Contax IIa - a gem from Zeiss Ikon

Contax IIa (1950-1961)

At one time, if you wanted to shoot with the best 35mm rangefinder cameras, there were two choices - the Barnack Leicas from Leitz, or the Contax cameras from Zeiss Ikon. (A third choice would be a Kodak Retina, which I have already discussed here on RCB.)  While both choices were the top of the line, each manufacturer approached the design for a 35mm rangefinder quite differently.  I have shot with several different Leica models, and found that the eyepiece for a Leica IIIc is barely more usable to a glasses-wearer than an Argus C3 viewfinder. The Contax, however, has a larger viewfinder with a wider baseline for the rangefinder, making rangefinder focus more accurate, and without having to look through a separate window.  The design for the Contax II was so good, that it was essentially copied by Nippon Kokagu as the basis for the Nikon S series rangefinder cameras. 

The Contax has a unique shutter design - and the Kiev copies made in Ukraine from 1947-87 share the same type of shutter, which is vertically traveling.  Comprised of thin aluminum slats bound with nylon ribbon, the shutter looks like a set of closed venetian blinds. The Nikon S series use a horizontal-traveling rubberized silk shutter, with the later SP using a Titanium foil horizontal shutter, just like the Nikon F.  So, while a Nikon S series may have a similar appearance to the Contax IIa, only the rangefinder, removable back, and lens mount are really the same.  The Kiev copies of the Contax are remarkably similar, but not manufactured with the same quality as the Contax models.  The best writeup on the Contax IIa is on the Casual Photophile site, and I concur with that author on the quality of the IIa and how it's really one of the best classic 35mm rangefinder cameras ever made.  

Kiev 4a - a copy of Contax IIa

Nikon S front

Nikon S top deck

These cameras are getting on in years, and if you acquire a real Contax model, it may be worth getting it serviced to make sure you get the best from these cameras. While a Contax IIa certainly is a great camera to use, the prices tend to be much lower than a Leica from the same time period.  Nikon S series rangefinder cameras improved on the Zeiss Ikon design, and give the same experience as the Contax IIa. However, prices for a Nikon S, S2, SP, and S3 are really high these days, but certainly worth looking into.  That leaves the Kiev copies in the very affordable range, and the only Kiev Contax copy I ever owned was a Kiev 4a, and the brass used for the film advance spindle broke shortly after I acquired it.  I decided that was enough of an experience with the Soviet copies.

I once tried out a Nikon S that I was selling for an estate, and the user experience was even better than the Contax IIa.  Zeiss Ikon made the decision to drop their Contax rangefinder line and instead concentrate on making SLRs, and I have to say that was a big mistake. Nippon Kokagu improved their versions of the Nikon S series, and the Nikon SP became a professional's choice.  Those cameras paved the way for the Nikon F SLR, which is based on a Nikon SP with a prism and mirror box, all other characteristics being the same.  Meanwhile, the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, a lens-shutter SLR, was no match for the better engineered Nikon F with a proven focal-plane shutter and excellent array of lenses.  In a nutshell, one could argue that the Contax IIa was the zenith of Zeiss Ikon. Used by photo-journalists, the Contax gave up ground to its successor, the Nikon SP, and once they had those in their hands, it was an easy transition to the Nikon F, sealing the fate of Zeiss Ikon as a lumbering producer of cameras that while broad, was very shallow, with only a few really successful models.  The nimble and innovative camera industry of Japan gave us the Spotmatics, Nikon Fs, Topcons, Minolta SRs, Canon Ps, and others, which pretty much buried most of the European and American competitors in the consumer marketplace.  Leica, Hasselblad and Rollei stand out because they catered to professionals and are quality tools.  However, the various German companies that were NOT Leitz, or Rollei eventually succumbed to market forces, and by the 1970s, had largely died out. The Contax name was purchased by Yashica (and eventually Kyocera), and while the name went on, Zeiss Ikon was no longer a camera manufacturer.  

The Argus C-3 is the poor man's Contax 1.  There are many superficial 
similarities, no doubt because Vershoor saw the Contax 1 at a
camera show in the early 1930s. However, it's a blunt instrument compared
to the Contax I. The Argus C3 sold well in the USA, at a price the
average American could afford. 

Today, you can buy a Contax IIa or IIIa for a modest price, and certainly pay far less than one might purchase a Leica M2, which I would consider to be the approximate equal to a Contax IIa.  Neither camera has a meter, and both are fully mechanical. While the Contax has a better film-loading system, the Leica M2 has different frame lines for 35, 50, and 90mm lenses.  I would recommend that if you are in the market for a classic Contax, purchase a post-WWII Contax IIa with the 50mm f/2 Zeiss-Opton Sonnar lens. With one of the new external light meters in the accessory shoe, you'll have a camera that is a pleasure to use with extremely good optics.

In using a Contax IIa, you'll note that there is no advance lever, but a knob wind.  Film speeds are all adjusted beneath the film wind knob, and they range from T & B to 1-1/1250 sec. That was the fastest shutter speed for any 35mm camera for quite some time. Adjusting the focus with the front focus wheel via your index finger makes it quite easy to focus and make an exposure with the shutter release in the center of the film advance knob.  It's obvious that Charles Vershoor of the International Research Corp. saw the Contax I in the early 1930s, and the resulting Argus C3 has a similar control, it's nowhere as refined or smooth as the Contax! In fact the squared-off appearance of the Contax I must have inspired the brick-like Argus C.

There is a lot of information about the Contax rangefinder cameras available online, but the best overview of these cameras is found in the book "Collecting and Using Classic Cameras" by Ivor Matanle.(1986, Thames & Hudson, 224 pp., ISBN #0-500-27656-0).  Matanle's book is profusely illustrated with more than 300 photos, and his insights on the various cameras are really helpful.  It's certainly a book that anyone collecting/using classic cameras should own.  While there are many versions of the pre-war Contax rangefinders, starting with the Contax I, The post-war Contax IIa is going to be the one that is likely to work as it should.  The Contax IIIa differs in having an uncoupled Selenium light meter, which is most likely not going to work, and modern light meters are so much better.

It's one thing to own a Contax rangefinder, and acquiring accessories for it is another exercise and rabbit hole.  The filter thread diameter of the 50mm f/2 Sonnar is 40.5mm, and I have a Zeiss red filter that was made for my camera.  If you decide that you would like to use other focal lengths, you would also need to find the viewfinders that match the focal lengths. However, sometimes the fun is in the hunt! Of course, of you wanted to use other filters, you could look for a 40.5mm to 46mm thread adapter.

Contax IIa with red filter. Results below.

I found the Contax IIa a pleasure to use - easy to focus and while a lever film advance would be nice - it's not a big deal.  For that bit of improvement, a Nikon SP is what you would be looking for, at a lot more $$!  

Some images:  All taken with Ultrafine Extreme 400 film, May, 2022.

red filter

red filter

red filter

Right now, I have a roll of Kodak Color Plus 100 in the Contax, and am looking forward to the results.

The Pentax Spotmatic F - still going strong.

My Spotmatic F and a selection of lovely Takumar lenses

I have used/owned many Pentax SLRs over the past 40+ years.  I used a borrowed Pentax Spotmatic F  from 1978 to 1980 to document my work on sand wasps in graduate school. Later, in 1983, I purchased a K-mount Pentax MG at a Service Merchandise in Ann Arbor, MI.  Similar to the Pentax ME, it got me through nearly 20 years of half-assed photography, until I started on my venture to be a real photographer in 2000.  Since then, I have had many Pentax SLRs come and go, and while I am mostly a dedicated Nikon user, I have a soft spot for the Spotmatic.  In terms of quality, features, and ergonomics, the last M42-mount camera from Pentax, the Spotmatic F, is the camera that I have kept for the past few years, and will keep as a user.  I don't shoot with it that often, but lately, I have been using it more in jaunts around town.  I believe it's a far better camera than the K1000, which has received so much adoration, and yet, lacks significant features.  While the K-mount makes it easier and quicker to change lenses, it's not a big deal to work with screw-mount cameras. 

While the Spotmatic F appeared in 1973 and offered full-aperture metering with the matching lenses, it was certainly behind the curve compared to Nikon and Minolta.  Any M-42 lens can be used, but unless it has the additional tab for the open-aperture metering, one has to switch the metering button upward and use stop-down metering on the camera. 

Despite those drawbacks, I find using the Spotmatic F to be very easy and comfortable in the hands.  I recently took a series of photos around Beaver Lake as well as downtown Asheville, and the results were excellent.  I have a nice series of lenses. Besides the 50mm 1.4, I have the 28mm/3.5, 35mm /3.5, and 135mm/2.5, which is a wonderful lens.  All are in excellent condition, and make for a nice kit.  In addition, I have other M-42 lenses, such as the Helios 44 from a Zenit 12XP.

If you are interested in trying any of the old M-42 SLRs, you can't wrong with the Spotmatic F.  While there are a plethora of M-42 SLR bodies out there by Ricoh, Chinon, Praktica, Mamiya, Zenit, etc., none of them have the finish and feel of a Spotmatic. 

Pentax Spotmatic Resouces:

• CameraAgx
• Jim Grey's blog
• Casual Photophile
• Adventures On Film
• Online Manual from Butkus
• History of Pentax

A few recent images...
Fomapan 400:

Ilford Ortho Plus 80:

Shooting with a Leica IIIa - One roll review

Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of the Barnack Leicas (all models that predate the M series) for glasses wearers.  In my humble opinion, the viewfinders are not a whole lot better than that of an Argus C3.  I feel quite differently about the M series.  This particular Leica IIIa came my way as part of an estate to auction off.  I try to test cameras as much as possible before selling them, and sometimes that includes running a roll of film through them.  Now, onto the camera...

This Leica IIIa was made in 1937, according to its serial number and online data records.  So, here is a 35mm camera that's over 80 years old, looking pretty much like it was made yesterday.  That's not going to be the case with most cameras, including Leicas.  However, it's jewel-like appearance invited me to take it out and test it.  I suppose the ever-ready leather case kept it looking so good all these years.  It's as if a time machine dropped the camera into my lap. 

Okay, it looks great, but how does it work?  One of the pitfalls of using the Barnack Leicas (and the Ukraine-Russian copies) is that you must trim the film leader to the right shape so that when you blind load the film from the bottom, it does not bind up with the gears.  Once you have that accomplished, you are ready to shoot.  It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

The weather has not been conducive to going out and testing a camera such as this, but finally I had an opportunity to do so last week.  I loaded up an expired roll of Plus-X pan and used my "sunny-16" mojo for estimating the exposures.  One nice feature of the IIIa is that you can set the rangefinder viewer to infinity for quicker street shooting. In full afternoon sun, making an exposure is pretty simple. 

I won't get into the differences between the different Leica models, as I am not a Leica historian, and you can look it up elsewhere.  However, the operational differences between the IIIa and a more recent IIIf are not many, the main differences being flash synchronization and a self-timer on the IIIf.  Both have a front slow shutter speed dial for speeds below 1/20 second.  It wasn't until the modern Leicas - the M series that all the shutter speeds from B- 1/1000 were on one dial.

I have to say, the Barnack Leicas are simply wonderful pieces of craftsmanship and are relatively easy to use. They are very compact, use no batteries, and with a lens such as the collapsible Elmar f/3.5 lens, can easily be carried in a coat pocket or a small pouch. You have to make sure that the collapsible lens is fully extended before shooting. So long as you can be comfortable with the tiny viewfinders they are really worth investigating if you want to shoot with a Leica.  The prices are far lower than the M-series, except for rare models or those of historical importance.

The Leica IIIa performed well, and I did get some decent images from it. The expired Plus-X Pan was very curly and cupped after developing and drying, and I had to weigh the sheet of negatives down for a few days to get them flat enough to scan properly. I wish I had used a roll of Iflord FP4 or Ultrafine Xtreme 400 instead!

I was able to test the camera thoroughly, and it's now up on eBay.  I hope that whoever buys it takes it out to shoot and does not let it just sit in a display case.  These cameras are wonderful tools, and should be used!

New Acquisition! The Classic Retina Automatic III

Last week I was downtown, checking out Antelope Antiques on Liberty.  The store usually has some cameras for sale, and every once in a while I find  something there that I buy.  The Kodak cameras I usually see are Ponies, ugly as sin Kodak 35s, and Brownies of some sort.  This time, I found a Kodak Retina Automatic III.  I have owned or handled a bunch of Retinas over the years, and still have a Retina IIa, a solid, wonderful 35mm camera.  The Retina Automatic III (1961-1963) features a 45mm f/2.8 Schneider Xenar lens, shutter-priority automation controlled by a Gossen selenium meter, as well as manual control. Shutter speeds are B, 1/30-1/500 sec. There is PC- flash sync, a cold shoe, and a pretty nice coupled rangefinder. The camera has lots of chrome, and is a typical late 1950s to early 60s build.  The film advance is on the bottom, making it quite easy to use.  I put a roll of Svema FN64 in it, and did some test shots around campus in A mode, to see what kind of automated exposure I was getting.  After I developed the film, it was clear that the metering is likely off, as the shots taken in full sun were badly overexposed.  I'll shoot another roll under full manual using an external meter and see how things turn out.
The camera is quite easy to use, and feels pretty good in the hands.  This particular example is in like-new condition, and I suspect being kept in the leather case all these years was one reason.  I doubt the original owner used it much, judging by the pristine condition.

A few examples from the test roll:

Living Light with the Leica M2

 The only Leica that I have previously owned was a very old Model A - the first version without a removable lens.  That particular camera had been given to me by a woman in her 90s, and she had used it a lot many years before.  By the time it came into my hands, it was a relict of sorts, and as far as I was concerned, no more useful to me than using an Argus A.  So I sold it for a tidy sum on ebay, and bought a camera and other things with the money.  I have no regrets, as it was around 2001, and the camera I bought - a used Nikon F2 was very useful to me.  Another time someone had a nice Leica IIIf that I tried out, and it was awful for a glasses wearer.  The viewfinder was not any better than my Argus C3.  Mechanically a nice camera, though.  I suppose it was one of those things  that you either love or don't on first sight.  I never bought into the Leica mystique, mostly I suppose because I couldn't BUY into it.  Between the obscene prices paid for (used and new)  lenses  and the bodies, and the fact there there are so many "poor man's Leicas" out there, I knew that I would never be able to afford one.  As far as "poor man's Leicas" I think I have used every one of them - Canon QL17, Konica Auto S2, Yashica rangefinders of various models, Fed 5, Olympus 35 RC, Minolta Hi-Matic 11, Contax G1, Konica Hexar, and I am sure there have been others.  Of those cameras, the only one I believe might actually qualify is the Fed 5.  Why?  Interchangeable lenses and the ability to shoot fully manually without any sort of automation. The Fed 5 has a better VF than the Leica IIIf that I tried, for sure. So, where does the subject of the title of this post come in?

If you have read my previous posts, you'll know that I am selling the photo gear from the estate of a deceased photographer.  There have been some very amazing cameras that I have tried out - (a) to make sure that they work and (b) to satisfy my curiosity.One of the cameras - a Leica M2 with a 35mm f/1.4 Summilux has been in my hands for over a month now.  I have shot 5 rolls of film with it, and have become comfortable using it.  Its value is high due to the fantastic 35mm Summilux attached to it, and that is something I have to try and not think about when carrying it.  To anyone else, it's just an old-looking "obsolete"  film camera.  The M2 body has it share of small dings and signs of use, but it works beautifully.  The lens is clear and also works well.  The more I used the camera, the more I came to want it.  So, in lieu of a 25% commission for the gear I am selling, I'm taking the M2 and lens as partial payment.    I would never be able to buy one outright.

My impression of the  M2 so far is that I now understand why this 57 year old camera has such a following.  Yes, there are newer M models, some even have a sensor instead of film -- and cost as much as 3 month's pay (at least for me.)  The M2's viewfinder is wonderfully bright and sharp, and the frame lines adjust automatically for most of the lenses attached to it. I bought a Fotodiox M39>M adapter so I could use the Industar-61 50mm f/2.8 lens from my Fed 5, and it works very well on the M2.

It takes a little while to feel how a camera works in one's hands, and become less conscious about the controls to the point where making a photo is more about what in in your head than what is in your hands.  I get it.  The M2 does this very quickly.  I bought a new Sekonic light meter - Twinmate L-208 which is lightweight and can be attached to the flash shoe on the the camera.  I tried that, and it makes the camera bulkier, so I use the meter on the lanyard.  For sunny-16 lovers like me, I only need to use the meter in tricky lighting situations, or indoors.  I am getting better at loading the film, which I think has been a sore point with the Leicas, but I understand it now.  No film doors flying open.  Oh, and this camera is soooo quiet!

I have always said that I am not a rangefinder guy.  I much prefer the feedback that I get from an SLR and the ability to change lenses, do macro, etc.  However, there are a lot of things I shoot that a 35mm or 50mm lens is all that is required, and the ergonomics and sharpness of the M2 have convinced me that this is the carry-around camera to go to for road trips, etc.  It fits easily into a small bag, and doesn't need batteries.  A few rolls of film, a filter or two, and the meter, and I am set.  Living light?  I think so.  This camera does make me think about light.

So, to close, here are a few photos thus far.  Some are still waiting to be developed.

Mason, MI

Portland, MI

Mason, MI

Charlotte, MI

Michigan League, Ann Arbor

Portland, MI

Lyons, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

basement of the League, Ann Arbor

rural SE Michigan.