Contax G

Contax G

Type	35 mm rangefinder camera
Lens mount	Contax G mount
Focus	AF
Exposure	auto
Flash	hot shoe

The Contax G1 and Contax G2 are interchangeable-lens cameras sold by Kyocera under the Contax brand in competition with the Leica M7, Voigtlander Bessa R, and Konica Hexar RF. The G1 was introduced in 1994 with the G2 joining it in 1996. In 2005, Kyocera announced it would cease all activity related to the manufacture of Contax cameras at the end of the year, effectively spelling the end of the G system.

The titanium-bodied G-series cameras do not use the traditional Leica M mount seen on many rangefinder cameras, but the "G"-mount, an electronic autofocus mount. Critics were quick to accuse the camera of not being a "true" (mechanical) rangefinder, since it used autofocus and electronically linked mechanisms.^{[citation needed]} But the AF mechanism in the G-series does indeed use a twin-window system much like that of the older mechanical rangefinders — only in electronic form.

The lenses designed by Carl Zeiss for the G-series quickly established it as a camera of worth: the original 45mm f/2 Planar was joined by a 28mm f/2.8 Biogon and a 90mm f/2.8 Sonnar; a 21 f/2.8 Biogon, 16mm f/8 Hologon, 35mm f/2 Planar and 35–70mm f/3.5–5.6 Vario-Sonnar were added later. The 45mm Zeiss Planar in particular gained renown as the second-sharpest 35mm camera lens ever tested by the Swedish test site Photodo — outclassing even the illustrious Leica 50mm Summicron-M.

Early versions of the G1 could only accept the 28mm, 45mm and 90mm lenses. Later versions, called "green stickered" versions because they had a green sticker inside the film door could accept the 21mm and 35mm lenses. No G1 could accept the 35-70mm as it was a seven contact electrical connection and the G1 only features five contacts. The 16mm would attach and function, however the viewfinder could not adjust for it so an external viewfinder that plugged into the hotshoe.

Compared with the original G1, the G2 has improved autofocus performance and higher top shutter speeds of 1/4000 sec in manual mode and 1/6000 sec in aperture priority mode. The manual focus wheel was moved from the top deck to the front, to about the same position as where the focusing wheel was located on classic Dresden and Stuttgart Contax rangefinders. The G2 auto-focus also has two focusing modes: continuous, which constantly adjusts focus as the camera is moved; and single, which is a safety mode, focussing as the focus button is pressed (or shutter release half-pressed), and maintaining this reading until the shutter is released. If the camera fails to find focus in this mode, the shutter cannot be released.

External links

• The Contax G Pages
• The Contax G User Pages
• How to use Contax G Focusing
• Kyocera North America
• Contax G1 FAQ
• Contaxinfo.com Contax User Forum, MTF Lens-Data, scanned broschures, user manuals etc.