Couldn't pass the chance to buy this old Contax

SwampDude · Jan 30, 2019

santino said:
Contact Henry Scherer, he's the Contax guy no 1.
Contact Oleg from okvintageamera.com

Always do mention that it's a IIa, not a II!
Those are totally different cameras! The IIa you have is a piece of art and thus is super complex. It was more expensive than the Leica IIIG.
If your shutter is sluggish it won't get better, those cameras are comparable to precise swiss watches.
The lens doesn't have a focusing helicoid, it's in the camera so there is nothing to service on the lens unless the aperture is stiff. It has a bayonet mount.

I will contact these guys! Thanks for the information, including the correct model designation. If I learn anything encouraging from Mr. Scherer or Oleg, I'll post an update.

SwampDude · Jan 31, 2019

santino said:
Contact Henry Scherer, he's the Contax guy no 1.
Contact Oleg from okvintageamera.com

Always do mention that it's a IIa, not a II!
Those are totally different cameras! The IIa you have is a piece of art and thus is super complex. It was more expensive than the Leica IIIG.
If your shutter is sluggish it won't get better, those cameras are comparable to precise swiss watches.
The lens doesn't have a focusing helicoid, it's in the camera so there is nothing to service on the lens unless the aperture is stiff. It has a bayonet mount.

Mr. Scherer said he is the only person doing "complete jobs" on Contax IIa cameras, and he is now years behind in his work backlog. He explained that it's not possible to produce a reliable camera without complete disassembly, cleaning and lubricating each piece, reassembly and calibration. He validated the points in your post about IIa quality, complexity and mechanical perfection, santino.

My planning horizon is far short of 8 years, so my camera will remain on the shelf for the pleasure of knowing how wonderful it once was:

"A 35mm film rangefinder camera, the Contax IIa continues a line of machines that stretches back to the original Contax I of 1932, and is the last of the non-metered Contax rangefinders (the IIIa, a version with a built-in light meter, debuted in 1951). It offers the greatest degree of sophistication in the smallest and most ergonomically pleasing package of all Zeiss rangefinders, and provides the shooter with mechanical perfection paired with what was once the best glass in the world. It is, rightfully so, a legend among photo geeks...."

santino · Feb 1, 2019

You could always buy a soviet kiev camera (20-30 bucks) in order to be able to use that awesome zeiss lens.
Btw kievs are copies of the contax ii...

SwampDude · Feb 1, 2019

I figured out how to remove the lens today, and all visible components look remarkably good for a 1940ish vintage camera. The glass is pristine. That little lens of finely crafted metal and glass weighs nearly 5 ounces. Its interesting to think about how cameras have evolved since the 1940s; we have gained so much and yet we have lost much, too.

Dave442 · Feb 3, 2019

Great to see you had an SRT-101, I was given an SRT-101 as my first SLR by my grandfather, he was using a Nikon F at the time.

During one visit he went back in his photography closet and pulled out his Contax IIIa. The camera was a beautiful shiny monster and looked exceedingly complex compared to my new Minolta. Anyway, he said it was sitting on the shelf as the shutter went out so he just jumped ship and picked up a then new Nikon F Photomic.

Keep your Contax, even if it doesn't work it's a great camera to look at. If the shutter is good and it works even better, but then it really needs that overhaul.

SwampDude · Feb 3, 2019

Dave442 said:
Great to see you had an SRT-101, I was given an SRT-101 as my first SLR by my grandfather, he was using a Nikon F at the time.

During one visit he went back in his photography closet and pulled out his Contax IIIa. The camera was a beautiful shiny monster and looked exceedingly complex compared to my new Minolta. Anyway, he said it was sitting on the shelf as the shutter went out so he just jumped ship and picked up a then new Nikon F Photomic.

Keep your Contax, even if it doesn't work it's a great camera to look at. If the shutter is good and it works even better, but then it really needs that overhaul.

Thanks, Dave. I think I'll clean the exterior and the glass and apply a little Rennaisance wax to the leather-like material on the body for luster and protection. Rennaisance is used by museums everywhere for preservation of fine objects. I'll enjoy owning this classic just the way it is.