CONTAX rangefinder

Contax rangefinder camera

Lens: Zeiss Sonnar 50mm F2

Aperture 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22

Speed dial :1 2 5 10 25 50 100 250 500 1250

( To change shutter speed, pull up the speed ring then rotate)

 

To remove lens from camera, first press down a small lever on the lens barrel

then rotate the len clockwise about 15 degree and pull lens out

To insert the lens, align the larger tap at lens bottom with the larger gap on camera opening, insert lens and rotate lens counter clock wise until clicks

Hard to find original Contax rangefinder Sonnar 50mm F2

lens cap.

Fortunately Leica rangefinder lens cap fits perfectly

There is an exposure meter on top of the camera

To operate the exposure meter, push at tap at the

left side of meter to open the exposure meter cover

then rotate the ring at left side of camera until the

meter needle points to the diamond mark at center

of the meter.

Transfer the reading to the aperture ring or speed dial

The aperture has 11 blades

The lens barrel is locked at infinity position

To focus the lens, pull a tap at top right corner of the lens

to free then lens, then rotate lens barrel to focus

The tripod socket of Contax rangefinder is old stype

 

3/8 inch thread. Need a 3/8 to 1/4 inch thread adapter

The tripod socket of Contax rangefinder is old stype

 

3/8 inch thread. Need a 3/8 to 1/4 inch thread adapter

Not if you have an export model marked in feet instead of meters on the focusing mount--those cameras have a stock 1/4" tripod mount.

 

135mm f4 Sonnar..

 

 

21mm f4.5 Biogon.

 

 

 

85mm f2 Sonnar.

 

My model is indeed marked in feet

 

Focus markL Infinity 100 50 30 20 15 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 feet

 

after 4 feet mark the lens barrel still can rotate clockwise until stop the stop corresponds to 3 feet

(estimate)

The depth of field is marked on the lens ring on the body,

 

At the center is a red dot, on left and right symmetrically

 

marked with the aperture stops

 

22 16 11 8 5.6 4 2.8 2 * 2 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22

There is a large red dot on the body front near the lens about half inch from the lower left corner of right viewfinder window.

 

I have no clue what is the function of this large red dot.

The hot shoe is marked with Zeiss Ikon lens logo and

"Stuttgart Germany" followed by the serial number

There is a time delay lever at right side of the camera body

To operate the time delay, first clock the shutter first

 

rotate the large knob on top of the camera clockwise

 

until click stop, then pull time delay lever 90 degree

 

until click stop. Press release button to start

 

If you pull the time delay lever before clocking the shutter, it does not click

 

stop, but starts zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz rotate back to original position

Edited November 6, 2020 by MTC Photography

The original take up spool of Contax ranger has a film

 

leader clip.

 

There is no slit on the spool

 

The take up spool of Russian Kiev rangefinder also fits Contax rangefinder.

 

The Kiev rangefinder camera take up spool,

 

however,has film slits, no clip.

 

Do not lose this original Contax rangefinder take up spool

 

It is hard to find.

One possible function of the large red dot under the large rangefinder window-- a mark for infra red ??

 

Not likely, it is too far apart from the proper focus marker

Edited November 6, 2020 by MTC Photography

No.....

 

The red dot is the index marker you line up with the red index mark on the lenses when you mount them. There’s an inner red dot for the red dots on the 50mm lenses and the outer red dot is for the other lenses that use the wider outer bayonet mount.

Edited November 6, 2020 by Greg M

Greg beat me to it, the red dot is the index mark for lenses that mount on the external bayonet. The pin just above the dot is also for external bayonet lenses, it serves to disengage the infinity lock when one is mounted.

 

Incidentally, it's a Contax IIIa, the revised design built by Zeiss in West Germany.

To the OP - Martin (?), your contributions are potentially interesting and informative, but you are not doing yourself any favours by putting the information in multiple posts as you often do. Members are less likely to persist in reading them through and respond. I normally compose my threads in a word processor, often returning to them over a period of time until I'm happy, before copying and pasting into photo.net with the pictures.

 

Just something to think about.

Thank you Steve and John

What is the function of the button at the back of

Contax rangefinder, two inch right of the back viewfinder

peep window.

This button cannot move or depress

CarL Zeiss Sonnar 50mm F2 lens, was designed by Ludwig J. Bertele in 1931

 

This lens is a six elements in three group design

in 1 3 2 configuration

Selenium meter

74mm x 9mm

Check it under room light

ISAO 400

Selenium meter reading 2.8 1/25

Voigtlander VC II reading 2.8 1/15

The selenium meter is stop faster than Voigtlander

One stop variation is well within the latitude of

film.

Edited November 6, 2020 by MTC Photography

If your lens says “Carl Zeiss” or “Opton”, it was a post-war redesign by West German Zeiss, not a 1931 design. If it has “Jena” on the face then it is a pre-war design or post WWII East German.

 

it certainly sounds like you need to be reading a site dedicated to this camera than giving a lot of “data” where you seem to be short on knowledge as to what it is you are typing.

 

That “button” on the back is a flash sync plug, possibly an earlier type requiring a dedicated accessory flash sync plug, which would make your camera an earlier “Black Dial” version. Later Color Dial models have built-in traditional flash sync plugs there.

 

Zeiss Contax IIa IIIa

 

Mike Elek: Zeiss Ikon Contax IIa

Edited November 6, 2020 by Greg M

I load a roll of 36exp ARISTA EDU ASA 100 black & white film in my Contax rangefinder and start shooting

The Sonnar 50/2 lens in indeed marked Zeiss -Option

 

The Serial number on my Contax rangefinder is 134219

 

made by Zeiss Ikon Stuttgart Germany

 

I cannot find any reference to this serial number