Review Contax Aria

[Guest]

I suppose my definition of shutter lag might be different. I judge it from the time I start pressing the button till I here the shutter open/close (or the mirror goes up). Nothing scientific, just the feeling from the camera body. That being said I also think that Leica M's (that supposedly have the least lag) feel the slowest to me because of all the travel on the button as the S2 has as well. Now maybe I'm being infuenced by the other sounds (mirror, shutter, drive) but I don't think so. My 139 felt better (in terms of shutter lag) than I remember the Aria and that has no drive. Maybe I should handle one again and give it a retry...

JS

> Now hold on. How could you tell something that is in the tens of > millisecond range? What I think you "felt" was the slower motor drive. > I've got quite a few cameras, and I can't tell which one has faster or > slower shutter lag. Perhaps you can, but I'm skeptical...but I believe > the fact that you though otherwise may be indicative that you (or I or > anyone really) really can't.>

 

[Guest]

Hello everybody,

I bought used Aria as second body, hard used, but in very good condition. But only: Under the transparent display cover and on the display there are 3-4 poor and visible dust parts and I will clean them. Can somebody help me with advice, how to remove the top cover correctly, may be first of all the dials and the main switch/shutter release, but how? Or they are coming up together with the top cover, only after removing of the 6 top cover screws? I have experience with older classical constructions, may be here is different? I think that this is not a repair and it is too expensive and needs too long time to send the camera to Contax only for this reason.

Thanks, Valentin

 

[Guest]

Hi Valentin,

> I bought used Aria as second body, hard used, but in very good > condition. But only: Under the transparent display cover and on the > display there are 3-4 poor and visible dust parts and I will clean > them.

Congratulations! I appreciate your enthusiasm to remove the dust particles, but...be aware that you can really do damage to the camera by disassembling it, unless you are REALLY good at this sort of thing. Unless you are really experienced at this, I'd suggest simply leaving the dust there, and living with it. The longer you own the camera, the less you'll notice the dust.

Regards,

Austin

 

[Guest]

Valentin,

Just checking, but have you already cleaned under the (removeable) focusing screen? This is the only "user-servicable" area I would have the courage to access on my own. Otherwise, I'd recommend leaving it be until such time as you need other work done--dust is an annoyance but won't affect the quality of your photos.

Regards,

--Rick

 

[Guest]

My advice is DON'T dismantle it unless you know what you are doing. = You will end up with lots of parts with which you will not know what to = do and they will not go back together in the same way as they came = apart. Believe me I have been there- and I acted contrary to the advice = of Kyocera when I went ahead anyway.

John

 

[Guest]

Thank you, Austin, thank you, Rick,

Excuse me, may be I not explained the problem correct, I have the dust not on the focussing screen - easy to clean - but inside the little information display panel, under the transparent cover, in the right side of the top cover.

Regards an many thanks,

Valentin

 

[Guest]

> Excuse me, may be I not explained the problem correct, I have the dust > not on the focussing screen - easy to clean - but inside the little > information display panel, under the transparent cover, in the right > side of the top cover.

Hi Valentin,

That is what I thought you were talking about, the LCD display on the top cover, right side, that shows the film counter, drive mode etc. I'd recommend living with the dust!

Regards,

Austin

 

[Guest]

Wow, I missed the question rather spectacularly. I'm looking at my Aria right now (setting down to type) and see several controls that *appear* to require prying to remove...or do they? I suppose one could remove the six screws and give the top plate a gentle wriggle to see whether it can be coaxed upwards, controls intact, but I have a hard time imagining that it's that simple. It might only take a little space to allow the particles to be blown our (and one hopes not deeper into the camera).

Has one of the photo mags done an Aria tear-down report? Those are very helpful in envisioning how the camera is put together.

All in all, I'd live with it.

--Rick

 

[Guest]

Thank you, Austin,

You are of course right.

But also I and may be many of us feel, that Contax cameras are something a little “different” and “special”. Most of my (may be our) photos I (we) can make also with any of the other, also many simple and cheap cameras and brands. May be our shooting and photos are not only shooting and photos, but also a little Contax “feeling”. And in the same time – visible all the time dust in the LCD display in my “new” used Contax, not existing also in one cheap toy camera. And I cannot clean this, if I want….

May be I wanted to play a little with the camera, to bring it in “like new” look, I realy like it. Of course there is more dust on all of the surfaces and corners and this is normal, I use (trying to do this carefully) my equipment in the mountain, cold and hot weather, country, wind e.t.c.

Regards, Valentin

 

[Guest]

Hello All,

I'm thinking of entering the Contax MF system with an Aria or a RX.

Has anyone ever tried to use Infrared film in those bodies (Kodak HIE or Ilford SFX) ? I know there may be a problem because I've been told that film advance is IR controlled but sometimes with other bodies where this is the case the fogged portion on the negative is not within the image frame.

Thanks for your input.