Contax S2 / S2b

The Contax S2 was originally introduced to commemoratate the 60th anniversary of Contax cameras. The first model, the S2, was produced by Cosina to Contax specification. It is a fully mechanical, manually operated 35mm SLR camera, using batteries only to power the light meter. The S2 was unusual among modern 35mm cameras in that the light meter was designed as a spot meter, without center-weighted or matrix metering options. The use of only a spot meter required some knowledge on the part of the photographer for accurate exposures. A simple camera with a mechanical shutter, the S2 featured shutter speeds up to 1/4000 second and a 1/250 second flash synchronization.

In response to customer demands for an S2 with a more versatile light meter, Contax introduced the S2b. The S2b is virtually identical to the S2 with the exception of a light meter that is center-weighted to provide accurate exposure under an average range of lighting conditions.