{"id":28236,"date":"2017-12-06T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T12:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.keh.com\/?p=28236"},"modified":"2024-01-19T03:26:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T08:26:19","slug":"overview-of-my-favorite-film-system-contax-g-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/camera-gear\/product-reviews\/overview-of-my-favorite-film-system-contax-g-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Contax G1 vs. G2 Camera Systems: My Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated on: December 1<\/p>\n\n\n

If you read my last post<\/a> you would know that I owned, used, fell for, and cherished the mighty and legendary Leica M3. <\/strong> I even added another lens to it \u2014 <\/span>a bonafide Leica lens (found on KEH.com), the 90mm Elmar C<\/a><\/strong>. Sadly, I no longer own any that. Was it because of the FED 2 I compared it to in that same post? Nope. Not at all. While I do still own the FED 2, it is a completely different animal and I kept it because I got it for a great price versus the<\/span> novelty of it all.<\/span><\/p>\n

I dropped my beloved Leica for the Contax G camera line. It consists of two cameras, the G1 and G2 interchangeable-lens cameras sold by Kyocera under the Contax brand. Introduced back in 1994, the G1 was soon competing with its successor, the G2, just two years later. By 2005, Kyocera stepped away from the camera business and announced it would cease all manufacturing of Contax cameras. Brief history aside, let\u2019s get into these two film photography wonders of engineering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Differences & Features<\/b><\/h2>\n

Both are very advanced film rangefinder cameras, and their technological <\/span>capabilities<\/span> are tough to beat, especially for their era.<\/span> Initially, I bought the G1 because it was good value compared to the G2 and just about any film camera spec wise. But the G1 was so good the G2 soon followed –(both were purchased from KEH.com<\/a>)<\/strong>. So good, it put other film cameras on a trailer regardless of format and it suspended my virtual film camera shopping until further notice.<\/span><\/p>\n

For starters, three numbers and a name played a huge part in this decision. 28, 45, 90 and Zeiss.\u00a0I picked up these three lenses and soon found that everything ever written about Zeiss lenses is true. Why not the highly regarded 35mm<\/a><\/strong> also? It sits between and is too close to the 28mm<\/a><\/strong> and 45mm<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0 As for the 90mm, I will always purchase a portrait length prime if I can afford it. And at these prices for an AF Zeiss portrait lens, it was a no-brainer.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That is just for starters! Above these stellar lenses is a stellar feature set. What features? Glad you asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autofocus<\/b> System<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Need a film system with an actual usable, accurate focus and recompose friendly autofocus (<\/span>AF) system? Both are great in that regard.. Some photographers say that the G1 is worlds apart from the G2 \u2013 but in my experience, the G1 keeps up.<\/span> With minimal hunting under the darkest and least contrasty conditions, like many other AF systems even up until today, the G2 is better and faster focusing even in challenging situations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manual Focus<\/b> System<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Many have dinged the manual focus (<\/span>MF) system, which is awkward, but it is usable for those rare occasions when you need to drive. You can spin<\/span> the wheel on the top of the G1 and even <\/span>more conveniently on the front right of the G2 to ‘inf’ and keep it moving. They both show a digital readout of the distance in the viewfinder and on the external LCD. There is also viewfinder focus verification. However, if you are using that you should just use AF.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lock AF Implementation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

On the G1 you simply half press until you get focus and recompose. On the G2 there is a dedicated back button focus set up. Press the back button with your thumb to focus, recompose and take the shot with the shutter button.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Shooting Modes<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The G1 has a one-time focus with a button to set up single, timer, multiple exposures, and continuous shooting (if you are in a rush to burn through a roll). But the G2 adds more options by employing two dials for exposure <\/span>compensation<\/span> and shutter speed<\/span>. Like the G1 there are single, multiple exposures, continuous (high and low speed), and timer shutter modes, but the G2 adds a second dial around the back focus button that lets you choose between single focus, continuous focus, and manual focus. So continuous focus on the continuous shooting mode is available. While not blazing fast it works.<\/span><\/p>\n

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These things feel like the Titanium tanks that they are. While Titanium is not a requirement for a solid build, these are the most affordable cameras I know that are made of titanium.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Put in the film roll, pull the lead out to the mark, and close back to load the film. The film advances automatically. Film speed is read automatically and easily overridden manually if you wish. Then wind back the film when you\u2019re <\/span>done with a roll. Some balk at such levels of automation, but performing these activities manually produces<\/span> no better pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carl Zeiss Lenses<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Zeiss glass mentioned above and worth mentioning again. The T* multicoated optics deliver sharp images, with great color rendering, and focus fall off. Even the nonsensical rangefinder zoom renders wonderful images<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Viewfinder Zoom Innovation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

While other rangefinder systems require goggles or accessory finders to match wide and tele field-of-view lenses, these have a native inbuilt viewfinder that zooms internally and automatically for 28mm through 90mm lenses. The G2 provides the added hat-trick of zooming the inbuilt viewfinder with the 35-70mm f\/3.5 \u2013 5.6 <\/span>zoom ring. While the zoom is impressive the parallax correction in the viewfinder is amazing. While some other rangefinders provide a highlighted frame that will move with focus, these go one step further. These cameras block the frame in black only to reveal the portion of the viewfinder to be captured based on focus. So you still have the whole viewfinder available while framing and then it closes down automatically with focus just before capturing the shot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exposure\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\" Both cameras can do double exposures and exposure bracketing, making them excellent point-and-shoot cameras<\/span>. I have now put several rolls through both of these cameras and I cannot recall having lost any shots to missed exposure so far.\u00a0 The exposure lock is the best I have seen implemented. You turn the camera on by pushing a lever surrounding the shutter button forward to reveal a red dot. For exposure lock, you simply point the camera where you want the reading, nudge the same lever one detent notch further forward and exposure is locked until you nudge it back to the on position. Genius.<\/span><\/p>\n

Execution<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Most film systems have lens and body designs that vary a bit, and some a lot, each of these lenses and cameras have the same design theme. Even the lens caps are the same across all three primes I have. I love details like that. The only variation is the color schemes. While the black option is intriguing I actually prefer the gold color scheme. Also, black variants of these cameras and lenses are rarer and bring a premium of $200 or so.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are gold! Seriously, these are some good-looking cameras. It has nothing to do with capturing an image, which is why this is listed last, but it does not hurt either. While they cost a fraction of some other more storied systems they feel premium in hand and look the part as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, there are a few downsides. There are always downsides! Here we go:<\/span><\/p>\n