[rollei_list] Re: OT: Contax II

At 11:34 AM 4/20/06 -0400, Jan Decher wrote:

>Finally.  Classic Contaxes are fairly large, especially the prewar 
>versions.  I briefly had a postwar IIIa and was surprised how bulky it 
>was compared to a Leica IIIf.  The 1950s collapsible Zeiss Sonnars (2.0 
>and 1.5) are also not as compact as the collapsible Elmars and 
>Summicrons of the Leica - though arguably better.  Contax Viewfinders 
>are not as bright and clearly framed as modern Leica M, Cosina Bessa, 
>or Cosina/Zeiss Ikon ZM viewfinders but the rangefinder is very 
>accurate, IF well adjusted.


Jan

A couple of words of dissent.  First, neither Carl Zeiss Jena nor
Zeiss-Opton/Carl Zeiss ever produced a collapsible 1.5/50 Sonnar and the
Postwar 2/50's are rigid though CZJ did produce the 2/50 in a collapsible
mount until late in the war.  All Postwar CZ production was of rigid
lenses.  Second, some late Prewar lenses are coated -- I have a coated
1.5/5cm CZJ Sonnar which was purchased new in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1937.
Third, the Contax II and III combined VF/RF is every bit as crisp and
bright as that on the latest Leica M if not better.  Finally, the Contax RF
does not really allow "adjustments" as does the LTM and M RF;  it really
requires a rather complete rebuild.  Of the several hundred Contaxes I have
examined over the years, I have yet to find one with an out-of-true RF.
These things are built like tanks, which is why the Contax II was the
accepted rough-country expedition camera through the War and for a decade
afterwards.

Marc

msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
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