Denton Taylor and Stephen Kudlacek wrote:
DT> OK, everyone, I'm going to unload a lot of my Olympus
DT> collection to move to Contax, who is still demonstrating a
DT> commitment to making quality manual focus cameras and lenses.
SK> I made the same decision a couple of months ago. I didn't want
SK> to invest my hard earned money into a dying system. Contax's
SK> cameras are solid, their lenses great.
Frankly, should I seriously consider dumping my OM gear, Contax
would not be my first choice as a replacement. Sure, Carl Zeiss
lenses are first rate, and the Contax moniker still carries lots
of "snob appeal".
However, I believe that to an ex-Olympian/Zuik, the design and
ergonomics of most Contax bodies must feel odd (I could elaborate
if there's much interest). Moreover, the current Zeiss lens lineup
lacks the breadth and depth of the Zuiko or other pro-level camera
makers' (N*k*n, C*n*n). Same is true of the other Contax system
components.
Add to this the body-building expenses (Contax/Zeiss gear is HEAVY),
scarcity of aftermarket alternatives/accessories, a very limited
second-hand market (at least, in the US), etc. And then, there's
the sticker shock...
DT> Wall Street Camera had a used RTSIII that I really loved. Since
DT> I also bought a 35 1.4 and a 85 1.4 I got a pretty good deal.
Again, with all due respect (and I really like DT, though we never
met), the RTSIII makes even Miss Piggy look svelte. Indeed, at
2 lbs 13 oz (approx. 1,250g) -- body only!, the RTSIII is heavier
than either the Nikon F4s or the Canon EOS-1n with(!) their
respective power boosters/grips. Add to this the fact that the
RTSIII costs some 50-75 percent more than the other two bodies,
while providing far fewer useful features, and you end up with
something that only Kermit could lust after. :-) :-)
Of course, Contax ownership has its rewards. For instance,
Kyocera West Coast bestows on its Contax customers the priviledge
of paying $150 for CLA of a Contax body (RTSIII must be even more)
vs only $75 for a Yashica.
DT> I think the new Aria matched with the 45, 50, or 35-70 will
DT> make a great walking-around counterpoint to the RTSIII.
I peeked at the Aria specs. They look almost identical to the
current 167MT, with slightly upgraded electronics in a considerably
lighter body -- 460g in Aria vs 700g in 167MT, and the 167MT already
had a plastic top plate! Can you guess the trend? (I wonder, how
does one spell "Cosina" in German? Kosina??? :-) )
SK> BTW, if you are interested, we have a Yashica/Contax mailing list.
Yup, I subscribe to the digest. I used to contribute when the list
was still Yashica-only. Compared to the OLY list, the atmosphere
there is positively... uhmmmm, more Teutonic? :-)
Needless to say, all of the above is strictly IMHO. Fortunately, on
this list we don't execute deserters, or do we? :-) Oh well, as
long as they sell cheaply(!) their OM/Zuiko goodies to US...
Cheers,
/Gary Schloss.
Studio City, CA
schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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