I’ve found that the Contax G45 lens is just as good as the Leica Summicron 50 lens. I’ve taken some great photos with it, and I’d say the G45 is my favorite G lens. This lens has very high definition, and it’s a Zeiss lens, so the image quality is unparalleled. The bokeh is gorgeous, and when shooting at f/2, the subject is nicely separated from the background, giving it a nice 3D feel.
Legend G45
The G45 f/2 is the star product in the G system, and it’s a popular choice among many people. A lot of people buy Contax G1 cameras just to use this lens. The Contax G45 has become a legend in its own right. The Contax G35 f/2 uses seven pieces of glass, similar to the optical structure of the Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v4. However, it’s not as sharp as the Contax G45, and it costs more than the G45.
45mm and 50mm
The Leica 40mm f/2 lens offers a slightly wider view than the Contax g45, which is an interesting difference. I’m not sure why Contax chose a focal length of 45mm, but it does make the camera look different. I really like this lens.
The Contax G90 2.8 is the longest focal length in the Contax G series and the sharpest lens in the series. Word on the street is that this G90 is just as sharp as the Leica 90mm f2 AA at f2.8. The price is very competitive, in fact it’s cheaper than several other Contax G lenses.
Auto Focus
The most popular of the rangefinder camera systems is the wide-angle lens because the viewfinder window has a fixed range of view, and telephoto lenses have a very small area in the center of the viewing surface. Not many people use 90mm lenses in the Leica M system for the same reason. Interestingly, the Contax G90 is easier to use than the Leica 90mm because it has autofocus. That said, the G90 isn’t the easiest to focus up close.
Sonnar
This 90mm lens from Contax uses the Zeiss Sonnar structure, which is a classic Zeiss design and is mainly used for medium and long focal lengths. There are also lenses using the Sonnar structure in the Rollei 120 film system. It’s easy for Zeiss to create a Sonnar with a large aperture of 90mm.
Bokeh
The 90mm lens has a large aperture, which makes the subject stand out and defocus the background. However, the bokeh of the Sonnar structure isn’t particularly impressive. The background is a bit cluttered.
Focusing at close range
If you’re using a g1 or g2 with 90mm lenses, you might find that they have trouble focusing at close range. If you’re looking through the viewfinder and it’s aiming at 5 meters, but it shows 1 meter, then you’ll need to refocus.
If you’re taking portraits of friends, it’s a good idea to check the distance display in the viewfinder. In real-world use, I rarely lose focus when taking pictures of stationary objects, but it did happen a few times when taking pictures of moving objects.
Conclusion
If you want to install a telephoto lens on your G1 or G2, then the Sontar G90 f2.8 is your only option. This is where Zeiss is making a smart move, and you are too.
Once the Contax G2 hit the market, we were well and truly in the digital age. When I look back at the film cameras of the day, they were really beautiful. It’s hard to believe how many people were drawn to those ugly digital cameras. Time can be a bit of a tease. Fortunately, the G2 is still around and in good shape.
The second-generation Contax G system
The G2’s autofocus performance has been improved compared to the original G1. It can now focus as fast as 1/4000 second in manual mode and 1/6000 second in aperture-priority mode. The G2’s autofocus is very fast and more reliable. Just press the shutter button halfway to lock focus.
The g2 is a professional camera
For those who are used to using a fully manual Leica, an electronic film camera can easily be seen as a toy. But the Contax G is no toy. Lots of professional photographers use it. After all, it has some pretty impressive Zeiss lenses.
automatic rangefinder camera
I own a Fujifilm X-PRO1, which is also an autofocus rangefinder camera, much like the G series. The Contax G has a higher production technology than the X-pro1, and it focuses faster than Fujifilm.
I was impressed by the G2’s autofocus speed. I didn’t think such a high-speed focusing system would be available in the 1990s. The Contax comes with a set of Zeiss lenses, including 16mm, 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 45mm, and 90mm, all of which focus very fast.
Manual focus mode
The Contax G2 has a manual focus mode that lets you set the focus distance with a dial. This is really handy for street photography. I tend to prefer using the fully manual Leica M for street photography.
No Contax G3
Unfortunately, after the Contax G2, there was no more update for the camera, and there was no G3.
Disadvantages of Contax G2
Another thing to watch out for with the Contax is the surface deterioration of the plastic handles. The Contax TVS iii also has this problem. The handle originally had a matte coating, but over time, that peels off. I just erased this coating with an eraser, and it looks like new.
Time flies, doesn’t it? Some cameras have been left behind by the times before they had a chance to keep up. I was instantly smitten with the Contax G1 the first time I laid eyes on it. And it’s not just the camera’s aesthetic appeal that makes it a steal—it’s also incredibly affordable.
The G1’s compact body is really beautiful with the Contax 28mm lens, which makes it a favorite of mine! The G1’s sleek, streamlined design is really beautiful, with a silky touch and curved corners. The G1’s sleek, streamlined design is absolutely gorgeous! It has a silky touch and curved corners that just make you feel good!
Protection systems
I forgot there was still film in the camera and was about to open the back cover to take a look. The Protection systems quickly rewound the photos, taking them all the way back to the film bin to protect them. This automatic camera feature is really handy. It protects not only a roll of film, but also the time and effort you put into taking the photos.
Autofocus
Leica created the rangefinder camera, but they never made an autofocus version. Zeiss did that instead. I was surprised to find that the 1994 Contax G1 focuses faster than the 2012 Fuji Digital Xpro1. It’s another thing that caught me off guard. Don’t ever think that film cameras are obsolete because the technology is outdated. They just don’t have digital negatives, but otherwise, they’re still technologically advanced.
Manual Focus
The G1 hasn’t forgotten about the manual focus feature. The most important spot on the top of the camera is reserved for the manual focus indicator disc, which is a physical one. Setting the focus manually is quicker than using an autofocus system, which is great for taking quick snapshots. I mainly use the G1’s manual focus for focusing on items inside the glass, and I don’t use it that often. If I needed to focus manually, I’d probably go with a Leica.
LCD bleeds
One common issue with the g1 is that the LCD bleeds. It can be pretty minor, or it can be so severe that you can’t even look at the number. This is a significant problem, especially for people who own a lot of cameras and can’t remember how many shots are still in there if they’re left unused for a while.
Viewfinder too small
Another downside of the Contax G, especially when compared to a Leica camera, is that the viewfinder is on the small side, making it less user-friendly for people who wear glasses. If it had a bigger and brighter viewfinder, I think it would be even better.
Conclusion
I’m not a simple Leica user, and I’m not a staunch Contax user either. I use them interchangeably. Depending on my mood, I usually take the Contax with me when I’m traveling to an unfamiliar place. On familiar streets, I tend to use a slow-shooting Leica. They have different personalities, and I have different moods.
The G1 was introduced in 1994 with the G2 joining it in 1996. In 2005, Kyocera retreated from the camera business and 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.
If you start street photography, all you can do is wait quietly until your hand gets used to the way a manual lens focuses. Without looking at the viewfinder, lock on 2 meters and press the shutter.
I don’t think photography needs to be a specific time or place, and it doesn’t have to be a scenic location.
Photography can be done anywhere and anytime. In the eyes of many people, there is nothing new around them and nothing seems worth documenting. They say you have to go to a strange place to find inspiration. But I am not such a person. I think we don’t have much choice in life. Spring, summer, fall and winter are not our choice. You can’t say you don’t like winter so you have to live in spring, summer or fall. What I can choose is to choose a device that makes me happy and carry it with me at all times, and the good things will appear in front of the camera by themselves.
Negatives don’t need glitz and glamor, just pure sunlight. I don’t discard out-of-focus photos, especially physical film, and digital blurry photos I tend to delete. Out-of-focus film gives you a hazy feeling with a palpable graininess. This realism is something that digital photography can’t give you.
The difference between people may lie in the fact that they face the same problem and make different choices. In one thought, you make your choice, I make mine, and then I become me and you become you. The difference between you and me stems from that thought, and the fact that I’m carrying a camera in my hand.
Street photography sets us apart. Life is like the tide, the ebb and flow, like the breeze, the spring and the fall. Photographers are bystanders who record their choices. I don’t pursue beautiful photos, I just want to record the reality of life.
