ContaxII/IIIa and Nikon S2/3 have the same lens mounting.

[alfred_alfred]

Since both contax and nikon share the same mounting system can both lens and

body be interchangable ?

 

thks.

[vick_ko]

Yes, the mounts are the same, but the helix pitch is different.

 

Read all about it here:

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/NRF-Contax.htm

 

Vick

[Troll]

There is apparently a difference in lens mount to film dimension. Nikon cleverly made theirs different so people couldn't use Zeiss lenses on their cameras, while they made special versions of their lenses to fit the Contaxes. Very clever.<P>Actually, wide angle lenses can be interchanged, but standard and longer lenses can't.

[alfred_alfred]

So meaning all lens from 50mm and below are interchangeable....anything above 50mm is a no no. ?

 

Anyone who has both system and already tried out care to confirm this?

[mskovacs]

I wouldn't trust the 50's either. I'd say 35 and below.

[furcafe]

Yes, there is a real difference between the mounts, but as a practical matter, or if you're in a pinch, if you're shooting w/smaller apertures (for me, anything smaller than f/8 or f/11), you can get away w/using longer lenses on both.

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

I do not own any of these. But as far as I have understood this problem, it is NOT related to the lens register (distance between lens mount and film plane).

 

The actual focal length of the Contax "50mm" lenses was around 53mm, and the rangefinder adjustment was based on the actual value.

 

Nikon started manufacturing lenses for the Canon LTM cameras long before they made their own rangefinders. In the LTM world, 50mm focal length actually are 50mm, and the rangefinder is calibrated to that value. When Nikon started manufacturing their own rangefinders (with Contax mount), they did not want to change their lens designs and the rengefinders were calibrated for 50mm instead of 53mm as on the original Contax.

 

The difference probably disappears with wide-angle lenses at f/2.8 and beyond but should be noticeable with longer focal lengths.

[david_stanton1]

I own Nikons (S2 and SP) and Contax IIA, and a couple of Kievs (the Soviet knock off of the Contax II and III). I have no problems with 50mm on any of them -- Nikkors designed for Nikons on my Contax, and Jupiters and Helios designed for Kievs and Contaxes on my Nikons. The Kiev 35mm does fine on all. In fact, my 85mm Soviet Jupiter designed for Contaxes and Kievs does well on the Nikons under normal conditions -- 8 feet or further, f8 or higher. I have not tried to use the 85mm lens closer or more open on the Nikons, so I can't comment on that.