Question about choosing contax system

Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera, cos
I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

Recently, Patrick Leung posted:

Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF
camera, cos I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF
function, manual is fine to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't
know anything about contax MF system. I don't have a lot of money to
spend, I just want to find a reliable camera. I usually use wide
angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro work as well, since
I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

It may help if you provide some specific questions about what you'd like
to know. I suspect that you are already familiar with the basics, such as
the film format of the Contax, and the pricing of the Zeiss lenses.

An informative web site that can provide some insights, overviews and
useful links for MF is:
http://www.medfmt.8k.com/mf

Hope this helps,

Neil

Recently, Patrick Leung posted:

Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF
camera, cos I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF
function, manual is fine to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't
know anything about contax MF system. I don't have a lot of money to
spend, I just want to find a reliable camera. I usually use wide
angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro work as well, since
I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

It may help if you provide some specific questions about what you'd like
to know. I suspect that you are already familiar with the basics, such as
the film format of the Contax, and the pricing of the Zeiss lenses.

An informative web site that can provide some insights, overviews and
useful links for MF is:
http://www.medfmt.8k.com/mf

Hope this helps,

Neil

Recently, Patrick Leung posted:

Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF
camera, cos I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF
function, manual is fine to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't
know anything about contax MF system. I don't have a lot of money to
spend, I just want to find a reliable camera. I usually use wide
angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro work as well, since
I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

It may help if you provide some specific questions about what you'd like
to know. I suspect that you are already familiar with the basics, such as
the film format of the Contax, and the pricing of the Zeiss lenses.

An informative web site that can provide some insights, overviews and
useful links for MF is:
http://www.medfmt.8k.com/mf

Hope this helps,

Neil

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message
news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera,
cos
I believe their lens quality.

I've not seen anything to indicate that there are significant differences in
the various 645 SLR system lenses. They'll all produce slides that will
knock your socks off. Rumor (and reviews) have it that the Mamiya 35/3.5 and
the Contax 80/2.0 are both a tad soft wide open but indistinguishable from
the competation when closed down one stop.

I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a
reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some
macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

The Contax tends to be more than a bit pricey*. Also according to rumor, the
Contax AF is less than fast. But if you are used to current 35mm AF, you
won't like any MF AF, even the Hassy H1. I went with Mamiya manual focus,
but reading the Japanese landscape magazines over a couple of years, Pentax
seems to be used much more often.

*: http://www.keh.com/shop/class.cfm?bi...d&crid=8537011
Bodies seem to be the same price as a complete Hassy 501C kit. Lenses are
steep (45/2.8: $1169 for Contax, $310 for Mamiya 645, $499 for Pentax) and
not a lot to choose from.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message
news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera,
cos
I believe their lens quality.

I've not seen anything to indicate that there are significant differences in
the various 645 SLR system lenses. They'll all produce slides that will
knock your socks off. Rumor (and reviews) have it that the Mamiya 35/3.5 and
the Contax 80/2.0 are both a tad soft wide open but indistinguishable from
the competation when closed down one stop.

I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a
reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some
macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

The Contax tends to be more than a bit pricey*. Also according to rumor, the
Contax AF is less than fast. But if you are used to current 35mm AF, you
won't like any MF AF, even the Hassy H1. I went with Mamiya manual focus,
but reading the Japanese landscape magazines over a couple of years, Pentax
seems to be used much more often.

*: http://www.keh.com/shop/class.cfm?bi...d&crid=8537011
Bodies seem to be the same price as a complete Hassy 501C kit. Lenses are
steep (45/2.8: $1169 for Contax, $310 for Mamiya 645, $499 for Pentax) and
not a lot to choose from.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera, cos
I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

Hasselblad or Rollei. Forget Contax.

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera, cos
I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Patrick Leung

Hasselblad or Rollei. Forget Contax.

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message
news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera,
cos
I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a
reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some
macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

I'm not a big fan of the Contax 645- in fact, if you want Zeiss lenses and
don't need AF, a Rollei 6008i is about as advanced and a Hasselblad has
better used availability, and both have equal or superior optics.
Personally, i'm thinking of both- a 6008 Pro with 80mm for a wandering about
camera, to bridge the gap 'til I can afford the Hassy kit of my dreams.

Every review i've seen has said little to convince me towards Contax- the
lenses, while fast, don't seem up to the established Hassie/Rollei
standards.

And 35mm Contax bodies suck*.

*please note, as a self-respecting Englishman, I never use the word "suck"
in this context- so when I say Contax bodies suck, I really mean they suck.

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."

"Patrick Leung" wrote in message
news:5Ue_c.314052$J06.186020@pd7tw2no...
Hi! I have been using135 system for a long time, and recently I am
thinking
to switch to MF.
I am new to medium format and I am looking for a used contax MF camera,
cos
I believe their lens quality. I don't need the AF function, manual is fine
to me. But since I am new to MF, I don't know anything about contax MF
system. I don't have a lot of money to spend, I just want to find a
reliable
camera. I usually use wide angle to normal lens (20-80mm) and do some
macro
work as well, since I shoot landscape most of the time
Could anyone give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

I'm not a big fan of the Contax 645- in fact, if you want Zeiss lenses and
don't need AF, a Rollei 6008i is about as advanced and a Hasselblad has
better used availability, and both have equal or superior optics.
Personally, i'm thinking of both- a 6008 Pro with 80mm for a wandering about
camera, to bridge the gap 'til I can afford the Hassy kit of my dreams.

Every review i've seen has said little to convince me towards Contax- the
lenses, while fast, don't seem up to the established Hassie/Rollei
standards.

And 35mm Contax bodies suck*.

*please note, as a self-respecting Englishman, I never use the word "suck"
in this context- so when I say Contax bodies suck, I really mean they suck.

--
Martin Francis http://www.sixbysix.co.uk
"Go not to Usenet for counsel, for it will say both no, and yes, and
no, and yes...."