bucket list camera

frank · Jul 24, 2016

I began the day with good intentions. I was meeting a kijiji buyer for my Olympus XA-4. With cash in my pocket after the sale, I chanced upon a private deal with a camera store clerk. He was playing with his Contax RTS III (with Zeiss 50f1.7) when I entered the store to see about buying some film. I asked if the camera was for sale and he asked what I'd offer. He explained that he bought the camera personally from a store customer for $50 because the camera store does not buy up old film cameras anymore. He just wanted to set it his display shelf at home. I offered twice what he paid and he accepted. He then brought out a bag that the camera came with. It contained a Contax flash, Zeiss 40-80f3.5 zoom, and 2 Tamron lenses, 28 and 80-210.

I don't need any more cameras but I could not pass up this ultimate Contax film 35mm SLR with a couple of Zeiss lenses for that price.

MartinCrabtree · Jul 24, 2016

Wow. Fortunate timing on your part.

HiHoSilver · Jul 24, 2016

Others run into those deals. Magnificent, Frank. 'Hope you have *alot* of fun with it.

I don't have B/L cameras, but would like to get some composition skills before the dirt nap.

frank · Jul 24, 2016

Timing for sure. I very rarely walk around with $100 fun money in my pocket.

Thanks HiHo.

BrianShaw · Jul 24, 2016

Very nice. I stopped buying cameras years ago, but that would be so tempting I'd have my billfold open too!

AgX · Jul 25, 2016

I would have had a hard time resisting that camera. But starting a new system...

Tell us how that vacuum plate works, I even thought of building a vacuum back for my most advanced SLR.

removed account4 · Jul 25, 2016

hi frank

nice camera !

john

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 25, 2016

AgX said:
I would have had a hard time resisting that camera. But starting a new system...

Tell us how that vacuum plate works, I even thought of building a vacuum back for my most advanced SLR.

I have an RTS III and while I can't say conclusively absolutely that it does make the images better focused (I've not been motivated to shoot Air Force test resolution charts on it and on a non-vacuum Contax with the same lens for comparison), my informed opinion says that it does make a difference. There's something a bit more snappy about the images out of the RTS III.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

Film is loaded. Everything seems to work except the exposure counter. Both the top deck LCD and the viewfinder display read 00 and do not change. I can say that this is an example where a new piece of gear motivates photo juices. I've been very lazy with film photography lately.

ciniframe · Jul 25, 2016

I have promised myself to stop buying cameras but don't always stay strong. A few weeks ago in a second hand store I couldn't resist a Minolta SRT MCII with a 1.7 Rokkor for $13, working meter too, when I put a battery in it. But mostly now my photo purchases are confined to film and paper, chems etc.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

ciniframe said:
I have promised myself to stop buying cameras but don't always stay strong. A few weeks ago in a second hand store I couldn't resist a Minolta SRT MCII with a 1.7 Rokkor for $13, working meter too, when I put a battery in it. But mostly now my photo purchases are confined to film and paper, chems etc.

I'm the same. Over the years I've scratched my gear itch. I'm at the point now where little piques my interest in gear, having been there and done that for so long. But this camera model with Zeiss lenses at this price while I happened to have cash in my pocket from a camera sale earlier in the day, did it. I'm a bit of a collector as well and I already have an original RTS and a 139 contax at home, but with Yashica lenses.

In 35mm SLR, I'm mainly a Nikon guy, but I have some cameras and lenses from Contax, Canon, and Pentax as well. I recently rid myself of Minolta, Topcon, Exacta, and Miranda gear. That was too many systems.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 25, 2016

frank said:
Film is loaded. Everything seems to work except the exposure counter. Both the top deck LCD and the viewfinder display read 00 and do not change. I can say that this is an example where a new piece of gear motivates photo juices. I've been very lazy with film photography lately.

You might need new batteries if that's what you're getting. IIRC that's the low battery warning. Either that or the camera thinks the film isn't properly loaded - Open it in the dark and check to see the film take up spool has caught the leader. But first try a new battery. If you're not going to use it often, then get the lithium 2CR5 for it. You'll be limited to a 2.5 fps on the motor drive (probably not a big deal) but you'll save yourself horrible heartache if six AAs go bad, leak and corrode inside the battery compartment.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

Thanks for that Scott. The low battery indication is an icon of a battery half filled in and it's not visible. I loaded a roll that came from another camera with just a few exposures on it. The leader was badly curled so that might be it. I'm going to try a fresh roll after thawing it from the freezer. The lithium battery is a good idea.

TheFlyingCamera · Jul 25, 2016

frank said:
Thanks for that Scott. The low battery indication is an icon of a battery half filled in and it's not visible. I loaded a roll that came from another camera with just a few exposures on it. The leader was badly curled so that might be it. I'm going to try a fresh roll after thawing it from the freezer. The lithium battery is a good idea.

It would make me cry profoundly if I opened up my RTS III and found the battery compartment fouled with leaked AAs.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

The contax flash was like that. Had to force open the door and found the batteries had leaked. The top contacts were gunky but only one of the bottom springs was fouled. I'm hoping that vinegar cleans it up.

Good news. I removed that roll of film, cut off the curl and recut a leader. Film counter works when the film is loaded properly!

Alan Gales · Jul 25, 2016

Congratulations, Frank!

That's a heck of a deal. I shot a 139 for many years and later a couple 167MT's with the 50mm f/1.7 and several other Zeiss lenses. An RTS III is definitely a dream camera.

skorpiius · Jul 25, 2016

frank said:
I don't need any more cameras but I could not pass up this...

Story of my life...

frank · Jul 25, 2016

It used to be that I'd buy almost any camera if the price was right. I'm getting much more selective now.

pbromaghin · Jul 25, 2016

What a great score on a real classic! I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

mehguy · Jul 25, 2016

Wow what a steal. 100 dollars for a great body and some Zeiss glass.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

Thanks guys. Yes, I feel pretty lucky.

Another fix: The camera was missing the viewer eyepiece and the threads for same were bent. I straightened (or rounded actually) the threads and found that my Nikon F4's eyepiece fits and screwed in. This will protect my eyeglasses from scratches.

Alan Gales · Jul 25, 2016

frank said:
Thanks guys. Yes, I feel pretty lucky.

Another fix: The camera was missing the viewer eyepiece and the threads for same were bent. I straightened (or rounded actually) the threads and found that my Nikon F4's eyepiece fits and screwed in. This will protect my eyeglasses from scratches.

That's blasphemy! You can't put Nikon parts on a Contax!!!

If it were me I'd do the same. Whatever works. I always considered cameras tools.

frank · Jul 25, 2016

Shhhh! Alan, I also have some Japanese lenses for my Leica.

I took the Contax with me only walk with the dog and I took a few exposures. In bright light, the camera viewfinder's display isn't visible.

TheRook · Jul 25, 2016

An attractive camera for sure.
To me, it really comes down to how the camera feels. In other words, how comfortable it is to operate the camera. The most state-of-the-art, feature rich, solidly constructed camera means little to me if it becomes uncomfortable after only a short period of use. The camera's ergonomics need to be right if I want to adopt it as my primary camera.

frank · Jul 26, 2016

I share your retina love.

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