Picked up a RTS Contax II Quartz camera at garage sale. What do I have?

[Ken_Castiron]

The picture was taken immediately after purchase; since I've had the camera the smudge on the zoom lens was cleaned off nicely, and overall the camera is in pretty good shape, besides the strap, which is a bit beat up.

I'm new to the world of any camera other than digital. I'm excited to own this for my own personal use, and plan to grab a book for it off of ebay. I would also like to find out more about it. What do I have here, how much is it worth, what type of quality?..

Thank you all,

Ken Brylski

 

[nickdando]

You have a really excellent camera that should still have plenty of life left in it. It will give you access to the famed Zeiss T* lenses that range from fish-eye to super telephoto, though some prices are eye-watering for the more exotic optics. If on a budget, then the Yashica lens range also uses the C/Y bayonet (Contax/Yashica), and there are lenses from third-party suppliers; some cheap and nasty, some expensive and desirable.
You can attach a range of different flash units, change the focusing screens, add a motor-drive, or replace the back with a data back.
It's a system camera, and you can tailor it to your needs to quite an extent.
As for value, well it's worth as much as someone is prepared to pay for it! There will be enough on the market to make it almost disposable if it starts playing up - twenty- to thirty-year-old electronics.

Nick

 

[Ken_Castiron]

Nick, thank you for your reply, I had no idea it was such a dynamic camera.

I've decided to keep it for myself, and have a website on mir dot com that has proven to be useful as a source of user's guide for learning about the camera.

I'm new to the world of old school manually adjustable cameras, and I know that I should practice, test myself, and play around with the camera before I put film in it and start going to work, but when it does come to the point where I want to have film, what type of 35 mm camera film do I need to find that will fit this particular camera ?

Thank you again,

Ken

 

[lenticularis]

By definition, any type of 35mm film will load into your very nice RTS.

Why not start with the cheapest roll(s) of film you can find and do some test shots?

I myself just bought a Contax RX and shot a roll of B&W film through it yesterday. I already have Zeiss Planar T* 50/1.4, Vario-Sonnar f3.3-4 28-85 and 135/2.8 lenses and I also use these on Canon SLR and DSLR, since cheap adapters are readily available. I suggest you look for a Planar T* 50/1.7 and you'll be pleased how fantastic a lens it is for the price ($150-250 probably).

 

[flatulent1]

Ken, all 35mm film will fit in your camera. What to get? Depends on what your processing options are locally. Your best bet would be to get some color print film, aka C41, which everybody seems able to develop. Color slide film (E6) is becoming a specialized product, and most Black & White films are intended for home processing; the two exceptions are Ilford's XP-2 Super and Kodak's BW400CN, which are both C41 process, same as color print film, and can be done by the same folks.

 

[gillou]

i've picked up one also several ago, i shot one film with it. the shape is very good designed, feel very rugged. a big big view finder ! pay attention to the sensibility of the shutter, very sensitive. you have to use the front button to check exposure and then push the shutter button.
the shutter noise is not so smooth as the RX but very much quiet than the AX.
let's have fun with it !