Contax G2 or EOS 3?

A bloke I was at college with had oneof those Pentax 110 Slr's - was quite the cutest thing i've ever seen - iirc he bought it to smuggle into concerts and take band photo's - this of course being well before the era where everyone had a mobile phone with a camera, camcorder and audio recorder built in :Lol:

The 110 film was a downer, though in fairness, the shots he got out of it were without doubt the best i'd ever seen taken on 110 film. Then again, 110 was actually generally available back then - I even vaguely remember him shooting some slide stock (may even have been Kodachrome??)
 
Well, I've had a sleep on it and have decided for the good of all mankind that the best option to go for is the Contax G2.

The end :D
 
"you have chosen wisely" :thumbs:
 
LOL. Put simply you're never going to see better images from a 35mm film camera. ;)
 
I had a G2 for a few years complete with a set of lenses. Trouble was it was just so beautiful I was loathe to take it out. Take it to bed yes, take it out in the dusty world NO.
Seriously the camera behaved superbly every shot was razor sharp and the colour in the shots was perfect, deep and full.
My advice get the Contax.
 
Just to throw a quick spanner in the works - has anyone had any experience using a Fuji GA645 camera? It's auto-focusing abilities, lightweight and the fact that it's medium format scream major winner to me :thinking:

EDIT: Meh, it's orientated in portrait by default - I don't think I like that....

Now to find a Contax G2... cough
 
vmlopes said:
:popcorn: I'll sit on that fence and wait for the response from that
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Let me add a tuppence worth then. The contax G system simply is the pinacle of resolution and image quality obtainable from 35 film. I've been up close and personal with it's negs and all the other contender it's it really is a clear winner.

Engineered to a godly level too.
 
dazzajl said:
Let me add a tuppence worth then. The contax G system simply is the pinacle of resolution and image quality obtainable from 35 film. I've been up close and personal with it's negs and all the other contender it's it really is a clear winner.

Engineered to a godly level too.
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Ouch - that kind of talk is only going to increase the prices of G2's. :D

Cheers :thumbs:
 
dazzajl said:
Let me add a tuppence worth then. The contax G system simply is the pinacle of resolution and image quality obtainable from 35 film. I've been up close and personal with it's negs and all the other contender it's it really is a clear winner.

Engineered to a godly level too.
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Isn't it engineered to oriental levels :thinking: and surely the optics are no better than a Leica
 
ekimeno said:
Just to throw a quick spanner in the works - has anyone had any experience using a Fuji GA645 camera? It's auto-focusing abilities, lightweight and the fact that it's medium format scream major winner to me :thinking:

EDIT: Meh, it's orientated in portrait by default - I don't think I like that....

Now to find a Contax G2... cough
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Dont know what your budget is but this looks like quite a complete kit here
 
Yep - seen that one and drooled all over it, but it's £400 more than I want to spend. I can probably only afford a camera and 1 lens at the moment.

ffordes has a G2 with 45mm f/2 lens for £500 + delivery, but there is another G2 on dirtbay with a 35mm f/2 which is ending on Saturday. If it goes over £400, I may as well go for the more expensive ffordes one as it comes with a warranty of sorts
 
ekimeno said:
Ouch - that kind of talk is only going to increase the prices of G2's. :D

Cheers :thumbs:
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I think all it shows is that I pay even less attention to my typing on the phone than I do on the puter. :lol:

As for the Fuji, all their MF cameras are also sublime and when it comes to image quality.... Well it's worth remembering that they make the lenses for the blad H series. MF will never have that quickness that 35mm can offer though and you won't regret the G. I've made some very very large prints from G negs, a couple even made the contax press ads and I really have never seen it's equal.
 
That's good to know - my old 35mm negs and slides look grainier than a grainy thing next to the awesome detail of my MF shots.
 
vmlopes said:
Isn't it engineered to oriental levels :thinking:
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Oriental engineering and electronics took over the world years ago. ;)

and surely the optics are no better than a Leica
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But isn't that really saying something! The Contax 45mm f2 Planar is the 2nd sharpest lens ever tested by one very respected reviewer whose name I now forget, and first place actually went to a Canon lens.

The fact is that tested like for like throughout the respective lens ranges, sometimes the Contax Zeiss lenses shade it while sometimes it's the Leica equivalent which takes the honours and we're talking about the tiniest of subtle differences which people argue interminably about anyway.

Leica glass is the genuine competitor to these G2 lenses whichever way you look at it, but there's an enormous difference in price! All that apart, they're two very different cameras likely to appeal to different users.
 
Got one :love:

Contax G2 with 45mm F/2 lens and lens hood/cap.

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That looks tidy - well done! :cool:

If you only have one lens for now, the 45mm is the one to have - razor sharp images guaranteed. :thumbs:
 
CT - thanks a million for the advice :thumbs:

It's a beauty in virtually mint condition. I can't get over how solid and mechanically sound it feels - I could spend the rest of this evening just clicking dials randomly :lol:

Can't wait until my first role is complete - Kodak Tmax 400...

You mentioned you had a Crumpler for your one - which bag is it?
 
erm... :thinking: It's two tone green with an orange lining and quite small. It came with the camera when I bought it off Mr Rabbit. I've no idea what it's called - I'll have a browse and see if I can find out.
 
They've changed all the colours now just to confuse the issue. It seems to be one of the smaller 'Muffin' ones or might even be a 'Pretty Boy' :lol:

If Mr Rabbit sees this he may be able to tell us what it is.
 
That looks just the job for the camera and one lens. It'll be too small if you add any lenses mind you.
 
Fair enough, but if needed I can always chuck a lens into a woolly sock at the bottom of the bag... will dig around a bit more for something slightly larger.

Defo going for the 28mm and 90mm next and a TLM-200 flash. What a sorted little camera :)
 
Yep- I remember being quite taken aback at the weight the first time I picked one up - it's certainly well built. The nice thing about the flash is it takes the same batteries as the camera, which is handy if you get caught out.

Did you get a manual with it?
 
Yep, got a manual - very well worded and easy to follow. Amazing that this camera has all the main features of an SLR. Going to do my first real world testing tomorrow and will let you know how I get on.

Just wanted to add that the AF is to die for - it's picking up focus easily in a pretty poorly lit room. The CAF mode is just like using AI Servo on a 40D...
 
LOL It will actually focus in total darkness - try it! :D
 
Either that was a good joke or my G2 doesn't :thinking:

It did sort of do it in total darkness, but kept flashing the two dots on the distance scale meaning it couldn't get a lock... Not too bothered though - I never planned to shoot in total darkness anyway :lol:
 
It's no joke -it will focus in total darkness. I think it projects an invisible infra red pattern on which it focuses. Try it in darkness at varying distances from a plain wall.
 
OK, I see what you mean, though I'd have to take the shot as soon as it focuses because after a second of holding the shutter halfway depressed, it looses focus.

One more question if you don't mind... how do you set it to infinity focus? Set to MF and use the MF focus wheel to a whole bunch of dots to the left of focus? Thinking landscapes at f/8 + here...
 
Well I wouldn't focus at infinity for a landscape anyway. Generally speaking you want to be focusing about a 3rd of the way between you and infinity because DOF extends further behind the subject than it does in front of it.

You'll no doubt find depth of field tables for all distances and apertures in the G2 manual if you really want to be accurate and get the calculator and slide rule out. :D

To answer your question though, you can focus to infinity (or anywhere else) if you want to in manul mode using the manual focus wheel. Personally I'd just focus on a point about a third of the way into the scene using AF, and once you have focus lock the camera keeps it as long as you hold that half pressed shutter position - just the same as your DSLR. Recompose and take the shot.
 
No probs.I look forward to seeing your pics. :thumbs:

Personally I think the MF function of the G2 is it's weakest point - that focus wheel feels a bit vague sometimes and the AF is so reliable I don't bother with MF much at all.

See if you can get hold of some Portra colour film and give it a go.
 
Life's a bitch sometimes innit? :woot:
 
ekimeno said:
Got one :love:

Contax G2 with 45mm F/2 lens and lens hood/cap.

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I've been watching this thread with interest as I'm looking to buy the same thing next week, would you care to mention the price/shop?

Cheers
 
I overpaid for it as I wasn't prepared to wait. I paid £550 for the body, 45mm lens, lenshood/cap (normally £50 together), Contax strap and manual. This would normally set you back between £400 and £450 on eBay or £500 from a shop like ffordes.

The shop I bought it from was actually really cool - Nicholas Camera Company - a small two man operation in Mornington Crescent in London. Massive selection of old cameras including an extensive range or MF and LF cameras/parts and accessories.
 
Shot off 3 rolls between my last post and now... all I can say is that the G2 is sooooo easy to handle in the AF modes - it's just finding a balance between the AF lock and AE lock modes and composition/framing and flipping between the SAF (single shot AF) and CAF (continuous auto focus) depending on subject movment. Half my shots were literally shooting from the hip thanks to the CAF. :love:
 
I don't know that you paid too much - prices have firmed up a lot on nice ones. The bargain ones usually look a bit shot at.

Yes- it's very easy to blast through a roll of fim with the G2 isn't it?

Now - the thing is do I need this or is it a complete and utter pose? :lol:

CLICK
 
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