Carbon fiber,which is the same material used to build F1 racecars, maximizes the bodysability to absorb strong impact while keeping the weight at a minimum.
The 120mm/F4 lens is the only APO ZeissMakro-Planar currently available, and is allegedly the best of the Makro-Planars.This life size macro lens is the only manual focus lens in the lineup.Īlthough the Contax has a plastic outer shell, it is a very well built camera.The chassis is made of rigid copper silumin like the RTSIII, while the bodycovering material is a mixture of polycarbonate and carbon fiber. The Carl Zeiss T* lens line up comprises roughly the fastest medium formatlenses in each focal length range.
Thats slowerthan the Rollei 600x and Pentax 645N, but faster than all other systemsto-date. The Contax advances film at the rate of 1.6 frames per second. Thereader scans the barcode on DX-coded film and sets the film speed automatically,just like on most 35mm cameras. The Contax is one of a few medium format cameras to have this feature. The camera prints exposure data on film outside the picture area. This handy feature is well described in theContax RTSIII review here on. Also available is the TTL pre-flash metering feature whichworks with ANY flash equipment. The Contax offers the fastest flash sync of 1/125s for focal plane shuttermedium format SLRs. 1/125s flash sync and TTL pre-flash metering.This will be discussed in greater details. The AFsystem doesnt have an AF-MF clutch and hence allows for simultaneous AF andMF.Īdditionally, the AF system uses a high precision area sensor for enhancedaccuracy. Unlike the Mamiya and the Pentax, the Contax uses in-lens motors. The standard viewfinder is the AE prism finder with center-weighted and spotmetering options. This theoretically increases focus accuracy and provides sharper pictures.Unfortunately the Vacuum Film Insert works only with 220 films due tointerference of the backing paper on 120 films. A mechanism createsa vacuum during the moment of exposure and keeps the film flat on the pressureplate. The Vacuum Film Insertis a Contax exclusive. The regular insert accommodates both120 and 220 film types by rotation of the pressure plate. There are three filmbacks currently available for the Contax: Standard,Polaroid, and Digital.įor Standard, two inserts are offered. Theshutter is electronically controlled and has a top speed of 1/4000s, which isanother first for medium format. The Contax utilizes the first medium format metallic-blade shutter. (All current Contax lenses are shutter-less and utilize thefocal plane shutter in the camera body.) One example is the possibility of leaf-shutterlenses in the future. Electronic linkages do away with mechanical wear and tear and providedesign and expansion flexibility. The use of Carl Zeiss T*lenses presents another appealing feature.Ĭommunication between the lens, body, filmback, and viewfinder is exclusivelyelectronic.
It competes directly with the Pentax 645N and Mamiya 645 AF (to bereleased in October, 99) and is currently the only AF medium format SLR tofeature an interchangeable viewfinder and a filmback.
Exceptional instrument, fabulous lenses.The Contax 645 represents the second AF medium format SLR currently on themarket. It's well made like every other piece of Contax gear. If you shoot mostly in landscape orientation, or you shoot square-format digital, you'll likely find the WLF of use.
So if you want to fire a Pocket Wizard, for instance, you have to use the flash bracket and put the PW in its shoe, or simply attach the PW via the PC socket, which is more cumbersome. You lose the hotshoe connection and spot metering with the WLF attached. The WLF seems to let more dust into the camera body than the prism finder, which dust invariably makes its way to the ProBack's sensor, necessitating more cleaning.Ĥ. Haven't shot with it enough to really get used to it.ģ. I use it somewhat for portraiture mostly. With a Kodak ProBack attached (a relatively recent change), the image is square so there is no portrait/landscape issue. Turns out the latter is at least half or more of what I do and I'm frequently doing both when shooting film, which would necessitate constant changes of finder.Ģ. Useful for horizontal/landscape mode shooting, not for vertical/portrait mode. Some of the considerations when using the WLF:ġ. Not an otherwise well-thought-out decision, more driven by gear-itis and acquisitiveness. Glad I did, because now they run $400-500 or more. I purchased the WLF for the Contax when I was still shooting film exclusively.