Contax G2: A Look

Patrick Young

Created: July 3, 2003
Last Edited: July 10, 2004

The Contax G2 is a very interesting camera not many people have heard of. When I mention it to friends, they always confuse it with the Canon Powershot G2 digital camera. It's a very nice rangefinder film camera that I bought several years ago and has slowly become an indispensable tool. If you are interested in the technical aspects about the G2, check it out here. There is also a Contax G1 camera which is available, it is essentially the predecessor to the G2. Contax is apparently marketing this as a consumer version of the G2.

Modernized Leica M?

Well not quite, although the the Leica M series of rangefinders is probably the closest thing you can compare the G2 to. If you know cameras, then you know that Leicas are really hot stuff, especially the M-series of cameras. Henri Cartier-Bresson, the master of street photography used Leica M-series cameras. Leicas are completely mechanical cameras, even the modern M6 and M7 models. They don't even need batteries, although the M6 and M7 do use them for their light meters, power is completely optional. I personally own a Leica M3.

The Contax G2 couldn't be any more different. The G2 is completely computer driven. The G2 is not in a traditional sense a true rangefinder (that is you must line up two parallax images in the viewfinder to achieve focus)--you simply point the center hot spot at your subject just like a point-and-shoot and the computer does the triangulation. Autofocus is pretty much the only way to go with the G2, the manual focusing mechanism is pretty much useless except for setting the focus to infinity (Leicas are totally manual focus). Here's a quick look at some differences between the two:

 

Contax G2	Leica M6/M7
Complete autofocus. Computer automated triangulation. Manual focus is computer assisted (fly-by-wire)	Manual focusing using traditional parallax image alignment system in viewfinder
Requires lithium batteries. Camera useless when battery drained.	Completely mechanical; newer models like the M6 and M7 use a battery to power the light meter but can function without it.
Center-weighted metering	What metering? M6/M7 have light meters that do center metering.
Up to 3 frames-per-second continuous shooting	Manual winding.
Automatic film speed detection. Manual ISO override.	Manual ISO setting. M7 can auto-detect film speed.
Mechanical blade shutter	Cloth leaf shutter
Manual 8s to 1/4000s shutter speed range (16s to 1/6000s in automatic mode)	1s to 1/1000s
Auto bracketing available	N/A
Carl Zeiss Lenses	Leica Lenses
Expensive ($1100)	Super Expensive (M7:$2600)

(Contax has their own comparison chart, click here to see it)

It's hard not to like the Contax. You could argue that Leica lenses make it worth it, or that having all these limitations makes you work harder and makes you think harder about your photos. In my opinion Carl Zeiss lenses are very good, equal or better than Leica lenses. Even then the difference in quality at that level is very minute.

For myself, I went to Keeble and Shutat in Palo Alto to look at both the Leica M6 and the Contax G2. The Contax G2 kit (which includes the G2 body, the incredible Carl Zeiss Planar 45mm 2.0 lens, batteries and strap) cost $1300. The M6 body cost $2000, and the equivalent lens, the Leica 50mm Summicron f2.0 cost over $1100. The salesperson was very blunt with me--the Contax was a far better deal.

Carl Zeiss lenses are anything but cheap--Zeiss lenses for Hasselblads, Rolleis and the Contax 645 all cost thousands. They are good enough to be used by NASA for space photography. Yet for the Contax G2 I got the Planar 45 as part of the kit (normally $320). I also got the Zeiss Biogon 28mm from E-Ba7( $250), Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm ($800) and T200 flash ($150) used from KEH. A similar kit from Leica would be unimaginably expensive.

I still have a fondness for Leicas--I have a Leica M3 passed from my grandfather to my father and to now to me. But as a practical matter, the G2 is simply a better deal and much more versatile and useful.

Contax G2 Impressions

The Contax G2 is a very solid camera. It's outer shell is shiny titanium (there is a black finish version as well). All lenses are of a matching titanium finish. It is a very gorgeous camera to look at. It is the size of a large point-and-shoot camera, but quite a lot heavier. It is very comfortable to hold. The controls are very simple--the camera is always in aperture priority mode when the shutter dial is set to "Auto". When you move the shutter dial to something else (you have to push a release button to unlock it from automatic mode), you are in manual mode. Looking through the viewfinder, you will see the current shutter speed as well as what the computer thinks of the exposure--an up arrow means it thinks it's too high and down means too low. In addition there is a focus indicator, blinks if it's out of focus. After you have found the right exposure, you can move the "On" switch to the exposure-lock position to lock in your exposure settings so you can compose. I find it to be a very intuitive and useful feature found across the Contax line of cameras.

The G2 is a very unassuming looking camera for the most part. People are much less intimidated by it because it looks enough like an ordinary point-and-shoot camera. It is an eye-catching camera and many people have give me complements about it.

It takes some time to get used to using the G2. Because it is a rangefinder, you have no way of determining if you are focused properly--you might be focused on the wrong object. You cannot manually judge depth of field, you have to know it or calculate it. The closer you are to your subject, the more parallax correction is involved (this takes some time to get used to, the Contax G2 will actually mask parts of the viewfinder to give you an approximation of the parallax correction necessary--pretty cool). Because it is a rangefinder, is also able to focus in complete darkness, provided you do not cover the emitter windows.

Filters are a tricky matter. Split-ND filters are fairly useless. Polarizers are a bit tricky to use but can be done. Full ND, color correction filters and softeners should work fine.

Why a Contax G2?

I already have a very good Canon outfit, why bother with the G2? The Canon EOS 3 is a superior camera in every which way to the Contax and much more versatile with all the equipment I have. Two simple answers really,

• Size - The Contax system is very small compared to my Canon outfit. I can fit the entire G system in a knapsack or a fanny-pack quite easily. I usually carry my Canon outfit in a huge camera bag and when out photographing I can only carry a limited selection of equipment due to bulk and weight.
• Image Quality - That's not to say the Canon equipment is shabby--nothing could be further from the truth. However there is something to be said of Carl Zeiss quality. In addition, lens designs for rangefinders especially at wide angles is very different than for SLR cameras. Rangefinder cameras do not have a mirror which puts limits on lens designs. On rangefinders wide angle lenses are only millimeters away from the film plane which allows for better image resolution, contrast and sharpness.

All this makes the Contax G2 my ideal travel camera. Its light weight, small profile and high image quality make it perfect for vacation pictures as well as serious photography. There have been times where weight was a very limiting factor and bringing the G2 along made the difference between getting a photo or not bringing a camera at all. Some of my best photographs were made using the G2.

Lenses and Accesories

Carl Zeiss Planar 45mm F2.20

Here is a list of lenses and accessories for the Contax G2 that I own and use.

Carl Zeiss Planar 45mm F2.0

This is the lens you get when you buy the G2 bundle, which I think cost me US$1400. This is not a throw-in lens like the ones you get when you buy something like the Canon Rebel Kit. This is a superb lens, excellent in almost every measurable fashion. Performance is exceptional; color, contrast, sharpness and resolving power are as good it gets. www.photodo.com scores the Planar a 4.7, which tops the vaunted Leica Summicron 2.0 (graded at 4.6). Does that mean the Planar is better? For the money ($1400 package deal - $1100 for the Contax body = $300 lens cost) it would be hard to argue against the Planar 45mm.

Just to put it in perspective, the Canon 50mm 1.4 and t he Nikon 50mm F1.8 both scores a grade of 4.4. Wow, how about that!

Carl Zeiss Biogon 28mm F2.8

Carl Zeiss Biogon 28mm F2.8

I got this one on E-Bay for $350. This is an amazing lens. First, if you're used to SLR cameras, you may be surprised when you see this lens. Since rangefinders do not require a mirror, lens configurations can extend into the body of the camera. The Biogon is case in point; the lens actually extends into the body and is only millimeters away from the film plane. What that means is sharpness that is beyond any comparable 28mm lens for an SLR.

The only other camera I know of with a Biogon lens configuration is the special wide angle Hassleblad 905SWC. The lens is permanent in its case.

Again like the Planar 45mm, sharpness, contrast, resolving power are all superb. photodo.com grades the Biogon 28mm at 4.2, which the comparable Leica Elmarit-M scores a 4.1. For comparison again well known SLR lenses, the Canon EF 28mm F2.8 scored a 3.8 while the Nikon ADF 28mm F2.8 only scored a 3.2.

For the value, the Biogon 28mm was an obvious choice for me.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm 3.5-5.6

Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar 35-70mm F3.5-5.6

This is one of my favorite lenses for the Contax G2. It is quite expensive, but I managed to buy it used for

$750. This is no ordinary zoom lens.

First of all, unlike the quasi-zoom lenses for Leicas (the Tri-Elmar, which lets you select between 28/35/50mm) the Vario-Sonnar is completely variable--you can zoom any which way you like between 35mm and 70mm. And even more interesting, unlike Leicas, the viewfinder will actually zoom as you zoom, so what you seen in the viewfinder is pretty close to what you are going to get. That is incredibly nice. A lot of Leica stalwarts would say that's blasphemy. I think it's just a different way to do things, and I certainly do like it myself.

Like the Biogon 28mm, the lens configuration also extends into the camera--within millimeters of the film plane. Performance, again as with all other G2 lenses I've used is nothing short of excellent.

Contax TLA 200 Flash Unit

Contax TLA 200

If there is one thing that is a weakness for the G2, it would probably be the flash unit. There are two flash units available, the TLA 140 and TLA

200. I purchased the TLA 200 used.

The nice thing about the TLA 200 is that it was designed to work with the G2. It is quite small with a matching titanium finish (unlike the lenses and the body however, the TLA is mostly plastic). The TLA 200 has TTL metering and a switch at the top to match the focal length of the lens you are using (plus a rudimentary distance guide that moves as you play with the switch).

For the most part the TLA 200 works fairly decently, although it doesn't have anything close the versatility of a Canon Speedlite 550EX for obvious reasons. Red eye is a concern since the flash mount directly atop the G2 above the lens. I often try to soften the flash a bit by tying napkins in front of it, the light can be harsh.

The TLA 200's biggest weakness is that it requires two expensive CR2 batteries to operate. It would have been nice to be able to use standard AA batteries, especially if you could use rechargable NiMH ones with it. But the TLA 200 does work, and I did get it cheap, around $150. The G2 is compatible with several other Contax flashes, which would probably be a better option if you are doing more serious flash photography.

Recommend a G2?

Well I certainly would, but several things need to be considered. It is not an SLR so there will be some limitations in what you can do with it. It will be a little more difficult to use the G2 especially in terms of focus and depth-of-field. The meter on the G2 is adequate, but it can be fooled so you must be able to understand exposure fairly well to know when it is wrong. Filters are a pain to use, and most of the time it's not worth it. My own thinking is that this is more of a camera for intermediate and expert photographers--for beginners it can be challenging. Once you get the hang of using it however, it is a pleasure to use. I really enjoy using mine and it will continue to be a major tool for me.

If anything, the Contax G2 system is worthwhile because of the lenses. Nothing short of superb, from construction to optical performance. I guess my only wish would be for a digital version of the G2. Most of my work now is done using digital, so it would be nice to be able to use those lenses more.

But for what it is, the G2 is an excellent value. It is a great travel camera because of its small size. The three lenses and the TLA 200 that I own easily fit in a small waistpack. I would say if you are interested in high quality at a good price, are interested in using rangefinders as an alternative to a bulky SLR, interested in street or travel photography--the G2 is something to seriously think about.

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