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Contax S2b

G

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Bought a mint- S2B today. I am very excited about it and hope it fill the niche I purchased it for- a very well built, fully manual slr with great lenses for ocassional shooting. I decided against a Leica 6.2 which is unreliable despite how many Selgado goes through on his photo treks. Leica shamelessy touts this lemon as the Zeus of cameras. I also believe Zeiss glass to be comparable to Leica's Slr lenses. That being said. I own two M-6's that do 90% of work and I plan to be using them longer after the M7 and the G2 obselete. The S2B (FOR ME) seems to be a great compliment to my M system. The Aria was tempting. Plastic back was a huge turn out. Great finder though. I will post as I work with this camera. My Only gripe is that like all manual slrs camera it is not quiet like its d&ened/electronic siblings. Which is another advantage of the Aria.
And film advance. I am almost talking myself into a return/exchange. Well, two quite different and great small bodies in my view.
 
I played with the camera alot in one day and learned some. I love everything about the body,S2B, except the tuning fork noise it makes after you fire it.

A friend of mine describes it as the 'guilotine' noise. And honestly I can't disagree with him. I wish I could!! When there is no 'white noise' to kill this metallic noise (apart from the usual mechanical slap, and shutter, aperture noise) it is pretty annoying and noticable.

So if you are in a camera shop looking the S2 over do it in a near silent enviroment not in a central air/white noise enviroment. You won't notice it then. That way you can decide for yourself.

I will decide to either live wth this noise and what seems to be a great body otherwise or return it.

I wanted to make others aware of this potential problem. You may or may not take issue with it. Also it is only an issue if you demand an as quiet as possible manual slr. Fully manual cameras are louder by design.

Keep in mind I shoot with Leica M6s as my main system so I am very sensitive to strange noise and noise in general. FYI I have also used Canon 1Vs (an apple to an orange really when comparing to S2B).

peter
 
I decided to return it. It's overall noise is average if not slightly lower than a Nikon or Leica R (fully manual only for a fair comparison).

BUT. The 'tuning fork' high pitched noise is noticable/distracting and calls more attetion due to its unusal nature.

A shame. I really loved:

1)the finder (good even with my glasses),

2)the high sync speed 1/250 and 1/4000 top speed

My M6s aren't useful there but then again the shutter noise is SO much lower. I love them for this. I find the M7's high speed sync feature (not higher SYNC SPEED the M7 is the same-1/50) useless. IMHO the blinking finder Mess-M7 is just that.

I was hoping to fill this need with the S2. Slrs do somethings rfs don't and vice versa.

3) Great build quality.

The most solid slr I have held.

The best I've found in build quality. I looked at Nikons, Olympus + Leica R. In my mind it goes:

Nikon comes in second to Contax in this respect with Leica R third and Olympus fourth. Lenses go Contax+Leica R tie, Nikon a fairly close, depending on focal lengths, 3rd and Olympus 4th (but some of those lenses are outstanding too). All four are great.

After all some of the greatest photographers in the history of the medium worked with lenses that most would thumb their noses at.

Frank, Winogrand, Lange, (insert your favorites photographers here).

My thing is which one holds up. I can't throw them away like some pros do. That is why I value so highly the build of S2 or the M6s I use and love and trust.

Oh well. I will find the right small, robust, fully manual slr in time. I almost did.

It is not urgent for me as the M6s cover almost all my work. Time to do what matters go walk around with my cameras. Bye now.

-peter
 
Peter,

Have you tried any other bodies? Maybe there is something funny with the one you had. I have an S2, and it doesn't sound like what you describe. The mirror makes a kind of clank rather than a slap, but it doesn't sound strange or wrong to me - is this what you hear? I think it's a great camera, and a simple and straightforward alternative to the RTS III, the body I use most often. I think it handles really well. I picked the S2 over the S2b because of the spot meter.

I also use a couple of Leica rangefinders, so it sounds like our tastes are similar.

- Paul
 
Paul,

Perhaps you are right or have the lucky one camera. If so wanna sell it:).

But I heard this in another body I looked at that was a s2. And saw a couple reviewers on another site talk about the same strange high pitch metallic vibration and their frustration with it. It should be apparent when you don't have the a/c on or other white nosie to kill this weird noise.

I love the camera. I am still considering buying it back from the store I returned it to or seeking a S2. Like you I'd find the spot meter more useful.

That noise is pretty bad for me. Like a beautful and good woman who smokes is how I feel about it right now. It is such a great camera otherwise. No need to rehash the specs and abilities of this otherwise wonderful compact tough slr. The FM3A lacks the build quality and easy to see finder (I wear glasses) + ZEISS Glass (more importanly great build quality on the lenses). I must say the s2 is superior in my IMO to all manual slrs except for this problem.

I called Contax 2 days ago. No reply. I will see if they can d&en it. I suspect it is a design problem. I wish it was not. I'll try them again today.
 
Chuck, the Contax Tech Guy in New Jersey, called back and was extremely helpful and nice.

He talked to the Repair Dept. for me. We learned that the mirror box could be modified (for about $150) to kill the tuning fork effect on the S2.

This renders it a perfect pint-sized slr. In my quest to find an alternative to the S2 I revisited the Nikon FM3A. Not as soild a body build but the finder is almost as good which surprised me. It is quieter in with the mechanical shutter mode too (for fair comparison).

I view a body as a box for lenses. I like very solid and reliable bodies though! Zeiss usually edges out Nikon in a lense showdown.

That being said the photographer counts more than the equipmnet by a long shot.

So now I have two choices and in my mind I can't go wrong either way. I must say my money is on Nikon to be the last company to stop making manual slrs and lenses for them. Contax is phasing out their lenses right now.

A huge shame!! The way of profit: auto and digital everything. Sell to the masses and neglect those who demand something different. Good buisness practice and bad news for those who enjoy the real craft of it. Olympus, Canon already and soon Contax.

The S2 is so tempting I may say so what and buy it then have it modified.

Long live manual slrs! :).
 
Eitan,

I want to make sure we are clear that I mean the c/y not N mount lenses and FULLY manual slrs not electronic manual focus slrs.

The 25 is discontinued here in the states.

Remaining stock and used is all there is.

Also several stores have told me that sadly Contax is going to focus on the N and N1 larger autofocus mounts because the manual market is not as profitable. Also I have been told in many cases with certain manual slr products are not profitable at all.

They are buisnessmen first.

It will be a gradual process but it has begun. I even believe it will spread to the electronic MF slrs sooner than we'd think.

This disappoints me and but it makes 'stock holders' happy. I understand they need to pay their kids tuition too.

Look at how Leica phased out the R-6.2. I was told it was because the mold to make the body was worn out. And the Leica rep told me it was not profitable enough consider replacing. He added the camera is very expensive to manufacture especially the shutter and it's adjustments. It takes all that labor and skill required to make it like a fully manual m-6, s-2, om-3ti. All those springs, gears etc. need to be assembled with precision and adjusted to work on their own WITHOUT the aid of electronic control. Which is the reason for a CLA every once in a while. A manual camera needs a bit more attention but will last longer.

Planned obsolescence is more profitable too. Manaul tanks, properly cared for, will outlast their electronic counterparts much more often than not.

I WON'T GO FURTHER WILL THIS X-FILE LIKE DIGRESSION.

Many of these companies are forgeting their roots for the promise of cash in electonic, auto focus and digital cameras. For ex&le the M-7. I hate this constanting blinking(if you deviate from the DX setting), dead battery and you are stuck with two shutter speeds camera. It is sacarelgious to me as an M user. But most of world loves this camera. Which is a great ex&le of what is happening in the industry. Make camera for the common denominator. I.E. The dentist who loves point in shoots and finds the manual setting of exposure (an skill and thinking it requires) on the M6 a pain.

I don't have a letter from the president of Contax or other 'smoking gun' proof. I have seen what Contax is doing and what the trends of their peers have been.

Of course Nikon bucks this trend with the FM3A with an intelligent compromise an Aperture Priority mode with a shutter than can also be fired battery free in manual.
 
Eitan,

I want to make sure we are clear that I mean the c/y not N mount lenses and FULLY manual slrs not electronic manual focus slrs.

The 25 is discontinued here in the states.

Remaining stock and used is all there is.

Also several stores have told me that sadly Contax is going to focus on the N and N1 larger autofocus mounts because the manual market is not as profitable. Also I have been told in many cases with certain manual slr products are not profitable at all.

They are buisnessmen first.

It will be a gradual process but it has begun. I even believe it will spread to the electronic MF slrs sooner than we'd think.

This disappoints me but it makes 'stock holders' happy. I understand they need to pay their kids tuition too.

Look at how Leica phased out the R-6.2. I was told it was because the mold to make the body was worn out. And the Leica rep told me it was not profitable enough consider replacing. He added the camera is very expensive to manufacture especially the shutter and it's adjustments. It takes all that labor and skill required to make it like a fully manual m-6, s-2, om-3ti. All those springs, gears etc. need to be assembled with precision and adjusted to work on their own WITHOUT the aid of electronic control. Which is the reason for a CLA every once in a while. A manual camera needs a bit more attention but will last longer.

Planned obsolescence is more profitable too. Manaul tanks, properly cared for, will outlast their electronic counterparts much more often than not.

I WON'T GO FURTHER WILL THIS X-FILE LIKE DIGRESSION.

Many of these companies are forgeting their roots for the promise of cash in electonic, auto focus and digital cameras. For ex&le the M-7. I hate this constanting blinking(if you deviate from the DX setting), dead battery and you are stuck with two shutter speeds camera. It looks like a sell-out to me as an M user. But most of world loves this camera. Which is a great ex&le of what is happening in the industry. Make cameras for the common denominator. I.E. The dentist who loves point in shoots and finds the manual setting of exposure (i.e. skill and thinking it requires) on the M6 a pain.

I don't have a letter from the president of Contax or other hard proof. I have seen what Contax is doing and what the trends of their peers have been.

Of course Nikon bucks this trend with the FM3A with an intelligent compromise: an Aperture Priority mode with an electronically controled shutter that can also be fired battery free in manual.

Interesting camera to say the least.
 
Peter Wrote: "The 25 is discontinued here in the states."

This may indeed be one sign of manual-focus lenses being gradually phased out - as you mention. And as it has already been discussed in other forums, quite a lot of factors in technology, industry and market seem to somewhat point in that direction over the next number of years.

But ... the sad goodbye to one of my personal all-time favourite lenses - the 25/2.8 - will not in itself justify your general conclusion.

For a number of years there were three popular Zeiss wide angles in the C/Y lens range: 18/4.0, 25/2.8 and 28/2.8.

Then a few years ago a new high quality wide angle lens was introduced: 21/2.8. This lens has gained a tremendous reputation as probably the best SLR wide angle in the market. It is profiting from a whole range of new technologies that were not available, when the 18/4.0 and the 25/2.8 was originally designed and put into production back in 1968.

I would be able to perfectly understand if a rising number of Contax users today would chose the 21/2.8 in favour of its two closest rivals in the lens range when building up their Contax gear.

Combine this with three new Zeiss zooms reaching very close to the 25/2.8 perspective (which is actually 27 mm - very, very close also to the 28/2.8).

It might be a matter more of development and letting the best lens win than any managementwise or financial conspiracy.

The Consumers voted. The 25/2.8 lost the race - here are the winners:

21/2.8 - 28/2.8 - 28-70/3.4 - 28-85/3.3 - 35-135/3.3

And please note: Four out of these five lenses have been introduced - excuse me for saying: phased in - in recent years.

Kind regards,

Jakob
 
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