Contax g1 instruction manual

It also adds angularity to an otherwise sleek camera. The curve I mentioned comes in with the grip. The G1 and G2 feature a matte plastic grip that wraps from the back of the camera around to the front. I will talk more about how amazing this grip is when I get into the shooting experience, but the part that matters here is how the grip meets the metal. On the G2, the grip simply ends on an angle with a straight line. This is also where the film door narrows, losing the symmetry with the eyepiece and making the door itself less visually dynamic.

On the G1, the grip comes to a swoop joint with the metal door, producing a curvy yin-yang look. Again, the G1 takes the cake for arresting, intentional design.

I love the oval film preview window. The LCDs while admittedly prone to some leakage give exactly the information necessary and no more. When other manufacturers were producing eyesores albeit, functionally excellent eyesores , Kyocera sought to produce modern cameras that retained a certain timelessness of design.

They succeeded, because the G1 looks high-end, even twenty-five years later. The answer is both yes and no, but the individual scenarios that make these easy answers true are as informative as the answers themselves. To get the heartbreak out of the way quickly, the autofocus of the G1 can indeed be slow in certain cases, or more aptly, with certain lenses.

The photos I shot with the 90mm Sonnar lens on the G1 were often out of focus, especially when shooting portraits, which is supposed to be the purpose for a 90mm Sonnar design. My take is that the camera simply had trouble at the narrower focal length. This may come as a blow to some, but given the supremacy of the 45mm lens, it did not dampen my spirits.

And this is why I can equally argue the G1 is actually not problematic when it comes to autofocusing. Out of many rolls of film shot on the G1 with the 45mm, I can count on one hand the times it missed the focus, and these were likely due to fast shooting on my part. The fact of the matter is that if you are conscientious about noting the focus as you compose and focus lock with the shutter release, you will not experience focus problems using the 45mm lens. Training oneself to watch the distance in the viewfinder is really no work at all.

Maybe you prefer shooting from the hip and intend to get crystal clear shots every time from an AF system. I would suggest — no, not the G2 — but digital cameras. Film photography is a considered process, even when using an autofocus camera. The time it takes for me to see the distance it determines, perhaps reset the focus once or twice, and shoot the photograph is really no time at all.

The range of G-mount lenses comprises a complete set — the 16mm Hologon, the 21mm Biogon, the 28mm Biogon, the 35mm Planar, the 45mm Planar, the 90mm Sonnar, and the Vario-Sonnar. Of this batch of seven lenses, the original G1 could accept only four, the 16, 28, 45, and 90mm lenses. You effortlessly insert the canister and pull the leader out to just slightly over the spool marked nicely by an orange line.

You close the back. The camera winds the film for you and nails it. You think that it might be a bit darker than desired in the museum, so you change the rating from to with the hold and then single tap of the ISO button.

Just like that, the viewfinder, which was already showing the correct finder field for your 45mm Planar has now corrected for parallax error as well. It finds the focus easily since you deftly placed the center marker on the contrast of vertical lines at the juncture of the small hand wrapped around the single finger. Once the camera finds the focus, you keep it locked and reframe the shot. You realize that you accidentally smudged the focusing window of the camera, so you gently wipe off the smudge and make sure the window is clean and ready to focus unobstructed.

Compose, focus, shoot. Instant karma. Thanks to the grip, which is somehow soft but not rubber, your thumb finds easy support on the back of the camera and your middle finger finds a prefect resting place on the front, while your index is poised to shoot. The camera never feels loose or at risk of being dropped. And in the light draping in from the atrium glass, it found its focus distance in a matter of seconds.

Not enough time to move out of focus. Maybe you got lazy once and that one shot of your friend with their face filling the frame will be out of focus because you accidentally composed with the center mark to close to the background.

By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support. Drew Chambers is a former high school teacher and current master's student at Harvard University. He lives in Waltham, Massachusetts with his wife and their perfect dog. Outside of teaching, reading, and writing, Drew spends most of his time listening to indie rock.

He is happy when photographing. And Puts knows his stuff, having produced what is probably the definitive tome on Leica lenses. I feel grateful that I got to write about both of these lenses, and they are each right there in my top three. Amazing glass —. The 45mm Planar was certainly better than anything Leica was producing at the time. We are talking Summicron quality or better, at a faction of the cost. This review smacks of the sort of Leica-fawning the writer complains about.

What good is that? Whatever one may argue against Leica, and any other correctly aligned rangefinder, they can at least accurately focus every lens made for them. I can now understand why the AF performance of the G1 has been panned. Hi, Terry; thanks for your thoughts! Sure any manual focus RF can accurately focus any lens.

If a photographer is after manual focus, by all means, go with a different camera such as a Leica! Fair enough about the 90mm—a downside I openly acknowledge, but simply am not bothered by.

Again, sorry if this ruffled feathers! Maybe someone should write about how taken they are with Leica! Hi, Drew. It now looks like your G1 needed re-calibration, and the focusing issue with the 90mm is not an inherent fault of the system. Looks like I went a little overboard in my criticism.

I use the G1 with the only lens I have for it- The infamous 90mm. For me, this is the entire point of shooting film. Even at that, if I shoot a roll of 36, between will have blown focus. I put up with this, since I have gotten some of my favorite photos with that lens and the G1.

I still agree it is a flaw. But perhaps a flaw I like, if that makes any sense. Since it forces me to slow down even further than I normally would. I can easily spend minutes composing a single shot, and making sure the AF is spot on. With that much time, may I suggest using a tape measure? But is the miss rate something you were able to identify why? If so, I would have thought that your hit rate would have improved quite quickly. I used to have both a G1 and G2. Firstly neither camera was accurate enough as supplied with the 90mm or the G2 with the zoom also.

I took them to a repairer who collimated their AF systems precisely and they were both far better after that. The 21, 28 and 45 lenses are every bit as good as anything I have from Leica. The 35 Planar is a touch odd. Does not the G2 show the focus distance on the top LCD window? As this also locates the intermediate timing gear, this then jams the whole camera. Excellent insights, Wilson.

I think collimating is the key if someone has both a reputable servicer and the cash to do it. In fact, both the G1 and G2 show the measured focus distance on the LCD, though I find the viewfinder distance spectrum to be reliably easy to use. The internal motor drive is definitely another aspect that makes the camera built for the modern age. He has just done a rush job on the seals on my Leica R4, before I went down to France now about half way down.

Thanks for the heads up about the motor drive on the M7 Wilson. I did not know that and will take it off mine. Is this with all motordrive compatible M cameras?

Is my M-A or M safe with it? Oddly the earlier cameras seem to be more robust. I also have an M4-P with the far more violent M winder on it and had no problems. The motor on this is powerful enough to actually distort the casing as it runs and the whole kit writhes in your hands as it winds. Leica have modified the tiny shaft which takes all the torque of the motor and as they did not know which shaft was in my broken M7, they sent both spare parts.

The shutter is fine, slit width etc, so it must be getting an incorrect signal from the ROM chip which actuates the electromagnets that time the shutter. Of course the only people who have a rig to re-program the chip, are Leica in Wetzlar. Do the folks at Casual Photophile have a particular affection for Contax?

It just works out this way sometimes. I happened to have a TVS come through the shop a few weeks ago, so I figured I might as well write about it. One of our new writers wanted to talk about his Contax as his first piece, so we gave him the go-ahead. As the editor here I do try to keep the content as balanced as possible. This site exists for you people, and your comments help us make it better. I feel the opposite. The internet seems to me to be full of sites extolling Leica, and in comparison hardly one is dedicated to Contax, or even goes to the trouble to review them.

So to see Contax cameras, both old and modern, reviewed here is most welcome. If you want to get an idea of just how important the Contax II and III were viewed when they were released in , take a look here. It is an excellent camera, but even so there was an after-market business in converting Zeiss Contax lenses for it.

Now one has to ask why? Put simply, they were superior. Well said. But if we talk too much about how good our Contaxes are, I have 3 Qs and a MT along with a small but growing collection of lenses the prices will go up….

Even the 90mm lens works. What I see is, that using the single center AF field is not that difficult to use if you have used single center AF fields with other cameras like the Yashica T5. You simply need to know how and where to place the AF field. Any idea where one might go to repair one of these things?

I have a collection of about two dozen different classic cameras that I use regularly and blog about, one of which is the Contax RX SLR, which I love shooting. I have always been tempted by the G1 or G2, but there are numerous posts here and there online about the lack of available service should one fail. And apparently the electronics do fail in these cameras. How dependable are these cameras and are their techs out there who can fix them or have access to parts? Does someone work on Contax or when your G1 or G2 fails, do you just go looking for another body.

Hey there! I would say first off that the cases of the G1 or G2 failing outright are fewer than might be stated around the Internet. Second, there are still servicers that will repair electronic Contax cameras.

Plus, it might actually be cheaper to just buy another G1 body if your first G1 fails you. Fatally flawed how? Hello, do you have any idea where I could find the G1 pamphlet about hints for focusing the lens? Maybe an online version? I recently decided to return to 35mm film photography for the first time in 22 years. I opted for a Green label G1 body coupled to a Zeiss Biogon 28mm lens. This is good because I find it easier to hold a heavy camera steady.. Firstly I downloaded the user manual.

I wish owners would read how to operate a machine before they write scathing comments and You Tube reviews! Initially I tested the camera without film. Everything responded as it should. I then decided to run 24 test exposures quickly through the camera to ensure everything was OK.

These images were taken in various combinations of light and aperture settings. Why so many complaints? Mine is bright and clear. The flash gun lit the room very evenly and predictably. It is saving a wasted picture. Removing a G series lens. Before pressing the release button and turning the lens anti clockwise it is necessary to set the aperture at any stop between F8 — F My shooting routine is firstly to select the required aperture on the lens.

Then determine the desired exposure and lock it with the well positioned AE lock Then check that the focus distance shown in the yellow viewfinder LCD coincides with my own guesstimate.

Lock focus, compose and shoot. It is of course quite possible that the viewfinder and focusing might present some difficulty with the 90mm lens. Nobody buys a rangefinder style camera to take action pictures in poor light. Most of my own photographic needs are met with the G1. I find the G1 a beautifully engineered and well balanced camera attached to an exceptionally fine and very sharp lens. However it takes a lot of scrolling to find the correct out of sync pages. Have had many G1 and G2 over the years, the truth is that they are great if the user spends time to learn how to use them and focus them properly.

The primary issue IMHO is the viewfinder with its very narrow exit pupil. If the eye is even slightly outside this narrow viewing angle, the viewfinder will be less than optimal. Practice with this photographic instrument like one would with a guitar or other musical instrument.

If I decide to make a heads on with the G1, being a G2 user, I will find the same amount of flaws in favor of the G2. I do agree that the G1 is an excellent proposition at a very fair price. For the price of am Mju Ii we can have a proper camera with a magnificent lens. Love both the cameras, I was shocked with the build quality of the contax and the lens when saw them for the first time!

This is my favourite ever 35mm film camera, and I have owned quite a few. Dear customer, We would like to extend our deep appreciation for your long patronage of our camera products.

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