Contax

The Contax name was revived in 1975 (officially it was styled 'CONTAX' by Yashica/Kyocera, instead of 'Contax') after the production of the Contax rangefinder cameras ended in Stuttgart more than a decade before. Like the first attempt at forging an alliance with Pentax, Zeiss designed a new common lens mount, known as Contax/Yashica mount (C/Y) to be used on cameras bearing both marques. The first model, the Contax RTS (short for "Real Time System"), was designed by Prof. Dr. Katsuiko Sugaya, styled by the Porsche Design studio, and manufactured by Yashica as Top Secret Project 130.[2] with a comprehensive use of electronics, it was the beginning of the new Contax line of SLR cameras which brought 13 different models, with the exception of the S2 and S2b (named as a spiritual successor to the original Dresden-built camera) being fully mechanical. The following is a brief rundown of the major models:

Some special models were also made, for example

• Contax RTS Fundus – usually marked 'Medical/Scientific' on the base plate it featured a 3mm high guard around the shutter release and a lock button on the front plate for the shutter speed dial. Several of these also had enhanced mirror dampers; most RTS Fundus cameras were sold for laboratory use, especially with Zeiss ophthalmic equipment.
• Contax Preview – a non-metered body with the mechanical shutter from the Yashica FX-3, a Polaroid Back and a Right-Angle Finder to correct the reversed image.
• Contax CGCM – a severely stripped down 137MD used by the Swedish military and for recording images from oscilloscopes and similar screens.
• Contax Preview II – an upgraded and faster mechanical shutter than the Preview; it used the shutter found in the S2/S2b.
• Yashica Dental Eye III - a fully automatic, fixed lens single lens reflex dental camera made for intraoral photography and based on the Contax RX. Features a 100mm f/4 lens with integrated flash.

Some additional information

• Contax AX – This had a unique autofocus system that worked with manual focus lenses by moving the film plane inside the camera. A side benefit of this arrangement is that it allowed the AX to feature a macro mode which worked much like a built-in 10 mm extension tube, allowing for a magnification ratio higher than 1:1 without the use of bellows or extension tubes. By using of a special adaptor made by Kyocera, Hasselblad V-series lenses could also be used on all Contax C/Y mount cameras. Thus users could perform auto-focus of Hasselblad V-series lenses with AX.
• The S2 and S2b were deliberately designed without exposure automation, and required a battery only for the light metering system. The S2 had a spot meter, and was popular with some Zone System photographers, while the S2b had a centerweighted meter favored by some photojournalists.

• 
  Contax 159MM body
• 
  Contax 167MT with Distagon T* f2,8 28 mm
• 
  Contax S2 with Planar T* f1,7 50 mm
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  Contax RX with Planar T* f1,4 50 mm

Contax G2 with Biogon T* f2,8 21 mm

The G series was a unique 35 mm autofocus rangefinder system with interchangeable lenses. Rather than displaying a typical rangefinder focusing patch and brightlines, the first G1 had a zooming viewfinder with a focus confirmation light activated by the autofocus system if manual focus was required. The actual AF system, unlike AF for SLR cameras, used a twin-window rangefinder, but the alignment determination was electronic.

The G2 was the second camera body in the series, and displayed manual focus distance directly on a viewfinder LCD. The G2 was generally considered more rugged and controllable than the earlier G1. Another improvement over the G1 was its full parallax correction viewfinder. A limited edition run of black G2 bodies and lenses were produced, differing from the standard titanium finish found on the original G1 and G2.

The lenses used optical formulae not often used by Zeiss, which had specialized in SLR photographic lenses for many decades prior to the G Series. (These formulae appear to be repeated in the later Zeiss Ikon M-mount rangefinder cameras.) The G series also boasted the only true zoom available for a rangefinder system, made possible by the mechanical coupling of the camera's viewfinder and the lens.

Kyocera introduced a series of highly successful T-series compact cameras, offering Zeiss-designed lenses which appealed to photographers desiring high quality optics in a compact form.

They were introduced between 1984 and 2002, have Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* lenses and a titanium body. The T and T2 have a fixed 38 mm wide-angle Sonnar lens (5 elements in 4 groups), while the T3 uses a redesigned 35mm Sonnar lens (6 elements in 5 groups). The T-VS and T-VS II use a 28–56 mm Vario-Sonnar lens (where the "VS" in T-VS comes from), while the T-VS III has a 30–60 mm Vario-Sonnar lens. All analog T and T-VS cameras use 35 mm film. The Tix uses APS film and has a fixed 28 mm wide-angle lens.

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  Contax T2, silver titanium finish
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  Contax T3, black titanium finish

• Contax T-VS digital, the digital version of T-VS III with a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T✻ 2,8–4,8/7,3–21,9 mm and 5 megapixel CCD sensor
• Contax i4R, the smallest compact Contax, and the last camera from the Contax marque.
• Contax SL300R T✻ and later on U4R, compact cameras with a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar zoom and a rotating screen. Although very compact and simple to use, the SL300RT✻ featured some manual settings including metering and focus lock

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  Contax i4R red version
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  Contax U4R chrome-black
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  Contax U4R chrome-camel
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  Contax SL300RT chrome
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  Contax SL300RT black

Contax 645

A departure from the 35 mm format, the Contax 645 was an autofocus medium format SLR system introduced in 1999,[3] featuring an array of Zeiss lenses and interchangeable film and digital backs. One of its unique features was a 220 film back equipped with the vacuum system originally developed for the 35 mm RTSIII SLR, which was claimed to increase sharpness by keeping the film perfectly flat in the plane of focus. By using the adaptor 'MAM-1' produced by Contax, Hasselblad V-series lenses including C, CF, CFE, CFI, F and FE can be mounted on Contax 645 as well.

In addition to 120 and 220 medium format backs with film inserts for quick loading, including the previously mentioned vacuum back, as well as a Polaroid/instant film back, many manufacturers offer a variety of interchangeable digital backs for the Contax 645 system:

• Imacon
• Leaf
• Kodak
• Jenoptik
• Sinar-Bron
• Megavision
• Phase One

Contax N1

The Contax N series was an autofocus 35 mm SLR system, based around an entirely new electronic bayonet mount that was not compatible with previous Contax C/Y mount lenses. Three models were made: the N1, the NX and the N Digital, the first full-frame digital SLR.

The N Digital was one of the first digital cameras to feature a full-frame 24×36 mm CCD sensor. The Contax NX was the prosumer 35mm model for advanced-amateur photographers, while the N1 was aimed at professional users. The series was made in Japan by Kyocera.

The N-series bodies used new N-mount lenses made by Kyocera, with electronically controlled aperture and autofocus. Nine lenses were produced for the mount, a mixture of primes and zooms.[4] Contax did sell an adapter (NAM-1) allowing lenses from their 645 medium format system to be used on N bodies.

Not all Contax flash units are compatible with all cameras. There are essentially three groups of flash guns; those made for the G system, those made for the early (Yashica made) SLRs and those for the later (Kyocera made) SLRs.

Flash units available included (GNs stated at ISO 100):

• TLA20 (GN 20)
• TLA30 (GN 30)
• TLA140 (GN 14) – Very compact unit originally designed for the G1
• TLA200 (GN 20) – Compact flash unit originally designed for the G Series.
• TLA280 (GN 28)
• TLA360 (GN 36) – Best used with optional PS-220 Power Pack Set for faster recycling.
• TLA480 (GN 48) – Bracket-mounted flash system requiring external Power Pack PS-120 for operation. Also available, though very rare, is a PS-130 TLA AC Power Unit (AC 100 V 50/60 Hz) for studio use.
• RTF540 (GN 40) – Bracket-mounted system with slaves, coloured panels, AC Power Unit, High Voltage Battery and standard Power Pack sets. There was a late modification to the RTF540 that changed its capability to include TLA functionality for use with later cameras, via the RTF540 TLA Adapter; this was the RTF540T and could be recognized by the addition of a symbol – the letter T in a circle – to the serial number plate beneath the flash head.

Metz SCA adapters:

• SCA3802
• SCA3801
• SCA382 – Worked with the older cameras, but did not transmit ASA and aperture information on the Contax 645, Aria, RX, AX N1, NX, and N digital cameras.

Traditionally, lens makers like to mark the location of the company conspicuously on their lenses. Therefore, from the beginning of lens manufacture up to the end of the Second World War, all Zeiss lenses were marked "Carl Zeiss Jena". Since the new Oberkochen-based Carl Zeiss Optical company is not in Jena, its products are simply marked "Carl Zeiss", while the original factory carried on using the "Carl Zeiss Jena" marking. For the first few years Carl Zeiss of Oberkochen used the "Zeiss-Opton" marking.

The original series of lenses for Contax were mainly new designs by Ludwig Bertele, under the Sonnar name which was previously used by Contessa-Nettel. These lenses were mainly advanced Unar/Protar derivatives of markedly asymmetrical designs, for the purpose of maintaining maximum image contrast by reducing lens flare before the era of anti-reflective surface coating, many of them also offering large maximum apertures as well. Apart from these, some existing designs were also adapted for use too.

The Contax I-III lenses were initially finished in black (for Contax I), but later in chrome (for Contax II and III), and offered in a wide range of focal lengths. These included the following:

• Tessar 80/2.8 (not rangefinder coupled)
• Biogon 35/2.8 (by Ludwig Bertele)
• Biotar 40/2.0
• Biotar 42.5/2.0
• Tessar 50/3.5
• Tessar 50/2.8
• Sonnar 50/2.0 (1931 by Ludwig Bertele)
• Sonnar 50/1.5 (1932 by Ludwig Bertele)
• Sonnar 85/2.0 (1932/33 by Ludwig Bertele)
• Triotar 85/4.0
• Sonnar 135/4.0 (1932/33 by Ludwig Bertele)
• Panflex Tessar 135/4.0 (ca. 200 made, about 10 lenses known to date, to be used with prewar Panflex)
• Tele-Tessar 180/6.3
• Sonnar 180/2.8 (1936 by Ludwig Bertele), often called "Olympia-Sonnar"
• Tele-Tessar 300/8.0
• Sonnar 300/4.0
• Fernobjektiv 500/8.0

One of the most important lenses for the Contax II and Contax III was the 180/2.8 Sonnar, designed for sports photographers covering the 1936 Berlin Olympics allowing fast speed, and the longest lenses also reached a focal length of 30 cm and 50 cm, delivered with their own mirror housing.

Zeiss developed also some experimental/prototype wide-angle lenses that never saw the market, because they were either 1) too expensive for production, 2) the market was not appropriate. 3) they were outcompeted by other lenses of the series. These were:

• Sphaerogon 19/8.0 (50 lenses made, only 2 survived so far)
• Perimetar 25/6.3 (50 lenses made, only 1 survived so far)
• Dagor 25/8.0 (2 lenses made, only 1 survived so far)
• Topogon 25/4.5 (50 lenses made, only 1 survived so far)

During the war, CZ (Zeiss) made some special Military lenses like Sonnar 1.5/9 cm, Sonnar 1.5/12.5 cm, Biotar 2.0/13 cm, 1,5/40 cm (project UHU), still very rare constructions. Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe demanded CZ and CZ lenses for their Leicas and Robots too.

While Jena continued to make some lenses for the pre-war Contax for a few years, lenses were also made for the Stuttgart-built post-war models, some were of new designs:

• Topogon 25/4.0
• Biometar 35/2.8
• Tessar 50/3.5 collapsible mount
• Sonnar 50/2.0 rigid mount
• Sonnar 50/1.5 rigid mount
• Biotar 75/1.5
• Biometar 80/2.8 (only 5 lenses made in 1949)
• Sonnar 135/4.0
• Sonnar 180/2.8
• Sonnar 300/4.0
• Fernobjektiv 500/8.0

Apart from refining existing designs, Carl Zeiss of Oberkochen also designed new lenses for the post-war Contax IIa/IIIa too:

• Biogon 21/4.0 (1951 by Ludwig Bertele, later working at Wild Heerbrugg, Switzerland)
• Biogon 35/2,8 had to be redone to fit into the new IIa and IIIa cameras (smaller dark room due to thicker dural lamells in shutter)
• Planar 35/3.5
• Tessar 50/3.5 rigid mount
• Sonnar 50/2.0 rigid mount
• Sonnar 50/1.5 (multi coated)
• Sonnar 85/2.0 made in both aluminum and chrome mount
• Tessar 115/3.5 (Panflex-Tessar to be used with Panflex)
• Sonnar 135/4.0

Lenses for the Dresden-built Contax single-lens reflex cameras used the M42X1mm screw mount, but as existing designs intruded too far into the camera body, making the swivelling mirror unable to clear the back of the lenses, a new series of lenses were made by Carl Zeiss of Jena, and later on, Hugo Meyer of Görlitz was also engaged as the second official supplier of original lenses. The following is a list of lenses made by Carl Zeiss:

• Tessar 40/4.5
• Tessar 50/3.5
• Biotar 58/2.0
• Biotar 75/1.5
• Triotar 135/4.0
• Sonnar 180/2.8
• Sonnar 300/4.0
• Fernobjektiv 500/8.0

The Yashica/Kyocera-built Contax cameras employed a new family of lenses. The names of these lenses generally reflect the designs and functions:

• Distagon : wide-angle retrofocus lenses.
  • F-Distagon : fish-eye lenses.
  • PC-Distagon : wide-angle lenses with shift feature for correcting perspective convergence.
• Hologon and Biogon : non-retrofocus wide-angle lens designs.
• Planar : fixed focal length primes of very large maximum aperture that range from medium wide-angles to short telephotos.
• Sonnar and Tele-Tessar : telephoto lenses, and Tele-Apotessar and Aposonnar indicated apochromatic correction.
• Vario-Sonnar : zooms lenses.
• Makro-Sonnar and Makro-Planar : macro lenses for extreme close-up work, based on the Sonnar and Planar designs.
• Tessar : 4-element lenses of medium focal length, sometimes referred to as a "Normal" lens.
• Mutar : teleconverters.
• Mirotar : mirror lenses.

Most of these lenses were marked T✻ referring to their T✻ coating (pronounced "Tee Star"), a highly developed Zeiss multi-coating process. The 'T' came from a German word 'Tarnung', which means 'camouflaging', as in making invisible, used here in reference to making flare invisible.

While these lenses were designed by Zeiss and manufacture shared between Zeiss and Yashica's optical division Tomioka, Zeiss increasingly allowed Tomioka to take responsibility of their manufacture.

These cameras used the "C/Y" lens mount, short for "Contax/Yashica": Yashica being the lower-end consumer brand SLR system made by Yashica/Kyocera that shared its lens mount with Contax SLRs. Zeiss lenses in the C/Y mount came in either AE or MM varieties. MM lenses were more recent, with a setting that allowed the camera to select the aperture as part of its autoexposure system, while the older AE lenses did not. There was often no difference between an older AE and a newer MM lens apart from this feature. Sometimes, the older AE lens may be worth more on the used market because it may be a Germany-made example, while the newer lens may be Japan-made, despite their optical formula and build quality being identical.

In addition, with the use of an optional adaptor (special ordered from Kyocera), Hasselblad V-series lenses including C, CF, CFE, CFI, F and FE can also be used on Contax C/Y mount cameras.

• Distagon T* 15/3.5 – Superwide lenses. This model had also been ordered by both Leitz and Nikon and was adapted to be used on their own SLR cameras.
• F-Distagon T* 16/2.8 – Fisheye lens.
• Distagon T* 18/4
• Distagon T* 21/2.8 – Noted for its unusual design and sharpness.
• PC-ApoDistagon T* 25/1.4 – Prototype only.
• Distagon T* 25/2.8 – The initial production was a failure due to image softness, not just wide open, and Zeiss discreetly and successfully re-engineered the lens and it remains highly sought after.
• Distagon T* 28/2 – Noted for its lack of distortion. Nicknamed the "Hollywood" due to popularity for adaptation to movie cameras.
• Distagon T* 28/2.8
  

  Carl Zeiss T* Distagon F 2.8, 28mm
• Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70/3.5-4.5
• Vario-Sonnar T* 28-85/3.3-4
• Distagon T* 35/1.4
• Distagon T* 35/2.8
• PC-Distagon T* 35/2.8 – Noted for its shift capabilities.
• Vario-Sonnar T* 35-70/3.4
• Vario-Sonnar T* 35-135/3.3-4.5
• Vario-Sonnar T* 40-80/3.5 – One of the two Germany-made zoom lens in the C/Y history.
• Tessar T* 45/2.8 – Noted for its unusual "pancake" design, being very thin and lightweight.
  

  45mm f2.8 Tessar T* Pancake
• Tessar T* 45/2.8 – 100 years of Tessar design Anniversary version. Finished with titanium gold barrel similar to G-series lenses.
• Planar T* 50/1.7 – Noted for its sharpness.

Carl Zeiss T✻ Planar 50 mm F/1.4

• Planar T* 50/1.4
• Planar T* 50/1.4 gold plated version, included with the limited "Golden" Contax RTS camera
• Planar T* 55/1.2 – 100 years of Planar design Anniversary lens. A total of 1,000 were produced (Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik III, Carl Zeiss Oberkochen).
• Makro-Planar T* 60/2.8 – Offers a higher magnification ratio (1:1) than the other MM macro lenses.
• Makro-Planar T* 60/2.8 C – Having the same optical design of M-P T* 60/2.8, but packed in a smaller barrel which offers magnification ratio 1:2.
• S-Planar T* 60/2.8 – The former type of Makro-Planar T* 60 mm f/2.8 which having the same lens design each other.
• Planar T* 85/1.2 – Contax 50 years Anniversary lens (AE type). A total of 1,500 were produced (Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik III, Carl Zeiss Oberkochen).
• Planar T* 85/1.2 – Contax 60 years Anniversary lens (MM type). A total of 1,503 were produced (Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik III, Carl Zeiss Oberkochen).
• Planar T* 85/1.4
• Sonnar T* 85/2.8
• Planar T* 100/2
• Makro-Planar T* 100/2.8
• S-Planar T* 100/4 – Macro lens for using with bellows.
• Sonnar T* 100/3.5
• Sonnar T* 135/2.8
• Planar T* 135/2 – Standard AE type lenses.
• Planar T* 135/2 – Contax 60 years anniversary version (MM type).
• Sonnar T* 180/2.8
• Apo-Sonnar T* 200/2 – Noted for its unusually high speed and an iris with extra blades for smoother bokeh and rounder highlights, designed for portrait and fashion work. It came with a set of drop-in filters.
• Tele-Tessar T* 200/3.5
• Tele-Tessar T* 200/4.0
• N-Mirotar T* 210/5.6 A smaller catadioptric lens with a built-in image intensifier, giving it an effective speed of 0.00012. According to some open sources, there were only 43 made.
• Vario-Sonnar T* 70-210/3.5 – One of the two Germany-made zoom lens in the C/Y history.
• Vario-Sonnar T* 80-200/4
• Tele-Apotessar T* 300/2.8 – Noted for its sharpness and stratospheric price.
• Tele-Tessar T* 300/4.0
• Vario-Sonnar T* 100-300/4.5-5.6
• Mirotar T* 500/4.5 – Mirror lens developed in the Contarex era. A special ordered item from Zeiss Germany.
• Mirotar T* 500/8 – Mirror lens
• Tele-Apotessar T* 600/4 AE – Prototype only but several were manufactured; it was partnered with a bespoke 1.4x Tele-converter.
• Mirotar T* 1000/5.6 AE – Mirror lens developed in the Contarex era. A special ordered item from Zeiss Germany.
• Mutar I 2x teleconverter
• Mutar II 2x teleconverter of high quality, designed to mate with long telephotos.
• Mutar III 1.4x teleconverter

G-series Contax models used a unique bayonet mount offering auto-focus coupling mechanism. Noted Hologon was the only manual-focus lens and the only Germany-made lens in the lineup. Also, apart from Hologon, all lenses were available in both Gold Titanium (standard) and Black (limited) colors.

• Hologon T* 16/8 – Came with an optical viewfinder, a case and a center filter to reduce vignetting. Noted for its extremely low distortion. it was produced in Germany.
• Biogon T* 21/2.8 – Came with an optical viewfinder and a case.
• Biogon T* 28/2.8
• Planar T* 35/2
• Planar T* 45/2 – Noted at the time of its release as the sharpest available lens for 35 mm photography
• Sonnar T* 90/2.8
• Vario-Sonnar T* 35–70/3.5–5.6

The following lenses were made for the Contax 645 systems which offered auto-focus function (apart from A-M-P 120/4 which was a manual-focus lens). Additionally, with the use of MAM-1 adaptor, Hasselblad V-series lenses including C, CF, CFE, CFI, F and FE can be used (manual-focus) as well.

• Distagon T* 35/3.5
• Distagon T* 45/2.8
• Distagon T* 55/3.5
• Vario-Sonnar T* 45–90/4.5
• Planar T* 80/2
• Apo-Makro-Planar T* 120/4 (manual-focus lens)
• Sonnar T* 140/2.8
• Sonnar T* 210/4
• Tele-Apotessar T* 350/4
• Mutar 1.4× teleconverter

The following lenses were made for the N-mount systems which offered auto-focus function. With the use of NAM-1 adaptor, all lenses of the "645" systems can be mounted on N-series cameras which offered auto-focus function. If uses both NAM-1 and MAM-1 adaptors simultaneously, Hasselblad V-series lenses including C, CF, CFE, CFI, F and FE (manual-focus) can be mounted on N-series cameras as well.

• Vario-Sonnar T* 17–35/2.8
• Vario-Sonnar T* 24–85/3.5–4.5
• Vario-Sonnar T* 28–80/3.5–5.6
• Planar T* 50/1.4
• Vario-Sonnar T* 70–200/3.5–4.5
• Vario Sonnar T* 70–300/4.0–5.6
• Planar T* 85/1.4
• Makro-Planar T* 100/2.8 – This version appeared in the debut of N-series and was shown in some early N-series brochures only. Perhaps it had never been running in mass production. It was said the Makro-Planar design was not ideal for auto-focus, so it was then replaced by the new design "Makro-Sonnar T* 100/2.8" before entered to mass production.
• Makro-Sonnar T* 100/2.8
• Tele-Apotessar T* 400/4