Contax rangefinder

Contax I with 13.5 Sonnar and folding albada viewfinder image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights)

from Zeiss collection image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

The Contax I was a high end 35mm rangefinder camera made by Zeiss Ikon to compete with Leica models. It was released in 1932. The Super Nettel was based on the Contax I, with the same kind of shutter, but a folding body, a fixed lens and a short based rangefinder. It was intended to be a cheaper alternative.

The Contax I was Zeiss' answer to Leica's offerings in the 35mm market, one Leica effectively controlled since it helped create it in 1925. An examination of the Contax I points to a perhaps frantic company rushing a technically superior product to market. It had a large number of technology advantages as compared the Leica. It had a longer effective rangefinder triangulation base for better focusing. It had a bayonet lens mount (see Contax rangefinder lenses) instead of Leica's screw mount. It also had a removable back for loading film instead of Leica's blind hole film loading system. To go up against Leica's horizontal travel fabric shutter (max. speed 1/500th), the Contax had a vertical travel articulated metal shutter (max. speed 1/1000th). It was less vulnerable to sun burn as well.

Unfortunately, the Contax I lacked in fit-and-finish, and it suffered from many reliability problems. This is evidenced by its heavy weight, and because of its harsh corners and box-like shape, as well as the various revisions that indicate a frantic company trying to manage its reputation.

Contax II image by phollectormo (Image rights)

From its introduction in 1932 to 1936 when the Contax II was introduced, the Contax I was a work in progress. There are no fewer than six iterations based on external features only. This is actually an underestimate. There were also many non-visible internal changes such as the location and physical layout of how the angular displacement of the lens couples to the rangefinder system. Other changes were meant to make the rangefinder system stay within specifications better. Later versions actually provided better focusing feedback to the user. These were not small changes, and many of the still-working models are actually later revisions. These revisions were incorporated in the Contax II, a much more reliable camera that went through fewer iterations.

Contax III (1936) image by Bernard O. (Image rights)

The Contax II was released in 1936 and was the successor of the Contax I. It was the first camera with a rangefinder and viewfinder combined in a single window. Its chief designer was Hubert Nerwin. The Nettax was meant to be a cheaper alternative, it was a derivative of the Super Nettel with a rigid body and interchangeable lenses with a specific bayonet and a very limited range of lenses.

The Contaflex was a derivative of the Contax I. It was a 35mm twin lens reflex with the same kind of shutter and a built in exposure meter. It was an extremely expensive camera, that tested some of the features that would later appear on the Contax II and III. It had interchangeable lenses with a specific lens mount.

The Contax III, also released in 1936, was a Contax II with an exposure meter. It was one of the first cameras with a built-in exposure meter.

Kiev image by Dima Tsvetkov (Image rights)

Ukrainian relaunch as Kiev-2 by Arsenal

After the war, the Soviet Union captured the tooling and drawings of the Contax as war booty, and transfered them to the city of Kiev, where they began the production of the Kiev rangefinder camera, as such a continuation of the Contax.

West-German relaunch by Zeiss-Ikon AG

Contax IIIa. image by rst12 (Image rights)

Contax IIa image by Josue Armando Serrano (Image rights)

At the same time, the Western part of the Zeiss Ikon company, based in Stuttgart, completely redesigned the Contax and launched the Contax IIa in 1950 and Contax IIIa in 1951.

Contax IIIa image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

Contax IIIa image by Süleyman Demir (Image rights)

Bibliography

• Barringer, C. and Small, M. Zeiss Compendium East and West — 1940–1972. Small Dole, UK: Hove Books, 1999 (2nd edition). ISBN 1-874707-24-3.
• Dechert, Peter. The Contax Connection. Historical Camera Publications, 2007. Available for download in PDF at Peter Dechert's Corner

Links

In English:

• Zeiss Ikon Contax Rangefinder Lens Information Guide
• Biography of Heinz Küppenbender, chief developer of the Contax at The Zeiss Historica Society
• Contax I and Contax II/III at Cameraquest
• Contax I at Camerarepair.com
• Repair notes in Rick Oleson's website:
  • Contax (II-III) shutter ribbons (also applies to Kiev 35mm rangefinder models)
  • Contax IIa shutter CLA
  • Make a takeup spool for your Contax or Kiev (by Henry Fisher)
• Zeiss Ikon, Contax & Carl Zeiss lens Collectors FaceBook page

• Contax II listed at number 16 in Jason Schneider's Top 20 Cameras Of All-Time on Shutterbug.

In French:

• Lionel's Zeiss Ikon Contax II overview at 35mm-compact.com
• Zeiss page at www.collection-appareils.com by Sylvain Halgand

In Japanese:

• Archiv Zeiss / Exakta by Mori Ryōsuke (with some English)