Contax III w Sonnar 50mm f1.5 questions. (lots)

After having quite a dry spell in camera buying, I managed to find a VERY nice Contax III rangefinder. The serial number starts with "A" which dates it as 1936 but it is labeled Stuttgart Germany, which i read mean it is post-war. Which is it? Did the serial numbers change after the war?

The focussing mechanism feels a bit 'dry' but I wonder if this is due to age or if it was designed to not use grease?

is there a trick to opening the back? The normal pull the rewind knob doesnt work.

Will it take a standard 35mm cassette?

The meter seems to work ok.. but is there a battery somewhere for it?

It has a Sonnar 50mm f1.5 and is T coated. It is labeled Zeiss Opton. I've always wondered: What does the Opton mean?

Thanks for all the help!

I used to have a IIIa with the 50/1.5 "Opton" and SOLD it. Eternal shame on me. One of those few sales I really really regret. Hang on to yours at all cost!

I'm not very knowledgeable about these cameras, but I do know that they take ordinary 135mm film canisters (you need a take up spool on the other end though), you won't ever need batteries for anything, and opening the back is a matter of turning the ring-like things on the bottom and then pulling it off (IIRC).

The other stuff I don't know about, but many others will. I have wondered about the Opton designation too, but was always too lazy to Google it out.

Wow I found this great site about contax servicing:
http://www.zeisscamera.com/services.shtml

If it really is a contax III then the article by fellow apug mike elek and the kiev survival site should pretty much covers restoration guides. There seem no much difference between the II and III internally.
If it's the IIIa (post war) then what I suggested above really much don't have much sense but if I'm not mistaken rick oleson site got some info on the post war contaxes.

I'm not sure about the serial numbers, but the III is prewar, the IIIa postwar. It should be easy to confirm which it is---the IIIa has shutter settings for T and 1, the III only goes down to 1/2. There's some information at http://www.cameraquest.com/zconrf2.htm.

There are two locks on the bottom plate; twist them both to the unlocked position (I forget which way that is) and the back will come off in one piece. The takeup spool inside is NOT captive and may have gone missing---I've never had to find one but it should be possible. Normal 35mm cassettes work fine.

No battery for the meter; it's selenium. At its age it may be either off or completely dead (however, both of my IIIas have accurate meters).

I think all "Zeiss Opton" lenses are postwar---it was the name of the West German company that emerged from the prewar Zeiss. The whole history of Zeiss in the era around the war is really confusing, though, and I've never really gotten serious about trying to understand it. The coated 50/1.5 is a *fantastic* lens, by the way. Nice new toy you've got there!

-NT

I have a IIIa. My take-up spool sprocket tooth broke off, rendering the spool useless. After trying several silly remedies... such as using a 35mm casette on the take up side, I found a replacement spool on Ebay. This was a newly manufactured spool and usable for Contax and the Soviet copies. I think it was around $10 or so. Works like a champ and used it this very day.

Um, Darin, I' sorry again that my neighbor and friend Charlie Barringer died last year. This time because he's not here to advise you.

Re Henry Scherer, check others' experiences with him before sending anything to him. Charlie recommended Essex Camera Repair for RF Contaxes.