Contax T3 - What's the big deal?

Eric Rose · Sep 24, 2017

Actually I don't think I ever said anything directly about image quality but I do agree that market price has nothing to do with quality. Hey if people are willing to spend $1400 on a plastic camera and I have one, heck I'll sell it to them for that price. It's about herd mentality. The same sillyness that causes a $99 dress to suddenly shoot up in price to $500 because some "star" was seen wearing it. Although you could argue that follows supply vs demand. I honestly don't think there is that much demand for a T3. They seem to sit on eBay for sometime and many don't sell.

plummerl · Sep 25, 2017

Eric Rose said:
Actually I don't think I ever said anything directly about image quality but I do agree that market price has nothing to do with quality. Hey if people are willing to spend $1400 on a plastic camera and I have one, heck I'll sell it to them for that price. It's about herd mentality. The same sillyness that causes a $99 dress to suddenly shoot up in price to $500 because some "star" was seen wearing it. Although you could argue that follows supply vs demand. I honestly don't think there is that much demand for a T3. They seem to sit on eBay for sometime and many don't sell.

For someone who has never owned a T3, you sure seem to have a fixation with it. Get over it. It is actually a great camera. The last word I'd use to describe it would be plastic. Oh wait, I'd never use that word. Oh, and it also uses film!

Eric Rose · Sep 25, 2017

As I said before I had a T2 and it was a POS. Once the plastic gears stripped in the focusing mechanicals I took the camera apart to see what magic pixie dust was inside. Just more plastic and very cheaply made.

I'm not really fixated on it, just amazed that people could be so brainwashed that they would plunk down $1400 for a $300 camera. I see you picked one up for a reasonable and sane price. Would you spend $1400 to replace your T3 if it packed it in?

blockend · Sep 25, 2017

Those super compacts were an evolutionary dead end. Most of the smart detailing was superficial like titanium casing, but the innards were standard compact camera stuff with the ticking clock of LCDs, wiring ribbon and incipient problems consumer SLRs of the period died from. They tended to be operationally hamstrung too, with quirky access to essential overrides. Some are pretty and the lenses are nice, but they come with the camera and don't leave when it dies.

Wouldn't trust one to last a season as a daily shooter. Gimme a mjuII or an XA3 any day. Hipster jewellery in 2017, but some people get snippy on the topic of value, so each to their own.

FujiLove · Sep 25, 2017

It seems to be more to do with fashion than photography. As I understand it, a few Japanese and Korean celebrities have been spotted with them and hence their fans are buying them up. Combined with a lot of hype on some of the camera blogs (JCH etc.)

I'll pass on the T3 at £1000.

AgX · Sep 25, 2017

blockend said:
... but the innards were standard compact camera stuff with the ticking clock of LCDs.

So far I have not come across a single camera with a degrading LCD.
I got however two data-backs od different camera manufacturers that got degrading LCD. There are strong hints that one manufacturer provided data-back modules to several camera manufacturers.

skorpiius · Sep 25, 2017

Do any of these little electronic cameras have any sort of repair documentation that doesn't simply involve "replace this circuit board with a new one"?
Because in theory if a resistor, transistor, capacitor, etc goes you could unsolder it, buy a replacement for pennies and repair, but is there anything that would allow you to even test to see what fried?
(or course if it's a custom chip that fries, you're probably out of luck)

That's what's annoying about vintage electronic devices, it's not that you couldn't repair the circuits with the right knowledge, it's that no one thought anyone would.

skorpiius · Sep 25, 2017

I also notice there is one for sale on ebay with "The camera is broken. Frame counter doesn't register. Camera eats whole roll of film. Won't automatically rewind film, you have to manually rewind it. Also, the shutter won't fire."... for $500! Wow.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 25, 2017

skorpiius said:
Do any of these little electronic cameras have any sort of repair documentation that doesn't simply involve "replace this circuit board with a new one"?
Because in theory if a resistor, transistor, capacitor, etc goes you could unsolder it, buy a replacement for pennies and repair, but is there anything that would allow you to even test to see what fried?
(or course if it's a custom chip that fries, you're probably out of luck)

That's what's annoying about vintage electronic devices, it's not that you couldn't repair the circuits with the right knowledge, it's that no one thought anyone would.

Well that 's the it of it. They're unrepairable.
Buy a $5 Pentax if you want that.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 25, 2017

skorpiius said:
Do any of these little electronic cameras have any sort of repair documentation that doesn't simply involve "replace this circuit board with a new one"?
Because in theory if a resistor, transistor, capacitor, etc goes you could unsolder it, buy a replacement for pennies and repair, but is there anything that would allow you to even test to see what fried?
...

Unless the camera is fairly old, you're not likely to see discrete components - a lot is surface-mount as well, which demands more skill removing and replacing, providing you can identify what failed.

skorpiius · Sep 26, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
Unless the camera is fairly old, you're not likely to see discrete components - a lot is surface-mount as well, which demands more skill removing and replacing, providing you can identify what failed.

Yeah that's a good point, a little easier to repair this

Than this

AgX · Sep 26, 2017

Many of our "classic" SLRs got surface mounted circuits and nevertheless there was even official repair information.

blockend · Sep 26, 2017

AgX said:
Many of our "classic" SLRs got surface mounted circuits and nevertheless there was even official repair information.

Cameras went the way of cars. In the old days you'd get a spanner, remove the coil and put in a new one. Now it's "replace ignition module" and requires a chap with a laptop, factory software and fat wallet. I'm sure there are guys around who'd sort out a Nikon EL or Pentax ESII, but unless you found a computer science graduate moonlighting with nineties compacts, dead means dead.

pentaxuser · Sep 26, 2017

skorpiius said:
I also notice there is one for sale on ebay with "The camera is broken. Frame counter doesn't register. Camera eats whole roll of film. Won't automatically rewind film, you have to manually rewind it. Also, the shutter won't fire."... for $500! Wow.

I like it, Sounds like the honest daylight robbery of the down-and-out who asks you if you will help a poor man whose only possession in the world is a loaded Smith and Wesson

pentaxuser

Patrick Robert James · Sep 26, 2017

blockend said:
Cameras went the way of cars. In the old days you'd get a spanner, remove the coil and put in a new one. Now it's "replace ignition module" and requires a chap with a laptop, factory software and fat wallet. I'm sure there are guys around who'd sort out a Nikon EL or Pentax ESII, but unless you found a computer science graduate moonlighting with nineties compacts, dead means dead.

That is why I won't buy a new car. People keep asking me why I keep driving my Jeep. I tell them I can fix anything on it with a bucket of wrenches. That usually shuts them up.

I have been thinking for a while now of going to all mechanical cameras. Might not be a bad idea going into the future. My Contax ST for example probably can't be fixed. I know my Hexar RF can't be fixed anymore, although that has more to do with Sony. There was a rumor back in the day that Sony dumpstered all the Hexar parts when they took over KM. I am figuring lately that any camera I currently own I will have the rest of my life.

skorpiius · Sep 26, 2017

Patrick Robert James said:
That is why I won't buy a new car. People keep asking me why I keep driving my Jeep. I tell them I can fix anything on it with a bucket of wrenches. That usually shuts them up.

I have been thinking for a while now of going to all mechanical cameras. Might not be a bad idea going into the future. My Contax ST for example probably can't be fixed. I know my Hexar RF can't be fixed anymore, although that has more to do with Sony. There was a rumor back in the day that Sony dumpstered all the Hexar parts when they took over KM. I am figuring lately that any camera I currently own I will have the rest of my life.

At least the advantage that a newer car has vs newer cameras is a car's computer will give you a code or codes telling you what has gone wrong, and the service manuals have detailed instructions on how to test all of the computery sensors for faults. With these cameras, good luck.

guangong · Sep 26, 2017

Having read more replies to this thread, especially those who have never used a T3, I use a variety of pocket-able 35 cameras, including the XA, which can be a very discrete camera and my Rollei 35 (bought the day they appeared on the market). I gave up on 35 Minox cameras...they are the classic example of shoddy electronics. In general the lenses of the T3, XA and Rollei are about the same...the XA and T3 have the advantage of faster lenses. The XA viewfinder does allow squinty focusing and, when the light and angle of view through the finder is just right, shutter speed is visible. Considering size and capability I don't find this to be a shortcoming and I like my XA.. But the T3 allows rapid automatic focusing as well as an (awkward) manual focus that I never use, and more importantly for me the use of my Leica E39 filters. The camera body is not plastic and rather robust. I've dropped it several times and it still works. I doubt of Zeiss or Kocyra ever conceived of the T3 as a replacement for a normal-sized camera. The ever ready case hanging against the chest makes the camera handy and quick to bring to the eye. It is a great camera for those traveling who might find a regular sized camera inconvenient. I bought mine new and I would have doubts about laying out $1000 buying one on e-Bay. Normally I don't buyanything from there that has a moving part. As far as $1000 goes,this used to be real money. People spend a great deal more for modern automobiles loaded with electronics and servo motors, much of it one way manufacture. My 1983 MB 300D runs like a tractor with very little to go wrong and has outlasted many other cars that have gone through my hands. Of course I must push the seat back manually.

adelorenzo · Sep 26, 2017

Bellamy Hunter (aka Japan Camera Hunter) has some good thoughts on this:

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2017/05/compact-cameras-future/

When I started this site about 7 years ago, you could bag a Ricoh GR1 or a Contax T2 for about $250. Now they are $700+ for the same camera, but older and more used. This has become such an issue now that I no longer source compact cameras, as I simply cannot find enough of them to meet the demand. And demand is high, I get 20+ mails a day asking for compact cameras, and I have to turn them all away.

I am hesitant to even post this next article here.... For some reason people on this site seem to be so negative towards any efforts to try to make new products or get new people into film photography. It now seems that efforts to release a new compact 35mm camera are being spearheaded by Mr. Hunt. Price not announced but I'm pretty sure it won't be cheap so you guys can all rage about that too.

http://emulsive.org/articles/news/e...alks-emulsive-new-35mm-compact-camera-project

Fixcinater · Sep 26, 2017

adelorenzo said:
Bellamy Hunter (aka Japan Camera Hunter) has some good thoughts on this:

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2017/05/compact-cameras-future/

When I started this site about 7 years ago, you could bag a Ricoh GR1 or a Contax T2 for about $250. Now they are $700+ for the same camera, but older and more used. This has become such an issue now that I no longer source compact cameras, as I simply cannot find enough of them to meet the demand. And demand is high, I get 20+ mails a day asking for compact cameras, and I have to turn them all away.

I am hesitant to even post this next article here.... For some reason people on this site seem to be so negative towards any efforts to try to make new products or get new people into film photography. It now seems that efforts to release a new compact 35mm camera are being spearheaded by Mr. Hunt. Price not announced but I'm pretty sure it won't be cheap so you guys can all rage about that too.

http://emulsive.org/articles/news/e...alks-emulsive-new-35mm-compact-camera-project

It'll be great to see what he fleshes out for details on this new camera.

Kodachromeguy · Sep 27, 2017

Wow, a long discussion of the T3. There is a nice review on 35mmc blog:

https://www.35mmc.com/17/06/2015/contax-t3/

My (and my daughter's) experiences with small digital cameras is that the motorized lens advance/retract is a failure point. On one camera, the lens moved, but was canted, so one side of a frame was sharp and the other off. I assume many of the small film cameras had a similar problem. There was a lot of mass for a micromotor to be moving back and forth. The old screw-mount Leicas with the 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lenses were the original compact carry-everywhere cameras. But beware, a cleaning and overhaul of a screw-mount Leica is quite costly now (as of 2017). And almost no used one on the 'bay will really be in "excellent condition."

Contax T3 - What's the big deal?

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