Contax G2 focusing problems

[Ian McCarthy]

Hi everyone,

Just picked up a new-to-me Contax G2, which I have no experience with. I just ran a few rolls through it and was less-than-impressed with my focus success rate. I'm playing around with it now, and am starting to worry that something isn't working with the auto focus. Help me troubleshoot this thing and make sure it isn't human error:

The autofocus is locking on perhaps 10-20% percent of the time. It easily takes me five or six locks, (either a half-press with the shutter or the focus-lock button with my thumb, same results either way). If I hit a high-contrast point it seems to do a little better, but I could try to lock on to the eggshell white wall eight feet away from me, and it will never happen. I'm going to knock out some possible culprits now so we can get them out of the way:

- I cleaned all the range-focusing, auto-focus whatever windows on the front
- my fingers aren't blocking any of those windows either
- I gently cleaned the electronic contacts on the lens and body, they seemed just fine, (if there is a cleaning protocol I should have for this let me know)
- SAF or CAF, same results
- Fresh batteries, everything seems fine otherwise.

Any guidance some more experienced users could throw my way would be greatly appreciated!

 

[iakustov]

There are some known "issues" with auto focus, like you cannot focus with horizontal lines in the focusing frame, subject with low contrast, etc.. At what distances do you have focusing problems mostly? For long distance subjects only passive method is used (without infrared rays).
I always use my thumb and focus-lock button to focus. I do have problems with focusing sometimes with 90mm lens, it could easily take 3-4 times to get to infinity, but you need to know how to get over these quirks and it is not a big problem for me.

 

[Ian McCarthy]

I absolutely feel that with the low-contrast and horizontal lines. I'll play more with distance, but the subjects on my first rolls were usually 3-10ft away.

Also yes, the thumb hold is critical. It's really the only way I can get the shutter to reliably fire. As un-scientific as it sounds, (because this is the only g2 I've gotten to use), Ive pulled up a few reviews/walkthroughs on youtube, and it really seems like they can get the shutter to fire more reliably than me when ONLY using the shutter release and not the thumb lock.

Oh and I should have mentioned I am using the 45mm. I am already realizing that this is likely me needing to learn to roll with the quirks of this system.

 

[film_man]

Does the lens work ok? I had a brief encounter with a Contax G1 and the 45. The lens had an issue so the first x times it just wouldn't focus (made noise but the lens didn't rack in/out) and then it would work. At some point it would stop, then a few attempts later start working again. Doesn't sound like yours has that issue but just mentioning it.

 

[Bert hamilton]

Hi,

Just bought a contax g2 as novice, and lens doesn't seem to want to rack properly to autofocus, just makes same limited movement whatever the distance.

5 second youtube video link showing my lens problem here -

Sorry to jump on someone else's thread, but have to try get working to shoot tomorrow so any help much appreciated!

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'm suspecting there's an issue either with the body or the lens. I used to have a full G1 and G2 kit with all lenses other than the 35-70 and 16mm lenses. The only lens I had semi-frequent focusing issues with was the 90, but this was well known even back when I had the kit. On rare occasions the 45 would hunt, but that was in low-light and/or very low contrast situations. I almost never had issues with the 21 - probably the best lens in the entire lineup.

 

[Bert hamilton]

Thanks very much for the reply.

Any suggestions on how it might be solved? have reattached lens a few times, and tried cleaning everything, but no luck.

 

[warden]

Hi,

Just bought a contax g2 as novice, and lens doesn't seem to want to rack properly to autofocus, just makes same limited movement whatever the distance.

5 second youtube video link showing my lens problem here -

Sorry to jump on someone else's thread, but have to try get working to shoot tomorrow so any help much appreciated!

That sound your camera is making is not normal at all. I'm sorry to say there is a problem. Do you have any other lenses for this camera? If so it'll be easy to determine if the problem is the lens or the camera.

 

[film_man]

I had a brief encounter with a G1. Had a similar issue like the video posted above, the AF motor would make all sort of noises as if it was working but the lens wouldn't rack in/out at all. If I kept the AF button pressed and retried for a few minutes it would then start working properly till I put the camera away for a few hours and back to square one. I asked a couple of shops if they can have a look at it and they all said no so that was pretty much the end of my interest into the G cameras.

 

[Craig75]

Does lens rack in and out properly in manual mode?

I will assume not