Contax RTS ii

[ct0778]

Hey Everyone! Thought I would try my luck on this site as google searching for anything slr or contax automatically returns “dslr” and converting zeiss lenses for Sony cameras! I’ve been a long time contax user, recently bought a RTS ii for a MLU function. It was pristine when it arrived except the focus was off at infinity, and a further lens test revealed it was off just at every other distance. Could not for the life of me see anything wrong with the mirror or focus screen. Alas had to sent it back. In my haste I bought a replacement body and for some reason the current eBay conditions of Mint ++ also means at there can be a chip in the mirror- mentioned at the very end of the auction in fine print. And my dumb ass bought it by mistake the chip is small, and I can deal with it, (will it light leak through the prism viewfinder?)
But does anyone out there happen to have a lead on replacement mirrors for RTS II? I know it has to be the same depth or the focus will be off!
Would be forever grateful, looking to try this instead of buying an entire scrap body for parts.

Thanks!
Chris

 

[mkuhlma]

will it light leak through the prism viewfinder?)

I suppose it might depend from the size of the chip. As long as you place your eye at the viewfinder eyepiece it should work (if the sun does not shine from behind and at noon...). For many other situations the viewfinder eyepiece-blind lever might be useful .

As for replacement mirrors: Some weeks ago I learned that German dealer Fotoversand Huppert has taken over a lot of Contax spare parts from a former workshop here in Germany. Maybe he can help you...

Congratulations, anyhow: You have purchased a real good camera. I have been using some RTS II for almost 40 years and always liked them a lot. Now I just got two Canon F-1 New and could compare them with the RTS II. As a whole, the F-1 is definitely the more professional camera, sure, but in some details the RTS II is better, in my opinion Daumenhoch : With its super-fast shutter release, its wonderful digital viewfinder displays, its TLA flash functions and the viewfinder which is even brighter than the F-1's with the bright SJ screen.

Michael

 

[ct0778]

Thanks for your help, I ended up discovering the mirror has slid down also (probably why its chipped!!) and hits the back of the lens when its mounted so it wont move up or down after the shutter is pressed unless I take the lens off... I'm really at a loss for what passes as MINT condition for contax on ebay. i;e "works great", "functions normally"..this type of language. The camera is not MINT+++ if the mirror wont function with a lens on!

As this is my second attempt and nothing better on ebay I've decided to keep it and have the mirror put back in place, but I don;t want that chip in to be in the viewfinder. I tried the Hubbert folks but no reply..

I also found a place in Munich heidi-foto.eu that look like they do extensive contax repair. Fingers crossed they have a mirror!

I've been the proud user of a canon f-1 new for about 10 years, it's had a 55mm S.S.C. ASPH on it the whole time. I'm very lucky. If only there was a mirror lock up

 

[mkuhlma]

Yes this store in Munich seems to be a well-known Contax shop here in Germany. I just bought some accessories from them. Nice experience.

If it SHOULD not work I could try to ask my "private" engineer who has serviced three of my RTS II (and now has got the other two ones to check them) if I may give his email address to you. He told me he has a whole lot of work to do at the moment, but it may be worth a try. He did repair at least one mirror adjusting it to its correct position and it works.

Yes I wonder why the F-1 New doesn't have a mirror lock up. As for the body in general, I really love this kind of massive, heavy thing in metal. That's the way a camera should feel like ... Pity that it hasn't got a conventional waist level finder like the old F-1 had. But maybe that would have got difficult concerning the exposure measurement: when some light would fall onto the focusing screen.

Michael

 

[ct0778]

That would be really great! I'd love to have that as an option, private engineer I can give you my email as well.

Are you based in Germany? I'm from Vancouver but am currently based in Melbourne. This is my 11th Contax body. Had the Black G2 kit with briefcase in 2000 (sold the whole thing for a leica m6 tll body LOL in 2002), T4 (broke), G1 (sold), G2 with 45m (sold), T2 (broke), Aria (sold- ok camera not sure why so expensive now), G2 (still have), RTS iii (died/broke- motor drive started to smoke during a film rewind), 139 quartz (still have, love it) and two RTS ii in last month. I'm just a sucker for the zeiss glass! I've used a mates s2b for a while- talk about solid as well.

L@@king back on my original thread- I have ZERO idea why I thought to ask if light would leak due to a cracked mirror, if anything it would just be a darker viewfinder, less mirror = less light reflected, refracted, rebounding ect..I think I have brain fog pt.2 from covid. :<

The only thing I've read is that a slipped mirror can scratch the back lens element. The 50mm wont work but the 125mm I have allows the mirror to function, just hoping its not touching that back element!

 

[mkuhlma]

Ok I will ask him . Maybe "private" wasn't the correct word: I mean, he is repairing cameras in his private workshop, not on a professional base as far as I know. But he HAS repaired my oldest RTS II which had suffered just from that mirror slip - and it hadn't functioned any more, it had been completely dead. I knew that in the past the official Kyocera workshops could repair it (because I had had that problem before) but it had been extremely expensive.
That "private" man did find out that it might had been a strange problem with the mechanical shutter, not with the mirror section - except for the mirror slip itself. Now the camera works again Daumenhoch and reparature has been much less expensive than last time before when large sections around the mirror had been replaced.

Yes I'm based in Germany, deep West.

I love those Zeiss lenses, too. I even got an adapter to use them on my Canon F-1 New . Looks a bit strange but feels great.

I learned about the RTS III that there must be more than one technical problem if you like to use the camera today and in future. So maybe the RTS II with RTW W-3 is the better solution. As for the PMD W-6, I fear that it has damaged the mechanism of one of my old bodies for it operates with such a lot of physical power and the body has had a problem with manual winding since I tested it with W-6.
For that reason I have also been too anxious to use the Motor Drive FN on my F-1 New with full speed, I only set it to 3,5 images per second so far.

Michael

 

[dirk]

Foto Huppert was in the "good old Contax times" the biggest Contaxt dealer within Germany. After Kyocera stopped the Contax brand, he focused more on Canon.

If Mr. Michael Huppert is still running Foto Huppert, he will be able to help you or at least tell you you where to go with your problem.

 

[dirk]

I would try my luck on this site as google searching for anything slr or contax automatically returns “dslr” and converting zeiss lenses for Sony cameras!

Yeah, that is a pitty.

You are at the right place. We have been the biggest Contax user forum worldwide. We used in the past the domainname "contaxinfo.com".

But after Contax closed and peoples interest in the Contax brand decreased more and more, we merged the whole Contax forum of Contaxinfo.com with Camera-info.com. All users and content is now accessable here.

For more details read here:

About Us - CI is now DPRF!

Photocommunity for taking pictures with every gear - From Smartphones up to Medium Format

camera-info.com

 

[mkuhlma]

If Mr. Michael Huppert is still running Foto Huppert,

Yes he is.
I've just had the pleasure to buy some accessory parts from him. He told me that he has still got several spare and replacement parts for Contax cameras.

Michael

 

[ct0778]

Wow thats great to know about the site, I will have a look. I'm actually thinking of taking a trip to Munich in the next while, I'd love to get my cameras serviced!