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Contax G2 Review (black&white film)

Human beings cannot meet the future, otherwise no one will make so many beautiful film cameras. The contax brand has reappeared in the public eye. Contax T3 heats up first, and contax g2 heats up.

The contax g2 is a super cheap rangefinder camera, the autofocus version of the Leica m. Contax g is younger and more seductive than Leica m. If Leica m is “he”, contax g is “her”.

Cheap

Fuji X-PRO1 is more like a digital version of Contax G. Contax G was not cheap in the 90s, and now the price is very acceptable. A brand new Fuji X-pro series camera is several times more expensive than the Contax G2. If you like the experience of the X-pro series, you can treat contax g as its film version.

Porsche is responsible for the design

For people who are used to Leica, the electronic camera can easily be regarded as a toy. However, after all, contax g2 is also a brand of German Zeiss. The contax g2 is designed by Porsche. It is also a professional model in a rangefinder camera.

auto focus

The rapid autofocus of contax G2 surprised me. I didn’t expect such a high-speed focusing system in the 1990s. The lineup of lens groups equipped at the time was also very strong: 16mm, 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm, 90mm. These lenses are very practical and the imaging is excellent.

Manual focus

Autofocus cameras are not good at taking pictures on the street. The Contax G2 is specially equipped with a manual focus dial, which is very useful for street photography.

Waste of film

I told my friends that I got a contax G2. He said it was a camera that wasted film. He was right, the film was finished soon, so fast. Autofocus, automatic filming, you just need to press the shutter.

G2 VS G1

G2 increases the focusing speed. G1 is very cheap. G21 white label cannot be used for G1 white label, G1 green label can be used. G2 supports all lenses.

Disadvantages

Counter liquid crystal leakage is a common problem. It is also a common problem that plastic handles will peel off.

leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim with blak&white film

leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim lens and its accessories are collectors’ favorites. They are beautiful and rare. But many people like to take photos with leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim.

Many people say that it is not sharp at f/1.4. I have used a leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim, in fact, it is good enough. Because the aperture f/1.4 is used only in low light, imaging is very good. At aperture F/2.8 is sharp enough, not much different from Leica’s summicron 35mm.

If you want a particularly sharp lens, then any Leica summicron is fine. The leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim is not as sharp as a modern asph lens at aperture F/1.4.

Leica leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim is very dramatic at aperture f/1.4, it is very sensitive. leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim sometimes gives you sharpness, sometimes it gives you overall soft effect.

People who purchase leica summilux-m 35 1.4 v1 steel rim must already own a lot of Leica lenses. Nowadays few people use it to take pictures. It is the world’s first 35mm lens with f1.4 aperture and the most beautiful one.

leica summilux 35 1.4 v1 steel rim with color films

artwork summilux

Playing with photography equipment is not a required course for photography. But a lens like an artwork can convey a mysterious energy. Leica sleica summilux 35 1.4 v1 steel rim is known as Leica’s most beautiful lens and the most luxurious lens in the 135 camera. The exterior design is beautiful, made of brass, exquisite lettering, it is indeed a work of art.

luxury steel rim

The steel ring in front of the lens makes the lens very luxurious, especially with the hood. Its focusing finger handle is smooth and beautiful.

Leica summilux 35 1.4 v1 steel rim versions

Prototype compolux

The aperture ring is flat and has no resistance lines. There are only 2 prototypes, one for m2 version in the Leica Museum, and the other for m3 version in the private, top-level collection.

Black leica summilux 35 1.4 v1 steel rim

The black body has a silver front ring and silver bayonet. There are versions for m2 and for m3. They are very rare collectibles.

All black leica summilux 35 1.4 v1 steel rim

minox 35 mb with black & white films

Minox was originally a spy camera. This gene seems to be inherited to minox35. Minox35 uses normal 135 film, which is very compact and durable. Minox is now a subsidiary of Leica.

Compared with Contax TVS III and Minolta TC-1, the biggest advantage of minox is that it is cheap and light.

First minox is equipped with top German lenses. Although it is a plastic body, it is very strong. The advantage of plastic is that it is lightweight, and the shirt pocket can be put in.

The minox structural design is simple and effective. Plateaus and snow mountains can work. This machine has a very large quantity and is cheap. If it is worn out, replace it with a new one.

MINOX is Andy Warhol’s favorite camera, he has a lot of minox with flash. The minox with flash is very cute, and the flashing photos are also very cute.

leica iiig review ( with elmar 90mm f4 black & white film)

There are many models of Leica L39 cameras that look very similar. The biggest feature of IIIG is the two square windows in front. The Leica M3 was introduced in 1955, followed by the IIIG in 1956, and IIIG production continued until 1960. With the development of the Leica M camera, the Leica L39 camera gradually withdrew from the market.

Japan has always had a lot of L39 camera enthusiasts, and for some time Leica produced L39 lenses exclusively for the Japanese market.

A large number of Henri Cartier Bresson’s photos were taken with the L39 camera, and many of his own portraits also carry the L39 camera. The Leica camera that really experienced World War II is not the Leica M, but the Leica L39 camera. It can be said that the Leica L39 camera is the spiritual origin of Leica.

I think Leica is reluctant to discontinue IIIG, why? Because there are no accessories. After World War II, Leica IIIG’s design drawings and production processes were lost, and qualified workers could not be found. Due to lack of means of production, the quality of IIIC IIIf shrank seriously after the war. Instead of continuing production, it is necessary to rebuild the production line, and the various costs are simply not as good as rebuilding a system. This gave birth to the Leica M.

However, in order to meet the needs of a few users, Leica continued to produce a small amount of IIIG, and eventually used up all the stock parts. However, these are my personal guesses.

leica iiig vs leica m3

Functionally speaking, all the functions that M3 has are available in IIIG. There are 2 biggest differences in function:

M3 has merged the viewfinder and focus windows into one window.
M3 has merged the shutter dial and slow-gate dial into one disc.

M3 is an upgraded version of IIIG, which had epoch-making significance at that time. In addition to the two upgrades just mentioned, there are three changes:

The M3’s back has added a back cover that can be lifted to facilitate film loading.
The film transition from the original rotation to a wrench increases the film speed.
The top of the machine is more concise and neat.

IIIG also has advantages:

Large focusing window, easy to focus with 90mm lens.
Ultra-light weight, not tired to hang on the neck, nor to sink in the pocket, the essence of Leica
Cheap price, the best IIIG is the price of ordinary color M3.
Easy maintenance.
The diopter adjustment is gone on the M machine, while iiig is kept. iiig disadvantages

It is inconvenient for L39 camera to install film. The film needs to be cut on one side, otherwise it cannot be loaded into the body.

Compact lens

leica sa21mm f/4
28mm 6.3
elmar 35mm f/3.5
summaron3.5
summicron 50mm f/2
elmar 50 3.5
elmar 90mm f/4

L39 lens

The Leica L39 camera is arguably the best L39 camera in the world. Imitations are everywhere in the world, and Canon, Nikon and other companies have also produced a large number of L39 lenses. In addition, Ricoh, Minolta, Pentax and other companies have also produced a large number of L39 limited edition lenses.

L39 camera It represents the mechanical art of Leica.

leica summicron-m 90mm f2 v1 review (black & white film)

There are three versions of the first generation leica summicron 90mm f/2. The optical design is the same. The main difference is the appearance.

What I like the most about leica summicron 90mm f/2 is the design of the hood. When the lens cover is pulled out, the lens hood is pulled out one by one, and finally the lens cover is removed. I have never seen a lens with such a magical design. Later Leica summicron m90/2 E55 and 90 AA did not have such a design.

The biggest weakness of the 90mm lens is the long focusing stroke and slow focusing speed. Another big weakness is the weight and size. The 90mm lens is actually a very useful focal length, especially for street photography. There are many masters of street photography with 90mm lenses in history. In fact, 90mm lens is most suitable for portraits.

For a 90mm lens, the biggest problem is not the sharpness problem, but the hand shaking problem. The success rate of 1/8s is still very low, and 1/15s is not much better. An iron hand is better than sharpness, trust me.

leica summicron 90mm f/2 v1 vs v2 v4

The more sensible choice is the second-generation summicron m90/2 E55. The price is similar, but v2 is more beautiful, lighter, and smaller. The cheaper 90/4 is more cost-effective.

90mm VS 75mm

The 75mm frame is a problem, and many Leica m cameras do not have a 75mm frame. Any Leica m camera has a 90mm frame.

Tag: film