Pacific Rim Camera
WE BUY CAMERAS
Contax rangefinder
Please note: This section is only on the Contax rangefinder cameras. After WWII the Zeiss factory at Jena fell into East Germany, and they marketed a series of SLR cameras under the Contax name. After many court battles, the Jena factory was eventually forced to stop using the Zeiss and Contax names. In the 1970,s, Zeiss and Kyocera began producing SLRs under the Contax name,and eventually autofocus point and shoot cameras, and finally the GS-1, which is an interchangable lens non-reflex autofocus camera.
Contax I
Contax I, shown with 50/2 Sonnar
Introduced 1932. Many variations, all are finished in black paint, and are fitted with nickel lens. McKeown's price guide lists six variations, "Auf Den Spuren Der Contax" lists seven. As "Auf Den Spuren Der Contax" is written in german, a language I cannot read, I'll use McKeown's variations:
Ia -No foot on tripod socket. No slow speeds under 1/25th. Serial numbers end in AU or AV.
Ib - Front plate around rangefinder windows and lens is now one piece.
Ic - Slow speeds, foot on tripod socket.
Id - Infinity release button on front of camera, about 1o'clock from lens mount. To release infinity lock on external mount lenses.
Ie - Viewfinder window is moved to outside of rangefinder window.
If - Pointer for shutter speed dial is changed to an arrow from a slotted screw.
All variations $$$
Contax II
Contax II with 50/2 Sonnar
Introduced in 1936. All are finished in chrome. No meter. This camera, and the Contax III were produced until WWII caused production to stop. When the war was over, the Contax tooling fell in the Soviet occupied part of Germany, and was carted of to the USSR. Cameras were produced that, although marked "Kiev", are really Contaxes.
$$
Contax III
Contax III with 50/2 Sonnar
As above, but with Selenium exposure meter mounted on the top of the camera. $$
Contax IIa
After WWII was over, the Soviets ended up with the tooling for the Contaxes, but the western allies managed to get the designers. They had no plans for the Contax. Rather than working to recreate a somewhat dated design, they chose to redesign the camera. The IIa is the remodeled II, and has no meter. The easiest ways to tell them apart is the postwar cameras have a flash synch plug on the back of the camera. Also, the rangefinder window has been moved closer to the center of the camera, and is now directly under the focusing wheel.
There are two variations of the postwar cameras
Black Dial
Requires specialized cords to use the flash synch. Numbers on the shutter speed dial are all in black.
Color Dial
More conventional flash synch system. Numbers on the shutter speed dila are in red and yellow, as well as black.
Either version $$$
Contax IIIa
Like the IIa, except for the meter on the top. Available as black and color dial.
Either version $$$
Prewar Lenses
Early lenses in nickel and black paint are for Contax I.
28/8 Tessar -Not rangefinder coupled, $$
35/4.5 Orthometer -scarce lens, $$$
35/2.8 Biogon -for use on prewar cameras only, $$
40/2 Biotar -rare, $$$
42.5 Biotar -extra rare, $$$$
50/3.5 Tessar -collapsable, $- $$
50/2.8 Tessar -collapsable, $- $$
50/2 Sonnar -collapsable, $,rigid $$
50/1.5 Sonnar -rigid, $-$$
85/4 Triotar -$$
85/2 Sonnar -$$
135/4 Sonnar -$$
180/6.3 Tele-Tessar -$$
180/2.8 Sonnar -direct or Flektoskop mount, $$$$
300/8 Tele-Tessar--direct or Flektoskop mount, $$$$
500/8 Fern -direct or Flektoskop mount, $$$$
Prewar Lenses
21/4 or 21/4.5 Biogon -$$$$
25/4 Topogon -very uncommon lens, $$$$
35/3.5 Planar -$$-$$$
35/2.8 Biometer-$$-$$$
35/2.8 Biogon -$$-$$$
50/3.5 Tessar -collapsable, $- $$, rigid $$
50/2.8 Tessar -collapsable, $- $$
50/2 Sonnar -rigid $$
50/1.5 Sonnar -$$
75/1.5 Biotar -$$$
85/4 Triotar -$$
85/2 Sonnar -$$
115/ Panflex Tessar -bellows lens, rare, $$$
135/4 Sonnar -$$
180/2.8 Sonnar -Flektoskop, Flektometer or Panflex mount, $$$$
300/8 Tele-Tessar -Flektoskop, Flektometer or Panflex mount, $$$$
500/8 Fern -Flektoskop, Flektometer or Panflex mount, $$$$