Contax G2

[Galah]

Does anyone here have a Contax G2 and what do you think of it?

 

[Pete H]

Yes, I have one with the 21, 28, 45, 90 lenses. It is great for street photography once you've got used to it. The focus lock button gets a real hammering: focus - recompose - shoot becomes an automatic sequence. In fact I sometimes find myself doing that with other cameras which don't need it, just out of habit.
The lenses are superb too. I probably use the 21 and 45 most, but that is because of shooting style, not quality.
Well, I could go on for ever. The main feature I don't like is the lack of visual focus especially if using manual focus (it's not usually worth bothering with manual focus).

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Let me put it this way- I got rid of my Contax SLR gear in order to have a complete G2 outfit (all lenses except the 16 and the zoom). It is my standard travel kit now.

 

[Galah]

Thanks both for responding.

Anyone else?

 

[erikg]

I had one and shot with it a lot for a couple of years, but the focus motor noise eventually drove me nuts. The lenses are excellent and the build quality is quite high. You might like it.

 

[warden]

Great kit.

I've had mine for about ten years and I like it a lot. Just this week I finally got the 28MM lens, and I think it'll be my favorite of the bunch. Here's a quickie I took yesterday at the park. Obviously the 28 isn't a portrait lens but damn it all I had a new toy and was determined to use it ;-)


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. . . and before the aggressive crop . . .

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One caveat with the G system is with the 90MM lens. I love the lens but it has a paper thin depth of field when used with big apertures and at close range. I guess the only real solution is to step back a meter when taking portraits (if you want a big aperture and also more than just the eyes in focus). I wish there was an 80MM or 85MM lens in the line.

At any rate it's a fantastic camera. Lock focus with thumb, frame, shoot. Simple

 

[Ria]

I have a G2 with the 28, 45 and 90mm lenses as well as the TLA 200 flash. I like it a lot. The quality of the lenses is excellent, the controls on the camera seem to be where they "should" be, so far as ease of use. I have heard (read, actually) more than one person complain about the noise associated with focussing, but I do not find that to be an issue.

 

[keithwms]

The G lenses are, just going by the charts alone, arguably among the very best on the market; and if you factor in their low cost, the bang for the buck is definitely the best in all of photography at this moment. If you can make the body and its AF work for you, you will be very happy.

Despite this, when I was into 35mm AF RF stuff, I opted for a konica hexar AF, because of its stealth and the superb lens. That is also a very formidable piece, though it has a fixed lens and is thus hard to compare to the G2 in terms of versatility.