My Contax is back. Very happy, but...

[santiago_montenegro]

I have just recieved my Contax back from a very expensive servicing

or "overhauling". I got this camera form my late father, who brought

it from Germany in '53. I have been using it since I was 8 or 9, and

it is my favorite 35mm by far. It has never, ever malfunctioned, but

RF was geting dim, and I saw this webpage... I thought: "over 50

year old, never been to a "doctor"... lets do it. She deserves it".

(My Contax is a female, as are most cameras to native spanish

speakers) Many nervous months later, I finally have it back. RF is

clear, and internal focus is smoother. But leather is still wrinkled

in the same places it was before, and the lens mounting red dot

paint peeled after one (1) sigle time I did what I almost always do

to the Contax (that is, mounting the 21mm Biogon). That doen't make

me so happy, because esthetic concern was THE reason I didn't

service it myself. Sigh.<div></div>

[mike_elek]

Santiago -- two ways to "fix" this.

 

1) Red crayon or china marker. Rub it back and forth and wipe off the excess.

 

2) Small bottle of red paint for models and a very thin camel's hair brush.

 

I think I've used both approaches and haven't had any problems when mounting a 35mm Biogon.

[santiago_montenegro]

Thanks. I'll try the crayon approach tonight :-)

[mike_elek]

The chrome is very smooth under your red dot. If possible, rough up the surface a little bit with a tiny piece of sandpaper. It will make the surface better for the crayon.

[nicolas_douez]

Santiago, could you tell us to WHICH "Contax specialist" you sent your IIa ? Many months as for the delay, an expensive "overhaul"... hmmm.<p>

 

As for the "wrinkles" in the leather (back of the camera ?) you can perfectly do it yourself. I'm with you about the esthetic concern (and probably a bit too much sometimes :) - just look <a href=http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BxB9>here</a>.

<p>

As for the lens mount red dot : I would advice red nail gloss. Ask your wife ! Drop a dab of gloss on the dot, and when dry, wipe the excess with a Q-Tip and acetone. Fast, easy, reversible. I did that on my IIIa lightmeter knob dial (for the red digits). Otherwise, don't care too much - the dot on my IIa has lost its red color, and I didn't fix it already - it's fine like this.<p>All in all, don't worry too much for now - test the camera first.<div></div>

[mskovacs]

STOP. You're killing me Nicolas...

[nicolas_douez]

Beati pauperes spiritu :)

[bacsa]

Nicolas, that's a beauty indeed. Does it work?;)

[mskovacs]

What's that, you put it in the mail for me?

[james_baker6]

Nice IIa you have there and a nice history to go with it. I ask the same question as the others--who did you send the camera to??

I use a pair of IIa's, one w'color neg film and the other with B&W. They are my favorite camera's (out of 22). Thanks for telling us about yours.

[nicolas_douez]

It works - the webpages regarding that lady and her sister the IIIa are still under construction :-) and no, Mike, I didn't send it to you, not wanting to get you burned by "who you know" once and agaaaaaiiiiiiinn - hahaha, no more "camera things" from France for a while :)

[santiago_montenegro]

Yes, Nicolas, it was HS. Strangely enough, my Contax never got Zeiss bumps. Rather, it has some smallish wrinkles in the front, like around the self timer lever. Maybe they'll show up in this pic... but I am some kind of digital mentis captus

[nicolas_douez]

Your IIIa has had a good working life. It's her great charm, and the sign it was (and probably still is) a very well working photographying machine. BTW, the "specialist" sent it back to you with unadequate front plate screws (at the bottom, under the lens : the screw heads are far too large : on a IIa/IIIa they are noticeably narrower than on a II/III).<p>

 

The leather is tired, and precisely there because of the long lasting right hand's photographer fingers pressure and sweat. You could try to carefully remove the leather and rebond it after having stretched it and cleaned it with water steam.<p>

 

Or - what you would need as a replacement kit is just <a href=http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30028&item=7501619740>HERE</a>. Highly recommended replacement kits.

[santiago_montenegro]

Yes, I share your opinion. About leather: I'm a fairly good mechanic, but leather hates me.

[mike_elek]

I bought some leather from cameraleather.com for my user Contax. It's pretty nice stuff, and I've been very pleased with it.

[mike_elek]

That looks like a nice leather kit. I guess you're supposed to trim around the Zeiss Ikon logo, if you want to keep it.