for me, Rob.
I bought one and spent like 2 months excited about it untill i found the 45mm lens . Shot my first roll and sold the kit . The focus hunting made it hard for street portraits or snapshots I kind of managed it by focusing to 3 meters with the dial and shooting at F8 . Up to a point I do regret selling it because of the lenses tho is Hard to find them outside the used Japanese market .
hello i do a lot of street snapchots also, so you said that autofocus on the g1 is not good enough for that kind of stuff as well as manual focus on f8?... thanks
I have the G2 and I have to say, you must try the 21 and 45. Breathtaking! I think you would have a different review altogether
I have no doubts that they're both great. As mentioned, I'm huge fan of Zeiss glass.
1:22 wow i love this shot! do you meter at box speed or overexposing a bit ?
Was shooting with a stop of exposure compensation.
The lens are amazing but specially the focus system/auto focus in this camera is not for me. Is not the 'rangefinder system' that I thought it was. That's why, after a month of use, I sold it.
Ya, the viewfinder was never a deal breaker for me on this system. Never even noticed it or thought about it until you said something. I certainly wouldn't avoid this system because of it... the experience of shooting is part of the journey, so I get that that would be an important aspect, but not important enough to disrupt how I want my photos to look. "I had an amazing experience shooting these so-so photos"!
Thanks for the review. I almost bought it earlier until I watched this. Glad I had this on my watch later list, looking for the right 35mm for landscape, portrait as my main camera. Currently using the Minolta srt 101 but the lenses are too soft in my opinion, need something sharper so was considering the G1
So sad that this put you off the G series. I have had my G1 plus 4 lenses since 1995 and love it, I know have an adapter to fit the lenses onto my Olympus EM1, stunning results.
Sure the camera is nice but DAMN the cinematography of this video is on point! Amazing work Kyle!
Thank you, Leonardo.
Dude you're amazing! Your compositions are so sharp. Love the results. I'm extremely interested in getting my hands on a print of that "car and street lamp" picture. Where can I get one? Thanks.
Hi Kyle is worth buying ..i have an opertunity to get one or the Nikon F3. thanks Dude
Tough for me to say, as they're very different cameras and I don't know what you prefer. Personally, I'd go for the F3.
Dude I love the colors in your videos! Do you have any advice around where I can source a lut that might help me achieve something similar? Cheers dude.... Subscribed!
Thank you. What camera are you shooting with?
@@KyleMcDougall Eos R5...Still feeling it out but man...I love the beautifully soft look of your videos! Any advise would be astounding!
Keep up the great work man :)
Oh and the colors too man... that's what I'm after for sure!
I had a black G2 - Which I absolutely loved, more so for how it looked than the actual performance. My biggest problem was the auto focus - just too inconsistent for my liking. I found especially with portraits it struggled to focus, particularly up close. Although when the auto focus worked, it was brilliant. I ended up selling and got a Nikon fm2 as a replacement which I find to be a much better alternative as it's still fairly compact but with being an SLR has the added bonus of being able to see if your shots are in focus or not. AF is too risky with film IMO
Yeah, I’d be very hesitant to use this if I shot a lot of portraits of people. Not too bad for the work I do though.
sorry, i think i missed your thoughts on the viewfinder :)
I love it.
It’s beautifully crafted and a wonderful 45mm lens but as you said viewfinder horrific. With practice AF OK but can’t help thinking the opposite ends of a rangefinder or an F5 is easier to live with and more pleasurable to use.
Can I ask. When you focus on items very close and the Parallax correction adjusts does your focus point stay central or go off centre (do the corners for parallax correction adjust from each side or just the top left)
Since my G2 broke down a few months ago, I have become rather allergic to any clip mentioning the Contax G cameras. The shame is that I think that I know what is wrong with it, but no one here in the UK can repair it. In any case, if anyone thinks that a G2 or G1 is an automated Leica M, well they are not. I love taking photos with the G2. The lenses are awesome too.
Did you try getting in touch with PPP repairs?
@@KyleMcDougall I have not heard of them Kyle, are they a UK outfit?
Yep. Apparently really great to deal with.
@@KyleMcDougall Thank you for the heads up. I shall seek them out.
Another excellent review. I had a chance to buy a Contax G1 with 3 lenses for $200 in the days when people were dumping their film cameras. I knew it was a great deal but I was busy buying up 35mm SLR's and medium format. Those were the days. It was not hard to find great cameras selling for about 1/10 of their retail price.
Ya man... those days are gone. I'm hoping the analog thing dies out a little bit. 6 years ago I was seeing the G2 on ebay for 400 bucks... they're now 1200-1400.
I was literally so close to buying one of these, I’d heard about the issues but I though it looked gorgeous and the glass is nice. However I joined the Conrad owners group on Facebook and quickly found that 90% of the people posting trying to find a new body as there’s had packed in.
Not something I want to spend my hard earned money on.
The viewfinder is possibly a bit dim because of its ability to adjust to show the FoV of the lens, so there'd be quite a few chunks of glass it that optical path to allow this to happen, which would also lower contrast, even with the best coatings doing their best to stop internal glare. I suspect that the limitations of the AF system and a "twist and pray" MF option, even with the supposedly excellent lenses was why Kyocera let it fade away, rather than competing with Leica and Fuji by creating a digital body and expanding the line of lenses.
5:36 for those who know, know.
Love your videos!
I LOVE my G1 and its lenses, but I shoot my paid work (people pics) digitally (I also love my digital gear!). It's all good!
It would have been interesting if it was a fixed lens. I wonder then if the viewfinder would have been much larger. Though I suppose when it was released, their selling point was the ability to swap lenses.
having been using mine for 5 yrs with the 45mm, don't mind the viewfinder, autofocus is very easy to use. Do your research before you buy something, this review was his personal opinion, experiences may vary.
Hi Kyle, great video. can I ask you where you got this 16mm frame from?
Hmmmm... can't remember exactly. I have a bunch of them. This may be from a person named Daniel Peters.
@@KyleMcDougall thanks kyle. Could it be that it is a frame of storyblocks? that looks very similar.
Great video as always my dude! How is it that we both post reviews of different rangefinders on this same day? Haha
Thanks, man. 🙏
on a side note (I know we are talking about G1, but just also want to mention the related G2), William Eggleston has a black G2 (and I think he owns more than one G2), Daniel Arnold has a titanium G2 -> th-cam.com/video/FyrdksSUxXw/w-d-xo.html
I use my G2 for years and never had any complains about it. The viewfinder isn’t the best, but honestly it’s more userfriendly than these cristalclear viewfinders of Leica :)
What is your camera strap for the G1 ?
This was a friends camera that I borrowed, so I'm not too sure.
Next, try Konica Auto S1.6. Your results will be every bit as good as Contax, perhaps even better.
The only camera I sold because it was so difficult to use. The hunting focus was horrible and that tiny viewfinder also horrible. On the other hand, the 45mm lens was the sharpest I've ever used.
Still regret selling my G1 until now, a beautiful technological advance of its time and so enjoying to use
I just bought a mint condition Contax G1 three days ago for $40 because it was “broken with the sticky shutter problem”…it just needed new batteries! :D
Sold my Green Label with the 45. Bought back a G1 Green Label with a 90 will sell it again.
Why did you choose the G1 when the newer G2 is available? Does anyone know if the viewfinder in the G2 is brighter or not?
I borrowed this camera from a friend.
This is one of the few 'great' cameras that I've tried that just ended up not working out for me. On paper, checks all the right boxes, but it just didn't feel right whenever I shot it.
You must have Covid-19, and need a test
Love your compositions Kyle! I've never been very attracted to the G series (titanium body is cool though), as I prefer to manually focus, I'll stick with my Contax SLR's and Carl Zeiss (C/Y) manual focus lenses which BTW I was shooting with today...😀
love the look of it, But always hesitated with all electric system... but your video is so convincing ;)
6:51 Is that (in the middle of the glass) a haze stain?
I don’t even have to watch, but I will, it’s not. Owned one
You win.
Hyped like many other brands ! We are no matter what on TH-cam 😂😂😂
Damn, breakin my heart 🥲
I wanted one of these Kyle....Nice review. ty
I’d love to know what your setup is for filming your outdoor shots. Looks so clean every time!
He uses a Fuji xt3 or 4
Thank you. XT4 for this one. Pocket 6K for some others.
Although it's not my normal photographic domain, I wonder if the G1 could be the bargain someone now chooses when looking for a T2...at current prices it looks a bargain in comparison...T2 prices are insane for cameras that are waiting to brick themselves .yes a tiny bit bulkier...better lens no matter which one...a little slower but not by much if you know how it focuses...treat it as a point and shoot and the viewfinder seems less of an issue...I have an EOS 3 and i can treat it as a point and shoot with an autofocus lens...but i look like an old '70's paparazzi
I've also been uninspired with my G2 (after the first few rolls). I was shooting with an OM-1 right before...talk about a left turn. While it is beautiful in many ways, I'm still not convinced I'll keep it forever. I do love the high shutter speeds, the snappy AF, the lenses (duh), but....I dunno. It's a curiosity, for sure.
It has a lot going for it, but also some quirks that go against it.
I own a G1 and have found it the most disappointing Contax I own, I have the 90mm and 45mm lenses. The 90mm is effectively unusable on the camera, and the 45mm has focussing issues. The zoom does not work on a G1 even a green label one. The real kicker with this camera is when you take 2 shots of the same picture one directly after the other same subject same focus point from the same position, and one comes out in focus and the other slightly out. You can have no confidence that the camera will get the focus right. It is good when the autofocus works, but you cannot be certain that it has.
I was so close to get one but two of my friends had a battery power issues. Every time the had to take out and back the battery when G1 stoped working.
Can anyone let me know if a G1 is better than a TVS or TVS 2?
If you're after a Contax, get a TVS! I do have to send mine to get fixed (I think it's an issue with the ribbon cable, isn't an issue most of the time) but you get a zoom lens that is seriously impressively sharp, in a premium, small, body. In terms of point & shoots yes they are a bit pricey but relative to other Contax cameras they're an absolute bargain.
I’ve also heard great things about the TVS. And eyeballed them on more than one occasion!
Agreed. This camera is a Toyota (I meant Contaz G1) and Not an inspiring Ferrari (Leica)
Great video~ I have been really missing the contact sheet podcast. Are there going to be new episodes soon?
Hey Eric, more episodes coming soon. Just been taking a bit of a break while I find time to create a backlog of episodes.
Hey Kyle you should try out the Contax G2 with the 45mm & do this entire video over, in my opinon to review the contax G1 with the 28mm is like visiting a city for the first time and you pick a weekend that thunder storms the entire weekend, then "say oh this city has bad floods and things were closed due to heavy rain", This is kinda unfair seeing as the 28mm is optically the worse lens out of the G series line up and the G1 is miles worse than the G2, i think this exact video but with the contax G2 with the 45mm lens and you would be searching ebay right now to buy one from japan
I agree completely. I have the G2 with the 21-45-90. 90 is whatever, but the 21 and 45 are stunning. I really feel it would be a completely different review, the G1/28 was a bad choice
Don’t know where you get the idea that the 28mm is the worse out of all the G lenses, it’s probably the best out of all of them and some might consider it even better than the 45mm
@@Suckmine10 I wouldn't say it's a bad lens, but it's not very dramatic, considering the other options in the G series which can wow you. I shoot 28 on my Leica, and I love the focal length, but I just think that doing a review of the G series there are a lot better choices
@@Murdog36 I’m not too sure why you would say that. Let’s start off by saying we all agree it’s not a bad lens, but calling it optically worst out of all the G lenses doesn’t do it justice at all. If anything the 28 goes toe to toe with the 45 and 21. I’m not too sure what kind of dramatism you’re seeking here, a 45mm that’s like any other 50mm people start with? Or should he get a thousand dollar 16mm Hologon for “dramatic” effects? I think it’s fine if people don’t like the 28mm focal, we all have our preference, but calling it bad just because you don’t like it doesn’t sit well with me.
@@Suckmine10 I mean, I find the 28 focal length is really dependant on your subject matter, you have to work the lens. Being the same FL as most smart phones, it can be quite bland, and I think Kyle's subjects, didn't really show it off. Where the 45 makes your subject pop and the 21 offering a very unique feild of view with still very little distortion. Do you get me? For doing a review of a whole system, he mentions the G2 and other lenses, and just writing them all off based on his experience with the G1 and the uninspiring photos taken with the 28. I don't think it's fair
William Eggleston made wonderful pictures with this camera 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
No he didn't
@@user-ti9zc1xv2b well, you didn’t watch enough documentaries where you see him using that camera ! 😁
He considers it “the best camera ever made” and owns seven G2’s...
@@alnico68 great news