founded a contax d: keep and refurbish it or sell it?

Iodosan · Mar 25, 2021

i bought a contax d reflex with tessar 50/2.8
I like to use old cameras with their lenses because they have a special black and white. And I love the zeiss lenses. This camera can be used for everyday photography (after being restored, as it is the age of a Leica III for example) or is just a collector's item and does not deserve to be restored and then sold to someone who can exhibit in your collection?

Don_ih · Mar 25, 2021

If the camera is working, and you think you would enjoy the money, sell it. If it's not working, only fix it if you want to use it - you won't get the money back from a repair. These cameras, if I am thinking of the right model, are irritating to fix. It's an early slr and not everything was fully figured out. Anyway, the lens will not disappoint, assuming it's not filled with fungus or haze or covered in scratches....

Donald Qualls · Mar 25, 2021

I agree -- if it works, shoot it or sell it, your choice. If not, sell it "as is" or just put it on a shelf -- or sell the lens separate from the body.

IIRC, the shutters in those are nearly identical to that of a Contax rangefinder, which are very expensive to repair correctly, so unless the camera is as valuable as one of those (and AFAIK it isn't), it isn't worth spending the money to fix it unless you want to use it.

randyB · Mar 25, 2021

I too enjoy using very old cameras. Several years ago I won an auction for 2 broken Contax D bodies. Paid about $10 each, the postage from Germany was more than the cameras. I was able to get one of them working and yes they are a pain to figure out, very crude design. I very much like the viewfinder screen, a plain ground glass with a bevel edge, quite art deco. For a lens I use a beatup M42 Helios 58mm, it gives a quaint period look. Using my "D" does take a lot of time and thought as everything is manual, no auto stop down of the aperture and of course no meter.

Iodosan · Mar 25, 2021

randyB said:
I too enjoy using very old cameras. Several years ago I won an auction for 2 broken Contax D bodies. Paid about $10 each, the postage from Germany was more than the cameras. I was able to get one of them working and yes they are a pain to figure out, very crude design. I very much like the viewfinder screen, a plain ground glass with a bevel edge, quite art deco. For a lens I use a beatup M42 Helios 58mm, it gives a quaint period look. Using my "D" does take a lot of time and thought as everything is manual, no auto stop down of the aperture and of course no meter.

do you still use this camera? i have some m42 like mir1b 37mm and tessar 50mm 2.8 . do you have some photo you took with this camera ?

Ian Grant · Mar 25, 2021

The lens indicates the camera was probably made around 1952/3

Donald Qualls said:
IIRC, the shutters in those are nearly identical to that of a Contax rangefinder, which are very expensive to repair correctly, so unless the camera is as valuable as one of those (and AFAIK it isn't), it isn't worth spending the money to fix it unless you want to use it.

The camera has a horizontal rubberised cloth shutter unlike the Contax range finder cameras with the metal bladed vertical shutter. It's a camera I'd buy if I found one, it's nice to have one with the Zeiss Ikon Contax name rather than those marked Pentacon for export to the US and West Germany.

Ian

Iodosan · Mar 25, 2021

Ian Grant said:
The lens indicates the camera was probably made around 1952/3

The camera has a horizontal rubberised cloth shutter unlike the Contax range finder cameras with the metal bladed vertical shutter. It's a camera I'd buy if I found one, it's nice to have one with the Zeiss Ikon Contax name rather than those marked Pentacon for export to the US and West Germany.

Ian

When she arrives, I'il try it. If I decide to sell it I will notify you!

choiliefan · Mar 26, 2021

I had the Pentacon version of this.
A beautifully finished camera with an Isco 50mm/2 Westagon lens.
Unfortunately the cloth shutter curtain had a couple ripples which made it a bit erratic.

Chan Tran · Mar 26, 2021

Iodosan said:
When she arrives, I'il try it. If I decide to sell it I will notify you!

Do you know that you can make a profit selling it before you bought it?

Iodosan · Mar 26, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Do you know that you can make a profit selling it before you bought it?

I don't quite understand what you're telling me. Maybe you're telling me you better not buy it at this point? It probably is. But for once I bought a camera without knowing it relying only on my passion for zeiss lenses and the world in the black and white of the 50s. It may be that I will like it and that it will become my first choice or it may be that I will not find the feeling and sell it. I don't buy anything to make a profit. In fact, if I sell it I will sell it to the same price.

btaylor · Mar 26, 2021

This brings back memories. A Contax D was my first SLR, bought it used in the late ‘60’s. I found it pretty unpleasant to use. Dim viewfinder made it hard to focus, disliked the small knob wind, very stiff focus, manual stop down aperture. I’m sure the thing was overdue for service, but I had no money for that. Replaced it with a used Spotmatic- a revelation! I’ll say the Contax D is interesting from an historical perspective but not much fun to actually use.

Iodosan · Mar 26, 2021

btaylor said:
This brings back memories. A Contax D was my first SLR, bought it used in the late ‘60’s. I found it pretty unpleasant to use. Dim viewfinder made it hard to focus, disliked the small knob wind, very stiff focus, manual stop down aperture. I’m sure the thing was overdue for service, but I had no money for that. Replaced it with a used Spotmatic- a revelation! I’ll say the Contax D is interesting from an historical perspective but not much fun to actually use.

With your experience it looks like I just bought one of the worst SLRs ever! Maybe this time the passion for the zeiss world has fooled me? Very likely. In a few days it will come and we will see. I didn't know this camera, and I discovered a new world.

btaylor · Mar 26, 2021

Ha! It is a primitive camera, as it was one of the first cameras of its type.
Not knowing much about the history of the Contax name I bought it because I had a Contax IIa rangefinder that I enjoyed using- I thought it would be of the same caliber of engineering and ease of use.

Ian Grant · Mar 26, 2021

Most German SLR cameras of that era have dimmer focus screens than the later Japanese SLRs. Exacta's and Praktina's don't have particulary bright screens, and Exa's are worse, but they are useable. Choice of lens helps the 58mm f2 Biogon is obviously a stop brighter than the Tessar.

Ian

Iodosan · Mar 26, 2021

Ian Grant said:
Most German SLR cameras of that era have dimmer focus screens than the later Japanese SLRs. Exacta's and Praktina's don't have particulary bright screens, and Exa's are worse, but they are useable. Choice of lens helps the 58mm f2 Biogon is obviously a stop brighter than the Tessar.

Ian

I have a mir1b 37mm too. Most likely it is not a nikon ft3n but I prefer character to sharpness and if I am not mistaken my favorite photographer Koudelka, before using leica, photographed with an exalta. So it can be a risky choice to have a different style...

Donald Qualls · Mar 26, 2021

Ian Grant said:
Exacta's and Praktina's don't have particulary bright screens, and Exa's are worse, but they are useable.

My first SLR (around 1973) was an Exa II, with 50mm f/3.5 (Tessar?). I don't recall it being a bad camera to use, even with that slow a lens -- but then I had nothing to compare against other than one roll through a rangefinder (Yashica?) and a couple years operating a Pony 135. Usable, definitely.

Chan Tran · Mar 26, 2021

Iodosan said:
I don't quite understand what you're telling me. Maybe you're telling me you better not buy it at this point? It probably is. But for once I bought a camera without knowing it relying only on my passion for zeiss lenses and the world in the black and white of the 50s. It may be that I will like it and that it will become my first choice or it may be that I will not find the feeling and sell it. I don't buy anything to make a profit. In fact, if I sell it I will sell it to the same price.

Why thinking about selling something you just bought and even not having it yet except that you can make a profit on it. If you're not one of those thinking about buying and selling for profit then don't even think about selling it.

Ian Grant · Mar 26, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
My first SLR (around 1973) was an Exa II, with 50mm f/3.5 (Tessar?). I don't recall it being a bad camera to use, even with that slow a lens -- but then I had nothing to compare against other than one roll through a rangefinder (Yashica?) and a couple years operating a Pony 135. Usable, definitely.

I think it's what you were used to at the time, I have an Exa II and it's not as bright a screen as my Varex IIb. The Meyer Primotar was f3.5 and common on Exa's, all the 50mm Tessar's were f2.8. A great many people cut their teeth on budget East German SLRs some of the best 35mm negatives I've printer were made with an Exacta Varex 1000 and CJZ lenses.

Ian

Iodosan · Mar 27, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
My first SLR (around 1973) was an Exa II, with 50mm f/3.5 (Tessar?). I don't recall it being a bad camera to use, even with that slow a lens -- but then I had nothing to compare against other than one roll through a rangefinder (Yashica?) and a couple years operating a Pony 135. Usable, definitely.

The kiev 4 He convinced me to buy this camera I thought, if already the kiev It's extraordinary, so a contax has to be brilliant.

founded a contax d: keep and refurbish it or sell it?

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