First seen: 21 july 2006
The titanium embodiment of precision. Hold it in your hands and you’ll feel the quality. The durability. The heritage. You’ll sense the speed and technology. You know that today’s images will be the best you have ever made. After all, the G2 features a Carl Zeiss T* lens set, the lenses that makes the difference.
If you’re looking for a well-built portable camera, the Contax G2 definitely meets that need. Unlike some cameras that seem like cheap plastic in your hands, this is solid even though it weighs under 2 pounds! The Contax G2 system is definitely one that’s aimed toward someone interested in better quality photography since ConTax makes a variety of lenses for the G2 including 16/8, 21/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2.0, 45/2.0, and 90/2 – that’s 8 lenses! The only downside here, in my opinion, is that carrying so many l…
See moreIf you’re looking for a well-built portable camera, the Contax G2 definitely meets that need. Unlike some cameras that seem like cheap plastic in your hands, this is solid even though it weighs under 2 pounds! The Contax G2 system is definitely one that’s aimed toward someone interested in better quality photography since ConTax makes a variety of lenses for the G2 including 16/8, 21/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2.0, 45/2.0, and 90/2 – that’s 8 lenses! The only downside here, in my opinion, is that carrying so many lenses definitely takes away from the portability of this camera. They’re also a little awkward to put on and take off. For focus, the Contax G2 has an autofocus rangefinder with two different settings. The first setting is “active” and offers infrared light to improve low light focus abilities, especially in tight spaces.
The second setting is passive, really acting to finish the focus. Both manual focus and focus lock on the G2 work wonderfully. Pair this with a decent shutter speed ranging from 4 seconds to 1/4000, you can get some pretty nice exposures.
There’s also dial on the G2 camera that will let you adjust your stops in 1/3 increments. And thanks to the motorized film advance, you can take up to four images in one second – no chance that great shot will get away from you now.
For the user, the viewfinder on the Contax G2 is reasonable (a larger one would be nice) and includes a flash mark. You don’t need a heavy duty flash unit for the G2 either. The smaller ones work perfectly well and simply if you don’t want to haul around something larger. The images you can expect from the Contax G2 are very good, with well defined color and line, but I don’t recommend using this camera in a setting where you want to go unnoticed (like a wedding). It makes a lot of noise that could disrupt things.
See lessUpload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for !The Contax G2 is one of just two cameras that formed the basis of the G System, which also comprises lenses and accessories. Christopher Webb takes a look at this classic camera. The original G1 was launched in the early 1990s to a mixed reception. Some feeling it did not quite deserve to be put on the pedestal they wanted to put it on, others feeling it betrayed the manual and mechanical purity of the... Read more
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I couldn't afford a Leica so I went for the next best thing a Contax G2. Incredible camera, with great glass and many many settings. I would say that this is not a camera for a beginner, you need some knowledge of f-stops and what not to use this camera. I think the focus can be iffy at times so look out for that. Read more
G2 is fast and fun to use. Quick and easy auto loading, auto exposure, auto focus, auto wind, auto rewind. Lets you concentrate on the picture instead of fiddling with the camera while the picture gets away. Great optics. Tried a Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder (another excellent camera) but got the G2 plus several lenses and accessories for almost less than the ZM body alone. Besides the ZM is not auto focus, wind or rewind. Only quibble so far: no easy way to manual focus or... Read more
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