mskovacs Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Inspired by the many excellent presentations here, I've put together a little of my own. <p><b><a href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/mskovacs/Contax2/Contax2pres.html">Contax II Presentation</a></b> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_capodiferro Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Great shots Mike. The Contax II is an exceptional camera. Any owner should be proud to carry one. I to have tasted the Russian copies, but I really want to have a real Contax. When I finally get one, I may have to hit you up for some tips on the restoration. Looking forward to seeing how you did a frame-up restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Great job on that camera and wonderful images from that fine lens. Reminds me that I need to take a courage pill and tackle the cleanup of my Kiev IIa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelging Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Mike,,excellent presentation ,and great photos. I especially like the one of your Child. You are not helping my Contax Craving as I wait for Henry Scherer to work on my Contax IIIa.Its too bad that photo.net does not have a data base set up for all these wonderful cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdanger Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gib Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 really nice presentation - My favourite photographer, Robert Capa, used Contaxes and a Rolleiflex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tito sobrinho Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Mike, you are an excellent craftsman as well as a "shooter". In those days, it was more prestigious to own a Contax than a Leica and the coated Sonnar 50/1.5 is much, much better than its contemporary LTM 50/1.5 Summarit. ...And Ally, is a beautiful baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph_wei Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Mike, Excellent presentation and great photos! Quick question: you mentioned in the presentation that you used a "Hoya vented hood". I'm looking for a good lenshade for my Sonnar - would you mind sharing where you found/bought your hood? Thanks! JW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summitar Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 A very nice presentation blending interesting information on the camera, and also demonstrating its performance under a variety of conditions. It would be wonderful to have similar expositions on all of our favorite classic cameras. Thank you, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene m Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 The barn with the sun behind the silo is beautiful as is the hoar frost photo. The photo of Ally is blatantly unfair ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted February 5, 2005 Author Share Posted February 5, 2005 Wow! Thanks to all for all the feedback. Jay and Mike: Liquid courage works better than pills. Try Russ Pinchbeck's Kiev Survival Site, our own Mike Elek's Contax II Overhaul and Rick Oleson's sketches as a guide. All three of those individuals have generously helped me when I got stuck. Attached is a photo of my 2nd Contax (underway), also stripped down to the bare chassis except for the self timer. I've been inside a couple of Kievs now and they are 90% Contax, very well built, at least the 1960 and earlier models I've opened. The Kiev 2A would probably be a champ with an overhaul. If you can find the Contax lenses, there is little reason to harbour any Contax envy. The Jupiters are no slouch if you can find a good one or restore a bad one. Michael: I'm certain Henry will do a super job on the camera. WJ: My two main classics are Contax and Rolleiflex. I doubt I'll ever be a Capa though! (better to be alive and average I guess) Joseph: My shade came from ebay. The Hoya and Walz models come up from time to time if you look. Expect to pay too much, likely $40-$60. Cameraquest has a $40 metal shade that fits the Sonnar but without the venting. The vents help with the viewfinder vignetting but it still not perfect. I also have an Russian-made rectangular plastic push-on shade. You have to reposition it after focusing but if you need extra deep protection from flare its worth the extra effort. Its 3x deeper than the Hoya. Gene: Honestly, the inspiration of shooting the barn came from yours truly. I waited about 2 weeks for some half decent broken clouds and ate a cold supper that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted February 5, 2005 Author Share Posted February 5, 2005 Contax II stripped to the bone.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 A company on eBay was selling these vented lens shades, which were quite pricey ($49, I think). Luckily, you only have to buy one of them. I bought one -- very nicely made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 I just checked -- the seller doesn't seem to have any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 Nice presentation, Mike, and a great looking camera. I've long felt that if one wanted a camrea for good looks alone, the Contax would be at the front of the pack. The fact that they are top performers goes without saying. You've done a fine job on it. Good choice of subjects too, and your little one made me smile. Oh, and thanks for the barn shot. It's a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice_mackay Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 Hi Mike Lovely pics, I especially like the barn shot - very crisp with nice light. I don't have a Contax yet.... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted February 6, 2005 Author Share Posted February 6, 2005 I did a little better on the Hoya shade: 17 British Pounds, about $30. I think I remember this seller that was selling them for $49. Were they brand new? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted February 6, 2005 Share Posted February 6, 2005 Yep, far as I could tell, they were new. Nice shades -- just priced at the upper end of what's affordable (apparently met my own level of acceptability, which gets stretched a lot with eBay). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas_douez Posted February 7, 2005 Share Posted February 7, 2005 Mike, I love you and hate you at the same time. Your Contax II is superb. Mine might be superb too. But look at its present condition. About shutter ribbons : well, replacing the ribbons does not make all. It seems that when you have the TWO ribbons to replace, there is something to do with the curtains unless you can't fully wind the shutter once the ribbons are sewed. Any advice ? I've sewed new ribbons but can't cock the shutter. The upper curtain does not go up more than the middle of the film frame. The gears seem jammed (not a shutter length problem, I'm sure). About lens hoods : Hoya made some vented 40.5mm hoods. Also known under the brand Walz. Hard to find now. I recently got a Panchromar alu lens hood that is not vented but does not come too far in the finder (well, came, before the shutter died and before I had to tear the body down). Try the 310/41 Voigtländer hood for Vitessa T. Quite fine. Comes a bit less in the finder than the original Zeiss shade. A good online store from Salem, OR, also sells some NOS Miiada collapsible hoods for $10.00 and which are of excellent quality. Nicolas :-((= and not :-))= till his Contax II will remain a dead stone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted February 7, 2005 Author Share Posted February 7, 2005 Have you seen Rick Oleson's tech notes on the <a href="http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-29.html">prewar Contax shutter ribbon replacement?</a> He also frequents this board and might be able to lend his advice if you are stuck. I've been fortunate enough to dodge that particular problem so far. <p>Are you winding the lower drum up and jamming it under tension before sewing the bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas_douez Posted February 7, 2005 Share Posted February 7, 2005 Yes Mike, as well for Rick's sketches and for winding the lower roll spring before sewing. BTW, one can also wind the spring after having sewed the ribbons on lower roll by freeing the little cam that holds the tensioning axle, turning this one about 15 revolutions cc, and then repush the cam in place and lock it. Much easier to do the job yourself then. My problem seems to come from non properly synchronized curtains. While sewing it's hard not to pull the upper curtain down. I think my problem is that the upper curtain is too far to the bottom before winding for the first time after having finished the sewing process. I tried twice with two different qualities ribbons and wasted much time and energy... Just ask my wife about it :-)) Twice, I got in the same trouble. So I'll give up with the ribbons replacement job and look from time to time for an average condition Contax II with at least a working shutter, even in poor cosmetics and rangefinder condition (mine is near mint with no brassing and both the rangefinder and lens mount are perfect) and then will make a mix between the two in order to get a nice example at the end. Or even just a Contax II or III shutter module. Of course no Kiev shutter. They are not the abomination we can hear of here and there, some are very well made, the first series are very closed to the Contax design, but it's hard to fit them in a Contax and to get a working camera without having to adjust everything with a fair amount of elbow oil, as almost all measurements are slightly different. Again, congratulations for your job. -Nicolas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted February 8, 2005 Share Posted February 8, 2005 Mike, that contax is such a beauty, it makes me cry after mine (IIIa) that was recently stolen. :( <center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/2940802-lg.jpg"> <p>Contax IIIa, Sonnar 50/1.5, Delta3200</center> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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