Contax S2B

[RattyMouse]

I dont know why.....but I lust seriously after a Contax S2B. There's a mint one in the store I like to frequent. Damn pricey, but like new. I want it. I shouldn't, but I do. I have a Nikon FM2 w/4 Nikkors and really should not start over on a new system. But I still want it. I have GAS.....bad, bad GAS.

I need help.......

:crazy:

 

[waynecrider]

Look at it this way, how much would it cost to buy the same glass you have for the Nikkors and what else could you do with the money for a photo adventure?

Btw, I too lusted for one at one time. Maybe someday.

 

[RattyMouse]

Look at it this way, how much would it cost to buy the same glass you have for the Nikkors and what else could you do with the money for a photo adventure?

Btw, I too lusted for one at one time. Maybe someday.

I already have all the glass for my Nikon FM2n. So any Contax foray is well into the realm of sheer duplication. Of course, I'd sell off my Nikons once fully satisfied with a Contax set up.

 

[chip j]

Zeiss glass will give sparkle to you negs & slides--Nikkors won't. I'd gladly trade my rather extensive Nikon systems ( af & mf), for a Contax slr kit anyday. I already have a G1 & G2 and 5 lenses and all accessories.

 

[Hatchetman]

I've been drooling over a Contax IIA but they sound like more heartache than they're worth!

 

[chip j]

+1

 

[RattyMouse]

Zeiss glass will give sparkle to you negs & slides--Nikkors won't. I'd gladly trade my rather extensive Nikon systems ( af & mf), for a Contax slr kit anyday. I already have a G1 & G2 and 5 lenses and all accessories.

For sheer IQ, I have a nice set of medium format cameras that meet my needs. To be brutally honest with myself, 35mm isnt meant for the ultimate in high IQ and the expense of going to a Contax set up would be enormous in that I'd end up getting the 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses. That's a ton of cash.

The mind is clear, even though the heart is not.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I've been drooling over a Contax IIA but they sound like more heartache than they're worth!

Buy a Kiev 4A for a fraction of the cost and you'll still have a Contax body and lens. Granted not made in Germany, but still was made under the direction of CZ technicians using CZ tools.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I got in to the G1/G2 system while the getting was good - right about at the bottom of the prices. Now that all those micro 4/3 cameras and mirrorless digitals are out there and folks are mounting good glass in front of them with adapters, the price of used Contax and Leica lenses have climbed steeply. Same with the SLR lenses getting re-mounted for Canon or Nikon DSLRs.

I did cure my Contax SLR hankering a couple years ago with a very nice RTS III which I had always wanted but could never afford when they were new, and a 50mm 1.4.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Get it. (Said the guy with a Contax RX, RTS, RTSII, and AX. Oh, and an F2, F3, FM2, FE2 and N80. And a full set of lenses for each system). And darn it I still want an RTSIII.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Rich- I paid around $500 for my RTS III. You can get one pretty reasonably if you skip Ebay and go look at KEH, B&H and Adorama (I got mine from Adorama - it has a couple minor cosmetic blemishes, but very minor, and in perfect operating condition).

 

[RattyMouse]

I got in to the G1/G2 system while the getting was good - right about at the bottom of the prices. Now that all those micro 4/3 cameras and mirrorless digitals are out there and folks are mounting good glass in front of them with adapters, the price of used Contax and Leica lenses have climbed steeply. Same with the SLR lenses getting re-mounted for Canon or Nikon DSLRs.

I did cure my Contax SLR hankering a couple years ago with a very nice RTS III which I had always wanted but could never afford when they were new, and a 50mm 1.4.

I thought about the G2. There are literally dozens of those available in the stores for far less than the S2b. But the G2 is too p & s-ish for what I want. I really enjoy manual focus and love knowing without a shred of doubt where my camera is focusing.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I thought about the G2. There are literally dozens of those available in the stores for far less than the S2b. But the G2 is too p & s-ish for what I want. I really enjoy manual focus and love knowing without a shred of doubt where my camera is focusing.

The S2b is a bit of a rare bird - they never sold well, as they were very expensive for the feature set they offered compared to other comparable cameras at the time. That alone would explain the price differential.

My mentioning the G2 was not intended to try and sell you on one - if you don't like the type of camera, or that camera specifically, you don't like it. 'Nuff said. As I said in an earlier post, I have an RTS III that I went out of my way to buy, to have a 35mm SLR for the times that I need a smaller-format SLR. Their SLRs are terrific and you'd be very happy with any of them, I think. I would dispute the point-n-shoot-ish character you ascribed to the G2 however - while they have autofocus, which is extremely convenient, even if not quite as easy to precisely focus as an SLR, they're far more capable than a point-n-shoot (1/6000th top shutter speed, 16 seconds slow speed in AE mode (4 seconds manual), plus B, TTL flash, manual or auto-focus, interchangeable lenses which happen to be some of the best glass ever made for 35mm).

 

[RattyMouse]

The S2b is a bit of a rare bird - they never sold well, as they were very expensive for the feature set they offered compared to other comparable cameras at the time. That alone would explain the price differential.

My mentioning the G2 was not intended to try and sell you on one - if you don't like the type of camera, or that camera specifically, you don't like it. 'Nuff said. As I said in an earlier post, I have an RTS III that I went out of my way to buy, to have a 35mm SLR for the times that I need a smaller-format SLR. Their SLRs are terrific and you'd be very happy with any of them, I think. I would dispute the point-n-shoot-ish character you ascribed to the G2 however - while they have autofocus, which is extremely convenient, even if not quite as easy to precisely focus as an SLR, they're far more capable than a point-n-shoot (1/6000th top shutter speed, 16 seconds slow speed in AE mode (4 seconds manual), plus B, TTL flash, manual or auto-focus, interchangeable lenses which happen to be some of the best glass ever made for 35mm).

That explains the price. The S2B I found was something like $900 or more. It's absolutely mint and might even come with the box. It looks gorgeous, even without a lens on it. Put one of those c/y beauties on it and I'm not sure how much more I can resist it.

I have a Fuji GA645, which really reminds me of the G2. Sure there are some differences, but it's an autofocus rangefinder. I'm sure the G2 puts out images that are wonderful, as does the GA645 with its blazing sharp lens. But the whole shooting experience is (to me), somewhat empty.

Anyway, there's gear available for everyone's needs. I think the G2 looks like a really sharp set up, and I still view it as a less costly way to get my hands on some Zeiss glass, so who knows....maybe?

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

That explains the price. The S2B I found was something like $900 or more. It's absolutely mint and might even come with the box. It looks gorgeous, even without a lens on it. Put one of those c/y beauties on it and I'm not sure how much more I can resist it.

I have a Fuji GA645, which really reminds me of the G2. Sure there are some differences, but it's an autofocus rangefinder. I'm sure the G2 puts out images that are wonderful, as does the GA645 with its blazing sharp lens. But the whole shooting experience is (to me), somewhat empty.

Anyway, there's gear available for everyone's needs. I think the G2 looks like a really sharp set up, and I still view it as a less costly way to get my hands on some Zeiss glass, so who knows....maybe?

Look at it this way - a G2 with a 45 or a 28 will set you back less than the price of an S2b without a lens. Put a 50mm on the S2b and you can have a G2, the 45 AND the 28. And I think that if you try a G2 for any length of time you'll find it quite different from the GA645. For one thing, the G2 is about HALF the size of the GA.

The best thing would be to borrow one from someone before you commit. You already know more or less what the S2b will handle like - it's an SLR. But you haven't shot with a G2. Maybe the store will let you take one on a secured loan for two weeks or something.

 

[cowanw]

I have always been a Contax fan with 139 159 167 Aria 645 and AX. The handling always felt totally intuitive. Finally I got a S2 as a hedge against electronics failure since every camera company I have ever bought into has gone belly up. If Contax's feel right to you I think the two s2 models are the most perfect handling 35mm slr cameras made.

 

[RattyMouse]

Look at it this way - a G2 with a 45 or a 28 will set you back less than the price of an S2b without a lens. Put a 50mm on the S2b and you can have a G2, the 45 AND the 28. And I think that if you try a G2 for any length of time you'll find it quite different from the GA645. For one thing, the G2 is about HALF the size of the GA.

The best thing would be to borrow one from someone before you commit. You already know more or less what the S2b will handle like - it's an SLR. But you haven't shot with a G2. Maybe the store will let you take one on a secured loan for two weeks or something.

I find the GA645 to be extremely small in that I will never not take it with me if I desire to make some photographs. The lens folds up and the body is so light that it's really easy to throw it over my shoulder and forget it. Sure the G2 is smaller, but at this point it's past the point where I desire anything smaller.

The price sure is compelling as you demonstrate above. I just have a Carl Zeiss itch that needs some scratchin'.

I find myself enjoying SLR photography at the moment. I have two rangefinders (medium format) and they are great fun to shoot with too. I dont want an SLR medium format camera because they are goofy large in size.

Ultimately it's best for me to stick with my Nikon FM2n and Nikkor lenses. They are very nice in their own right. Or, failing that, get an F mount Zeiss lens and then cover my face whenever I walk past the store with the Contax S2B so that I can't see it. Sigh...............

 

[Dismayed]

I've been drooling over a Contax IIA but they sound like more heartache than they're worth!

Been there, done that. Go with a Nikon rangefinder instead - the shutter is superior.

 

[Dismayed]

There are other CY mount bodies that are excellent, and much less expensive.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

There are other CY mount bodies that are excellent, and much less expensive.

Sure. You can get an RTS for $75-100, or a Yashica for $10-15 if you're patient. Neither of which are the S2B. But that's the point.

 

[GarageBoy]

If you want to use Zeiss glass, I'd use the S2B money to get a cheaper body and spend the cash on the glass. The S2B is a glorified FX-3 (to me)

 

[RattyMouse]

I'm wavering....maybe the G2 is the way to go and scratch my Zeiss itch.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Try one - you can probably re-sell it for about what you paid for it, so if you use it for a couple months and don't like it, well, it would be a cheap rental. And in the meantime, the S2b will probably still be sitting there if you use the G2 and don't like it. It's an exotic enough beast that the right person will have to come along to buy it.

 

[RattyMouse]

Try one - you can probably re-sell it for about what you paid for it, so if you use it for a couple months and don't like it, well, it would be a cheap rental. And in the meantime, the S2b will probably still be sitting there if you use the G2 and don't like it. It's an exotic enough beast that the right person will have to come along to buy it.

I am that right person!!!

For some strange reason, I want a Distagon, not a Biogon.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The Distagon is a retrofocus design, whereas the Biogon is not. The Biogon is the better lens, optically.