I love this camera. It is big and heavy and indeed does make a statement. The lenses are awesome! I have the Zeiss 35-70mm and the 135mm f2.8. Super fun to use and the feeling and sounds of this camera are just great
Contax actually is a brand from Zeiss Ikon (originally at least) so it all makes sense you get Zeiss glass for it. The Contax and Contax II were rangefinder cameras. And if you look at them you can really see that Zeiss tried to “fix” all annoyances you get when using a Leica III (the Contax as a back that removes. It also have a wider rangefinder base length. It also have a combined shutter speed dial. The shutter is metal so you cannot burn a pinhole with the sun… They put the focus helicoid inside the camera (weird idea)) Dresden ended up in east Germany, and *that* Zeiss factory got “lifted” by the Soviets and sent to Kyiv in Ukraine. Arsenal did build exact copies of the Contax II rangefinder under the KIEV name for a very long time (I have one from the 1970’s.
Early Kievs were literally Contax, plant was taken intact to Ukraine including Contax stamped bodies, and specialist employees. Some are branded Contax, others have Kiev stamped over the Contax badge. German design and engineering did not fit Soviet methods and manufacture was simplified, to the detriment of the camera. The shutter is a sophisticated roller blind contraption, and shortcuts couldn't be taken in its production. Very few people today can fix Contax or Kiev rangefinder shutters. By the time the last Kiev 4M variant was introduced in the 1970s, it was reputed that standards had fallen to the point where entire batches of camera were taken direct to landfill. However the last models had the excellent Helios 103 53mm 1.8 lens. Along with the Jupiter 12 35mm 2.8, a flare monster of a lens, they might be worth the hassle of negotiating Kiev cameras. Nothing to do with Kyocera "Contax", which is retro branding for Yashica's upmarket models.
Just finished watching this review and I am very pleased with it. You don’t see many reviews on the Contax RTS. I’m very interested because I have one and because you have serviced it twice. Mine has the Carl Zeiss 50mm lens. You did a very admirable job reviewing this camera and I really enjoyed the video.
I have a Contax 139 Q, Contax 137 MD Q and Contax MT167, I love the three and specially with the 167, a little electronic treasure who can go to 30 seconds to 1/4000.
Contax gang 🤘 I went for 139q instead due to the smaller size, but RTS is very interesting too. There's something about those Contax cameras, so classy.
Zeiss made the original Contax camera, Zeiss Stuttgart made the Contax IIA and IIIA post WW2 and got custody of the Zeiss name, while Zeiss Dresden became Praktica.
No question of the Nikon F series being tanks. I was a photographer in the Marines in the early and mid 90’s and we used F3’s. We beat the crap out of them and they kept going.
I think that you should try a Yashica Fx-3, small and reliable, with the same c/y lens mount. Also, you could try yashica ML lenses, they are good and often a bargain. Nice vid btw!
There's a big difference between "charmingly quirky" and "annoying". I don't have an RTS, but I think that it falls into the former category. Just my opinion.
I love this camera. It is big and heavy and indeed does make a statement. The lenses are awesome! I have the Zeiss 35-70mm and the 135mm f2.8. Super fun to use and the feeling and sounds of this camera are just great
Very cool video. I learned a lot.
Needed B roll when you were talking about the shutter speed dial and the frame counter
Contax actually is a brand from Zeiss Ikon (originally at least) so it all makes sense you get Zeiss glass for it.
The Contax and Contax II were rangefinder cameras. And if you look at them you can really see that Zeiss tried to “fix” all annoyances you get when using a Leica III (the Contax as a back that removes. It also have a wider rangefinder base length. It also have a combined shutter speed dial. The shutter is metal so you cannot burn a pinhole with the sun… They put the focus helicoid inside the camera (weird idea))
Dresden ended up in east Germany, and *that* Zeiss factory got “lifted” by the Soviets and sent to Kyiv in Ukraine. Arsenal did build exact copies of the Contax II rangefinder under the KIEV name for a very long time (I have one from the 1970’s.
Early Kievs were literally Contax, plant was taken intact to Ukraine including Contax stamped bodies, and specialist employees. Some are branded Contax, others have Kiev stamped over the Contax badge. German design and engineering did not fit Soviet methods and manufacture was simplified, to the detriment of the camera. The shutter is a sophisticated roller blind contraption, and shortcuts couldn't be taken in its production. Very few people today can fix Contax or Kiev rangefinder shutters.
By the time the last Kiev 4M variant was introduced in the 1970s, it was reputed that standards had fallen to the point where entire batches of camera were taken direct to landfill. However the last models had the excellent Helios 103 53mm 1.8 lens. Along with the Jupiter 12 35mm 2.8, a flare monster of a lens, they might be worth the hassle of negotiating Kiev cameras. Nothing to do with Kyocera "Contax", which is retro branding for Yashica's upmarket models.
I have one new in a box lying around here somewhere. Has the motor drive and a data back. Not sure where I put it either. 😊
Just finished watching this review and I am very pleased with it. You don’t see many reviews on the Contax RTS. I’m very interested because I have one and because you have serviced it twice. Mine has the Carl Zeiss 50mm lens. You did a very admirable job reviewing this camera and I really enjoyed the video.
I have a Contax 139 Q, Contax 137 MD Q and Contax MT167, I love the three and specially with the 167, a little electronic treasure who can go to 30 seconds to 1/4000.
I was very excited when I saw you were reviewing the Contax RTS… still am watching.
I’m curious to hear what you think about it! The photos I got with it weren’t that great, the film was expired and not in a good way 😬
Contax gang 🤘
I went for 139q instead due to the smaller size, but RTS is very interesting too. There's something about those Contax cameras, so classy.
Zeiss made the original Contax camera, Zeiss Stuttgart made the Contax IIA and IIIA post WW2 and got custody of the Zeiss name, while Zeiss Dresden became Praktica.
No question of the Nikon F series being tanks. I was a photographer in the Marines in the early and mid 90’s and we used F3’s. We beat the crap out of them and they kept going.
I have just acquired a second K2 and love it, the Contax like a grand camera.
I think that you should try a Yashica Fx-3, small and reliable, with the same c/y lens mount. Also, you could try yashica ML lenses, they are good and often a bargain. Nice vid btw!
I have an FR, great camera. The single coated DSB Yashica lenses will also interest modern users, for their retro effects.
Talking Contax as a masculine name, probably you heard that one : Pentax was also a Zeiss brand and was sold to Asahi.
What a great review. Would you consider doing one on the Konica Autoreflex T4?
Its just a Yashica in a fancy dress
There's a big difference between "charmingly quirky" and "annoying".
I don't have an RTS, but I think that it falls into the former category.
Just my opinion.