CONTAX rangefinder

Read through this post. You’ll likely find the serial number on your Contax..

 

Dating Contax IIa/IIIa bodies??? - Rangefinderforum.com

 

These are not high-production cameras, especially the Color Dials, but even Black Dials are not terribly common, especially in really good condition for actual use today.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Greg M

My Contax rangefinder body:Zeiss Ikon, Stuttgart Germany R34219,

 

Lens: Zeiss Option Nr 688932 Sonnar 1:2 f=50mm T*

 

Probably a postward model

 

The shutter works at every speed setting, from T, B to 1250

 

B,T,1 2....250 IN BLACK

 

250 500 1250 IN RED.

 

Selenium meter grid 9mm x 73mm, works under ambient light and outdoor.

Edited November 7, 2020 by MTC Photography

Very nice... Color Dial model, and from early in the last batch, so most likely produced in 1961.

The selenium meter on this Contax rangefinder not fully

functional. Cover the left 3/4 of the grid, has no effect on

the meter. Coving the right 1/4, the needle moves

 

Clearly the selenium meter has aged.

 

Hence the reading from this meter must be multiply

 

by 4.

 

Check it under sunny outdoor.

 

The meter reads 11 1/25

 

multiply 25 by 4 =100

 

Hence the adjusted exposure is F11 1/125

 

Voigtlander VC II meter reading F11 1/125

 

But to be safe, I prefer to use my Vogtlander II meter

 

with this Contax rangefinder, instead of its selenium meter

Thank you, Greg