Informative review. I've had a Contax IIa similar to yours for 4 years. I always wondered what that beautiful plated material was. I had no idea it was Rhodium! This truly makes each Contax a jewel. Also you may not know that on these early cameras the rangefinder mirror is gold plated. On later color dial Contaxes the rangefinder patch is a more silvery color because they switched to platinum for the mirror. These really are the Mercedes Benz of cameras.
Thx! I totally agree with your opinions on this camera. I own a CONTAX II produced in Stuttgart and in addition two Kiev cameras. Unfortunately, a second CONTAX II has a broken shutter curtain. Overall these cameras feel great and very valuable.
To my eye, Contax IIa is the most beautiful camera ever. And with the ridiculously low price these days, it's a great bargain, too! FWIW, although Zeiss Ikon and Carl Zeiss were related, they were different companies. ZI was a camera-only company and CZ was/is an optics company (among others).
Excellent review. I just recently got myself this very model coupled with a Sonnar 50mm f/2. Fantastic camera, I am very impressed by the bright visor. I also have a Voigtlander Vito III and a Prominent, and their visors don't came any closer to this level of brightness. Interesting camera. I absolutely hate the film loading procedure, but I'd better get used to haha. All the best, thanks again for your review.
@@stevantontichphotographyvi9358 Little update: I just got (today) a Jena 50mm f/1.5, and a Planar 35mm f/3.5 (not as famous as the Biogon but hey, that's a Planar after all). Just finished a roll, on its way to the dark room. Thanks again for your video.
I have one of these- it was my mothers, who passed several years ago. It has the Sonnar 1:1.5 50 mm lens. If anyone is interested in purchasing it from me, please pm me. I'll give you a good deal. Thanks!
Hi there, sorry for the delay in responding. My repair experience went well, with no issues, and it cost as quoted. The camera works very well, even though I still avoid using it at 1/500th and 1/1000th of a sec due to potential curtain timing issues that sometime cover up a bit of the frame. It was fairly shiny before, and even more so later ...it is rhodium plated, so it is shiny :-)
No It does not, you must use External finders with Parallax Frame Marks. I have the 50mm, 35mm, and the 85mm finders for my Contax, and for the record Zeiss Never Made a 50mm 1.1.8 lens they made 1:1.5 lens....
Thanks for the question! Not really sure ....sometimes, you can find a deal online, but these lenses are rare, so price for a good one is usually up there. I would maybe try Jupiter lenses which are less, and seem to render ok images ...
@@stevantontichphotographyvi9358 Hold your horses, A Jupiter-12 will NOT FIT the IIA !!! In fact you will damage your Contax IIA The 50mm Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-3 will fit as the other longer focal lenghts, 85mm Jupiter-9 and 135 Jupiter-11. The prices of the longer lenses from Oberkochen(Opton) are pretty ok though, besides the 85mm 2.0 Sonnar, appr 500 USD. The 35mm Zeiss gives you the Biogon from Oberkochen thus also Opton and there is the 35mm Planar, rarer and more costly in general. Nice to see you make a vid on this beautiful camera, it's not for the AF shooters out there, but a gem to use for the more "seasoned" user.
Hi ...thank for that ...I don't pretend to know everything ...I thought these were inter-changable ...I guess not ...good to know! I don't own any Jupiter's ...I just use the 2 lenses I have ...sorry fo the wrong suggestion ...
Dashaun Knight - ain’t better than spending the price for a car for your M3‘s Super Angulon? Cosina Voigtländer lenses may be an option, but hard to find...
![How to use contax II / kiev IIa [コンタックスII / キエフIIaの使い方]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfuwPnlCwko/mqdefault.jpg)
Informative review. I've had a Contax IIa similar to yours for 4 years. I always wondered what that beautiful plated material was. I had no idea it was Rhodium! This truly makes each Contax a jewel. Also you may not know that on these early cameras the rangefinder mirror is gold plated. On later color dial Contaxes the rangefinder patch is a more silvery color because they switched to platinum for the mirror. These really are the Mercedes Benz of cameras.
Thanks for the review. Just picked up a IIa with a 21mm 4.5 Biogon
Glad you had Mark Hansen work on it. A great resource.
The only way to wind it. It's the best for the camera.
Enjoy!
Thanks for the helpful information! Helped a ton!
Thx! I totally agree with your opinions on this camera. I own a CONTAX II produced in Stuttgart and in addition two Kiev cameras. Unfortunately, a second CONTAX II has a broken shutter curtain. Overall these cameras feel great and very valuable.
To my eye, Contax IIa is the most beautiful camera ever. And with the ridiculously low price these days, it's a great bargain, too! FWIW, although Zeiss Ikon and Carl Zeiss were related, they were different companies. ZI was a camera-only company and CZ was/is an optics company (among others).
Excellent review. I just recently got myself this very model coupled with a Sonnar 50mm f/2. Fantastic camera, I am very impressed by the bright visor.
I also have a Voigtlander Vito III and a Prominent, and their visors don't came any closer to this level of brightness. Interesting camera. I absolutely hate the film loading procedure, but I'd better get used to haha.
All the best, thanks again for your review.
Sounds good Matteo ...hope you have fun with yours! It makes excellent images.
@@stevantontichphotographyvi9358 Little update: I just got (today) a Jena 50mm f/1.5, and a Planar 35mm f/3.5 (not as famous as the Biogon but hey, that's a Planar after all). Just finished a roll, on its way to the dark room.
Thanks again for your video.
Zeiss Never made a 50mm 1:1.8 they made a 1:1.5 lens.... Very Expensive lens in today's market especially in Japan..
I have one of these- it was my mothers, who passed several years ago. It has the Sonnar 1:1.5 50 mm lens. If anyone is interested in purchasing it from me, please pm me. I'll give you a good deal. Thanks!
Jeff i can not figure out how to send you a PM about your camera. Can you send me one?
You can just take your index finger and zip it along the knurled knob to advance. No turning/twisting at all necessary.
You like the little focus wheel? Try the Argus C44!
The tank. That sucker will put a dent in your thumb. Pain. But, it was worth the free sex that came with it.
(True but long story)
Hello, how do you frame shots if there are no frame lines in the viewfinder?
Hey! Pardon my ignorance, but what type of film do you use with this camera? Trying to get one working!
Any 35mm film (135) will do ...for instance Kodak Tmax, Ilford Delta, etc. Thanks!
Can you tell how your repair experience went? Did the camera need much work? Was it this shiny before servicing? Thanks!
Hi there, sorry for the delay in responding. My repair experience went well, with no issues, and it cost as quoted. The camera works very well, even though I still avoid using it at 1/500th and 1/1000th of a sec due to potential curtain timing issues that sometime cover up a bit of the frame. It was fairly shiny before, and even more so later ...it is rhodium plated, so it is shiny :-)
Hey nice review… does it have parallax correction?
No It does not, you must use External finders with Parallax Frame Marks. I have the 50mm, 35mm, and the 85mm finders for my Contax, and for the record Zeiss Never Made a 50mm 1.1.8 lens they made 1:1.5 lens....
How do you set iso/asa setting on this camera?
You cannot. It has no built in meter.
Any suggestions on where to get a 35 or 21mm for less than an arm and a leg?
Thanks for the question! Not really sure ....sometimes, you can find a deal online, but these lenses are rare, so price for a good one is usually up there. I would maybe try Jupiter lenses which are less, and seem to render ok images ...
@@stevantontichphotographyvi9358 Hold your horses, A Jupiter-12 will NOT FIT the IIA !!! In fact you will damage your Contax IIA The 50mm Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-3 will fit as the other longer focal lenghts, 85mm Jupiter-9 and 135 Jupiter-11. The prices of the longer lenses from Oberkochen(Opton) are pretty ok though, besides the 85mm 2.0 Sonnar, appr 500 USD. The 35mm Zeiss gives you the Biogon from Oberkochen thus also Opton and there is the 35mm Planar, rarer and more costly in general. Nice to see you make a vid on this beautiful camera, it's not for the AF shooters out there, but a gem to use for the more "seasoned" user.
Hi ...thank for that ...I don't pretend to know everything ...I thought these were inter-changable ...I guess not ...good to know! I don't own any Jupiter's ...I just use the 2 lenses I have ...sorry fo the wrong suggestion ...
@@stevantontichphotographyvi9358 No problem of course, these are cameras loaded with history and a great past ;-) Enjoy yours !!!
Dashaun Knight - ain’t better than spending the price for a car for your M3‘s Super Angulon? Cosina Voigtländer lenses may be an option, but hard to find...