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Archive 2011 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645

  
 
freaklikeme
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


Micky Bill wrote:
Im an old school film / digital user and have always felt the 645 format was a compromise. Its a wee bit bigger than 35 without the easy handling and wide lens choice and a wee bit smaller than 6x6-7-9-12 but without the film real estate and its not "that" much smaller than a 503 Hassy.
Don't get me wrong the Contax is a beautiful camera that has always (in the USA at least) been a boutique/ exclusive camera that is going thru some price inflation right now.
There are plenty of Hassy and RZ67 going for dirt cheap now and
...Show more

I don't see an apples to apples comparison there with the Hassy 503. You have to go up to the H series to get AF (with, so far as I know, no AF option for the Mamiya), and while a used H1 isn't that much more expensive than the like-condition Contax 645s, the lenses tend to be three to four times the price. If AF is important to you, the smaller format may be an easy compromise, if it's a compromise at all. To a 135 shooter, 645 is a big leap in real estate, after all, but a joke to the guy who modified a truck to become a massive mobile camera. It's all a matter of perspective and preference.

That said, I've been selling off gear with the objective of picking up a 503CXi with a couple of 120 backs and 50/4. A friend of a friend is moving to the H system and I got to play with the CXi early last week. Pure magic. And I really like the square format, even if it is just a 6x7 compromise.



May 09, 2011 at 02:44 AM
bensassophotog
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


I can't speak for anyone else's reasons but I have a friend who owns one and let me shoot a few portraits of her on it. I owned a mamiya 645 with an 80mm 1.9 and a 45mm and also a mamiya 7ii and within a few days I sold both of them to buy the contax. It is beautiful to shoot and I can already tell it is going to be one of my favorite shooting systems. It rests in your hand like an slr and there isn't a thing on it that frustrates you or slows you down when shooting.


May 09, 2011 at 07:52 AM
MuggeGHQ
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


I have a Contax 645 body + for sale. It was my meaning to bye a digital back for it but never got to it.
Shooting Canon now and the Contax 645 body will just be dusted if someone don't get it.
Its a beautiful camera.

Contax 645 body
prism view finder
film back
Motor Grip ( For faster shooting + hojsontalt shutter/focus button + more AAA battery.

Everything works as it should. Comes in original boxes.

Price 1500$

email. [email protected]



Feb 16, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Alf Beharie
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


weezintrumpete wrote:
I've been looking for one recently for a few reasons, as silly as they may be.

1. Contax body, Zeiss glass. I love Contax bodies, and I love Zeiss glass. AF is a bonus.

2. The 80mm f/2 is one of the fastest medium format lenses available. f/2 = narrow depth of field for portraits, etc.

3. I've recently started following photographer Jose Villa (a wedding photographer in California). He uses a Contax 645 almost exclusively and gets amazing results. Of course, most of that is because he's amazingly talented! (http://josevillablog.com/).



Actually if you read the text under the last sample, he says he uses a 6x6 Hasselblad.
Irrespective of what camera he used though, most of the images in question seem to taken on film, not digital and as a consequence the contrast of his images is'nt that good and most seem to have fairly low resolution too...To be quite honest I dont see much there than cant be done better with a cheaper FF DSLR and a fast lens.




Feb 16, 2012 at 01:03 PM
edwardkaraa
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


The glass may be equal to Mamiya in terms of sharpness or resolution, but having myself used Mamiya RB67 for several years, I am pretty sure that the Zeiss glass is superior in most aspects, even on the smaller format. I have seen many photographs shot with the Contax 645 and the drawing style of the lenses is amazing.


Feb 16, 2012 at 01:26 PM
AhamB
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


Alf Beharie wrote:
Irrespective of what camera he used though, most of the images in question seem to taken on film, not digital and as a consequence the contrast of his images is'nt that good and most seem to have fairly low resolution too...To be quite honest I dont see much there than cant be done better with a cheaper FF DSLR and a fast lens.


http://cheezcomixed.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/koma-comic-strip-sometimes.jpg



Feb 16, 2012 at 01:32 PM
contas
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


I have my own experience on buying, converting and shooting with Contax 645 80mm f/2.Let I tell my story:
1- Contax 645 80mm f/2 is always available on sale on Ebay - not expensive at all.
2- I did conversion, the built is very very (twice) hight quality, and much superior to the built of N:24-85mm ( that I did conversion too).The front element group is slide on 2 ceramic grooves, so it's steady and smooth slide, never shake.Other internal parts have luxury apperances also( they maybe made of high quality alloy metals).The conversion went through many diffculties but successefully with new "brain ".
3- I shoot it as portrait lens, animal, landscape, it's super sharp, even wide open and gives contrasty Pics with natural colors (although I only shoot with Canon).I look around to see someone shooting on combo like me but still didn't find anyone- just for a little comparison.
This is considered successeful "operation" but it seem can't be done in large scale, because of extreme scarce of "donor" and time-consuming meticulous works.I can share my "secret knowledges" with someone who is really has guts and ambition.Best Regards.



Feb 16, 2012 at 09:35 PM
jcolwell
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


contas wrote:
... because of extreme scarce of "donor" and time-consuming meticulous works.I can share my "secret knowledges" with someone who is really has guts and ambition.Best Regards.


Good luck with this.



Feb 16, 2012 at 09:52 PM
contas
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Why is everyone looking for Contax 645


Thanks jcolwell.



Feb 16, 2012 at 10:08 PM
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