Hi Alex, I am a French man and I like to stroll around with my Leica IIIa equipped with its retractable summar 5c slipped into the rear pocket of my pants, this set is so small. But I admit that this contax IIIa brings additional advantages such as the integrated cell, the single viewfinder, the focus control of the right index finger, the easy loading of the film (very complicated on the leica) and the supreme quality of the zeiss optics. I hope to win the auction on a model whose cell is operational. It will thus join my Contax RTS III and my CONTAREX. Best wishes.
I have a allmost mint Contax IIIA with a 1940 Carl Zeiss Jena T Sonnar 1:1,5 50mm that gives a beautifuli 3D bokeh . A West German Tessar 1:3,5 50mm and a West and East German 1:2 50mm Sonnar . The West German Triotar 85mm is a very good must have landscape portrait lens . My big 85mm Sonnar has a very nice soft bokeh ans is also sharp . My 135mm Sonnar still give a modern sharp and contrasty darkroom print . For wide angle I use Voigtländer SC Skopar 21mm and 35mm . All combined with a Zeiss Universal finder . In 2022 I made a lot infrared pictures with my Contax IIIA . I have also a lot of Kiev , but I like the Contax more . First the Contax got problems with the slow times . But with the help on TH-cam I cleaned the shutter and now it works perfect again . Even the lightmeter is not dead . Very happy with my Contax IIIA because it has a special feel like working with a medium format camera , Peter from the Netherlands.
Great review Alex … I have that exact same camera 1956 version as well as the iia. In fact my father had a iiia that he bought at the PX in Germany in 1951. It is the camera that he taught me photography so this camera had great sentimental value. I love the lump. Like you said the Sonnar is outstanding. I also have a 1941 version which is coated and goes up to f22 - the post war goes to f16. My iiia’s shutter broke and so I sent it off to Henry Sherer in California to be restored including the selenium meter. It was expensive but worth every cent for sentimental reasons. also bought the iia from him. If you need parts like the take up spool you can get it from him. He has them. He can also service the camera and the meter as well as service the lens. I also have a Nikon S3 Millenium edition and it is very similar camera and I interchange the lenses as the Nikkor 50mm f1.4 is outstanding as well - rivals the Sonnar but with modern coating. It has the advance lever and a superb viewfinder window at 100% magnification. But it’s focus patch is inferior to the Contax’s. In fact I have a Leica M3 and it’s view finder patch is not a good the Contax even after it was replaced when I serviced the M3 by a Leica authorised repair Center. I think all three range finders are the absolute pinnacle (I can’t comment on the Canon) The biggest advantage is the M3 can be easily repaired and won’t cost you can arm and a leg, plus parts are available. The Nikon is also easily repairable. Sadly the Contax is so very complex and expert repairers are far few .. the biggest danger is adjusting the shutters which only experts should do as they can be over tightened causing eventual failure. Personally I prefer to use my Contax iiia over my Kyocera Contax G1 any day. I get better focus every time. No wonder Robert Capa. Who once said my favourite camera is the one the are in my hands now!
Thank you! And thank you for sharing this story! I love hearing people’s connections and family tales in connection to their cameras. Also I will keep Henry’s name in mind for a service on my IIIa. 🍻
I have 3 rangefinder cameras but no Leica or Contax. I have a Canon P and Canon 7 and a Fujica GW690. It took me awhile to get the hang of the rangefinder system when focusing. I still use a combination of rangefinder and zone focusing but I have very few out of focus images. The Canon cameras are real little jewels and built like a brick outhouse. I think the joke goes “I dropped my Canon P on a rock but the rock is getting better now”.
The film advance was actually a huge selling point over why I stuck with Leica over contax (I still shoot my contax ii. Just when I'm heading out the door, I tend to go Leica). One thing that annoys me is when you set your speed to s slower speed, the slower speed the more you really have to torque the advance. That being said, I love the positive feel of the shutter on the contax. Just something very satisfying about how that feels.
As a post-script behind my prior comment: I got my contax IIIa and wow. It's a totally different experience than even the contact ii. I will say the only thing I found that drove me nuts was that the focus knob (if I'm doing micro adjustments from the body) goes the other direction. I do like the fact I can change speed without having to wind another frame. Shutter is more consistent. I can say this is an excellent body.
It’s my favorite camera! I have a iia and a iiia. The iiia is a lot smoother (both freshly serviced) and the shutter release is pure magic. I recently bought a biogon 21mm f4.5 and I learnt that in order to mount the lens (external bayonet) both the focusing on the camera and on the lens have to be set to infinity. Then it’s as easy as it gets to mount the lens. Sadly I live in Italy and Henry Scherer does not accept cameras from Europe anymore…
Funny, I had a Contax IIa color dial on loan to me for a few days. It had the 50mm Zeiss Opton lens. It was a neat little camera. Not my cup of tea though. =) this was a fun video.
Hi Alex! I grew up with my dads nikon f. After i lost the house i bought a second f. During my homelessness i shed acouple of fs. It was my biggest mistake among others but hopefully learned something. I now have an S by nikon which i coaxed back into life with ronsonol. Do be careful not to get ronsonol into optic portions of any camera.my shutter unstuck i was able to photo geese and do a self portrait two summers ago. I use an old weston master 4 not unlike my dads master 3. My photos were done on fuji color 400iso. My photos were decent and the master 4 was reliable. Im wondering if I can use s. Mount zeiss optics on my nikon S or as you suggest maybe the zeiss barrels run into my shutter on my S? So maybe nikon lenses only will fit 51 S nikon rangefinder. I hope to locate a portrait lens and possibly a 135mm tele if i can afford it. I liked your winter photos of homes presumably where you live. They remind me of old 1960s photos my dad shot in snow flocked april 1963. I have been wanting a 1937 leica for a few years similar to Amelia Earharts.She had an old kodak and Hasselblads were reportedly aboard her Electra. I once held a 32 or 37 leica in my hands. It felt solid and precise, i should have bought it then but didnt know any better. Oh well maybe ill run into one again someday. They are hard to thread with film and not the fastest for action but seem comfortable in the hand.dont ever get rid of that contax! Zeiss optics impecable! Hope I can find a Zeiss forportrairure for my nikon S. My normal lens is 50mm 1.4. Which is ok. I havent explored everything its capable of i am sure.I think32 asa panatomic X would be a sharper image for my lens to bloom in. I would have to use a tri pod to avoid blurred image.bye for now😅
Matt Osborne did a great video comparing the Russian FED & ZORKI cameras and the KIEV cameras. It seems that the Russians managed to grab Leica engineers and bring them to Russia and they designed and built Leica III clones using German engineers and Russian machine tools. The KIEV on the other hand is different in that the Russians grabbed both Contax engineers but they also got all the Contax machine tools too. So the early KIEV 2 & 4 cameras were built using both German engineers and tools so are way better copies of the Contax than the other two are of the Leica. Of course the newer they are the more Russian they became and of course those German machine tools did wear out to be replaced by Russian tools.
Interesting story about the camera and lenses! I am clearly spoiled with modern 1970+ type of cameras and lenses because when you describe all of the things to know in order to use the camera I find it too complicated! Not a camera or lens system for me!
Great video. I own a Kiev 4A with a Jupiter-8M. 53mm f2.0. On this lens there is a knurled focus ring on the lens so I don't usually use the wheel on top. Speaking about the wheel on top is there a way to disable the infinity lock? When I want to focus, on something that is almost at infinity, it always locks the lens. The problem is it the focus is off. I found a Contax llla for $190 without a lens. just wondering if that's a good deal and put this Jupiter lens on it, unless Jupiter lens is junk 😊
@@AlexLuyckxPhoto I just noticed that the top wheel on the Kiev is almost to the lens position. So it's difficult to use. Not on the contax though. Thanks for the video and your advice. I'm going to order it now.
Mounthing the Sonnar 85mm and 135mm on the Contax IIIA is not difficult . The focusring must be on infinity , than red dot of the lens on the red dot on the Contax and than click turn fixed , And yes the Jupiters are mechanical not perfect like Zeiss and that can give problems but still can be done with my Jupiters . My Jupiter 85mm will not stay fixed on my Contax but will stay fixed on my Kiev's Peter .
Hi Alex, I am a French man and I like to stroll around with my Leica IIIa equipped with its retractable summar 5c slipped into the rear pocket of my pants, this set is so small. But I admit that this contax IIIa brings additional advantages such as the integrated cell, the single viewfinder, the focus control of the right index finger, the easy loading of the film (very complicated on the leica) and the supreme quality of the zeiss optics. I hope to win the auction on a model whose cell is operational. It will thus join my Contax RTS III and my CONTAREX. Best wishes.
The IIIa with that 5cm Summar is a great option! And the RTSIII is another solid choice! Thanks for watching 🍻
I have a allmost mint Contax IIIA with a 1940 Carl Zeiss Jena T Sonnar 1:1,5 50mm that gives a beautifuli 3D bokeh . A West German Tessar 1:3,5 50mm and a West and East German 1:2 50mm Sonnar . The West German Triotar 85mm is a very good must have landscape portrait lens . My big 85mm Sonnar has a very nice soft bokeh ans is also sharp . My 135mm Sonnar still give a modern sharp and contrasty darkroom print . For wide angle I use Voigtländer SC Skopar 21mm and 35mm . All combined with a Zeiss Universal finder . In 2022 I made a lot infrared pictures with my Contax IIIA . I have also a lot of Kiev , but I like the Contax more . First the Contax got problems with the slow times . But with the help on TH-cam I cleaned the shutter and now it works perfect again . Even the lightmeter is not dead . Very happy with my Contax IIIA because it has a special feel like working with a medium format camera , Peter from the Netherlands.
I’m more of an SLR guy too, but I’ve enjoyed using some Olympus rangefinders in the past.
Olympus made some solid rangefinders! Thanks for watching 🍻
a lot of important history explained really well, enjoyed the video! also once a month will be nice timing 😊 always look forward to them Alex!
Thanks! I love history, so being able to share it takes a lot of work but worth it! Thanks for watching 🍻
Great review Alex … I have that exact same camera 1956 version as well as the iia. In fact my father had a iiia that he bought at the PX in Germany in 1951. It is the camera that he taught me photography so this camera had great sentimental value. I love the lump. Like you said the Sonnar is outstanding. I also have a 1941 version which is coated and goes up to f22 - the post war goes to f16. My iiia’s shutter broke and so I sent it off to Henry Sherer in California to be restored including the selenium meter. It was expensive but worth every cent for sentimental reasons. also bought the iia from him. If you need parts like the take up spool you can get it from him. He has them. He can also service the camera and the meter as well as service the lens.
I also have a Nikon S3 Millenium edition and it is very similar camera and I interchange the lenses as the Nikkor 50mm f1.4 is outstanding as well - rivals the Sonnar but with modern coating. It has the advance lever and a superb viewfinder window at 100% magnification. But it’s focus patch is inferior to the Contax’s. In fact I have a Leica M3 and it’s view finder patch is not a good the Contax even after it was replaced when I serviced the M3 by a Leica authorised repair Center.
I think all three range finders are the absolute pinnacle (I can’t comment on the Canon) The biggest advantage is the M3 can be easily repaired and won’t cost you can arm and a leg, plus parts are available. The Nikon is also easily repairable. Sadly the Contax is so very complex and expert repairers are far few .. the biggest danger is adjusting the shutters which only experts should do as they can be over tightened causing eventual failure.
Personally I prefer to use my Contax iiia over my Kyocera Contax G1 any day. I get better focus every time. No wonder Robert Capa. Who once said my favourite camera is the one the are in my hands now!
Thank you! And thank you for sharing this story! I love hearing people’s connections and family tales in connection to their cameras. Also I will keep Henry’s name in mind for a service on my IIIa. 🍻
I have 3 rangefinder cameras but no Leica or Contax. I have a Canon P and Canon 7 and a Fujica GW690. It took me awhile to get the hang of the rangefinder system when focusing. I still use a combination of rangefinder and zone focusing but I have very few out of focus images. The Canon cameras are real little jewels and built like a brick outhouse. I think the joke goes “I dropped my Canon P on a rock but the rock is getting better now”.
The film advance was actually a huge selling point over why I stuck with Leica over contax (I still shoot my contax ii. Just when I'm heading out the door, I tend to go Leica). One thing that annoys me is when you set your speed to s slower speed, the slower speed the more you really have to torque the advance.
That being said, I love the positive feel of the shutter on the contax. Just something very satisfying about how that feels.
Guess I’m just used to the modern leaver style advance. And yes the shutter has an amazing sound. Thanks for watching 🍻
As a post-script behind my prior comment: I got my contax IIIa and wow. It's a totally different experience than even the contact ii. I will say the only thing I found that drove me nuts was that the focus knob (if I'm doing micro adjustments from the body) goes the other direction. I do like the fact I can change speed without having to wind another frame. Shutter is more consistent. I can say this is an excellent body.
It’s my favorite camera! I have a iia and a iiia. The iiia is a lot smoother (both freshly serviced) and the shutter release is pure magic.
I recently bought a biogon 21mm f4.5 and I learnt that in order to mount the lens (external bayonet) both the focusing on the camera and on the lens have to be set to infinity. Then it’s as easy as it gets to mount the lens.
Sadly I live in Italy and Henry Scherer does not accept cameras from Europe anymore…
I sent mine from Australia....
My father had a IIIa and used it for almost everything. I started using it in the '70s and loved it, especially with using Kodachrome.
Oh man I bet those Kodachrome slides look magical! Thanks for watching 🍻
Great video! Thanks a million
🍻
Funny, I had a Contax IIa color dial on loan to me for a few days. It had the 50mm Zeiss Opton lens. It was a neat little camera. Not my cup of tea though. =) this was a fun video.
Yeah I’m still solidly in the slr camp for 35mm! Love medium format rangefinders! Thanks for watching 🍻
Hi Alex! I grew up with my dads nikon f. After i lost the house i bought a second f. During my homelessness i shed acouple of fs. It was my biggest mistake among others but hopefully learned something. I now have an S by nikon which i coaxed back into life with ronsonol. Do be careful not to get ronsonol into optic portions of any camera.my shutter unstuck i was able to photo geese and do a self portrait two summers ago. I use an old weston master 4 not unlike my dads master 3. My photos were done on fuji color 400iso. My photos were decent and the master 4 was reliable. Im wondering if I can use s. Mount zeiss optics on my nikon S or as you suggest maybe the zeiss barrels run into my shutter on my S? So maybe nikon lenses only will fit 51 S nikon rangefinder. I hope to locate a portrait lens and possibly a 135mm tele if i can afford it. I liked your winter photos of homes presumably where you live. They remind me of old 1960s photos my dad shot in snow flocked april 1963. I have been wanting a 1937 leica for a few years similar to Amelia Earharts.She had an old kodak and Hasselblads were reportedly aboard her Electra. I once held a 32 or 37 leica in my hands. It felt solid and precise, i should have bought it then but didnt know any better. Oh well maybe ill run into one again someday. They are hard to thread with film and not the fastest for action but seem comfortable in the hand.dont ever get rid of that contax! Zeiss optics impecable! Hope I can find a Zeiss forportrairure for my nikon S. My normal lens is 50mm 1.4. Which is ok. I havent explored everything its capable of i am sure.I think32 asa panatomic X would be a sharper image for my lens to bloom in. I would have to use a tri pod to avoid blurred image.bye for now😅
Matt Osborne did a great video comparing the Russian FED & ZORKI cameras and the KIEV cameras. It seems that the Russians managed to grab Leica engineers and bring them to Russia and they designed and built Leica III clones using German engineers and Russian machine tools. The KIEV on the other hand is different in that the Russians grabbed both Contax engineers but they also got all the Contax machine tools too. So the early KIEV 2 & 4 cameras were built using both German engineers and tools so are way better copies of the Contax than the other two are of the Leica. Of course the newer they are the more Russian they became and of course those German machine tools did wear out to be replaced by Russian tools.
Oh I’ll have to look that one up! Thanks! 🍻
I just acquired a 1936 Contax III. trying to figure out if it's usable.
Awesome! Pre-War means you can use some excellent German and Soviet optics! Enjoy and thanks for watching 🍻
Interesting story about the camera and lenses!
I am clearly spoiled with modern 1970+ type of cameras and lenses because when you describe all of the things to know in order to use the camera I find it too complicated!
Not a camera or lens system for me!
We are spoiled with all the modern conveniences! Thanks for watching 🍻
Great video. I own a Kiev 4A with a Jupiter-8M. 53mm f2.0. On this lens there is a knurled focus ring on the lens so I don't usually use the wheel on top. Speaking about the wheel on top is there a way to disable the infinity lock? When I want to focus, on something that is almost at infinity, it always locks the lens. The problem is it the focus is off. I found a Contax llla for $190 without a lens. just wondering if that's a good deal and put this Jupiter lens on it, unless Jupiter lens is junk 😊
Sadly there’s no way to disable that lock. 190$ sounds like a good deal! I’d jump on that! Thanks for watching 🍻
@@AlexLuyckxPhoto I just noticed that the top wheel on the Kiev is almost to the lens position. So it's difficult to use. Not on the contax though. Thanks for the video and your advice. I'm going to order it now.
I have the chance to buy one right now in mint condition with working meter. Is it worth it? I don’t want to shoot with it and it will break down
That’s a tough one! All depends on the price. But if you’re willing I would say go for it and shoot the camera! Thanks for watching 🍻
@@AlexLuyckxPhoto he’s asking $200 but how likely is it to break? Give or take?
@@Grainspoure That’s a little steep! I would pass.
@@AlexLuyckxPhoto good idea
Mounthing the Sonnar 85mm and 135mm on the Contax IIIA is not difficult . The focusring must be on infinity , than red dot of the lens on the red dot on the Contax and than click turn fixed , And yes the Jupiters are mechanical not perfect like Zeiss and that can give problems but still can be done with my Jupiters . My Jupiter 85mm will not stay fixed on my Contax but will stay fixed on my Kiev's Peter .