Episode 83 of Camerosity is a spontaneous, unannounced Boxing Day recording that came together when the hosts felt the itch to talk cameras, joined by friends Dan Cuny and Ray Nason. Rather than a planned theme, the episode grew out of a request in the Camerosity Facebook group asking for more detail on Contax cameras, which became the centerpiece of the discussion. The group covers the full sweep of Contax history, from the pre-war Contax I, II, and III rangefinders, through the post-war Contax IIa and IIIa, the East German Contax SLRs (and how they relate to Pentacon/Hexacon models), and finally the Yashica/Kyocera-era Contax SLRs and compact cameras like the T and G series. Along the way they touch on preset lenses, the Contarex "Bullseye" and non-Bullseye models, the Contaflex 126/Instamatic cameras, and how Yashica came to license the Contax name, plus a tangent on Kyocera's other product lines like knives and golf clubs.
Beyond the Contax deep dive, the episode is loosely structured as a catch-up session covering各 host's recent camera activities. Mike gives an update on the "borrowed" Detrola 400 from Roberts Camera and discusses other premium American rangefinders like the Ektra, Bell & Howell Foton, Clarus, and Perfex, as well as a Mr. Zhang Hasselblad back modification and his lukewarm feelings on the Hasselblad SWC. Dan Cuny talks about his review process and his recent look at the Ansco Memo, sparking a broader conversation about Memo-branded cameras. Paul shares his fondness for adapting Contaflex 126 lenses and discusses a friend's 240-degree panoramic Mamiya RB67 build, while Anthony recounts a New Zealand trip involving a Voigtländer Bessa, Perkeo II, and a newly acquired clip-on meter. Other gear mentioned includes a Taron Supra V18, an Exakta fitted with an Ansco TLR lens, and Zeiss-Ikon Ikoflex TLRs.
The overall takeaway is less a single verdict than a wide-ranging, informal survey of Contax's long and varied history across rangefinder, SLR, and compact formats, paired with candid personal anecdotes—like Dan's dislike of shooting Contax rangefinders compared to Nikon's—that reflect the hosts' hands-on, opinionated familiarity with the marque. The episode closes with previews of Episode 84, a crossover recording with the I Dream of Cameras podcast likely touching on Alpa SLRs, scheduled for January 13th.
AI-generated summary. May not capture every detail — read the full article below for the complete picture.
The end of the year is almost here, and the guys and I were getting that itch to record something, so on a dreary Boxing Day, we all got together for a spontaneous episode to catch up on what we’ve been doing. We did not post the join link this time, but we managed to coerce our friends Dan Cuny and Ray Nason to join us for some post-Christmas camera discussion.
To help us find things to talk about, we decided to tackle a request made earlier this month in the Camerosity Facebook group, asking for more detail about Contax cameras which we were happy to do. We get into some history, some real world reviews, advice, and other Contax nonsense. Everything from the pre and post war Contax rangefinders, the East German Contax SLRs, and the Yashica/Kyocera Contax cameras were discussed.
In addition to Contax discussion, Mike gives an update on what became of the Detrola 400 he “borrowed” from Roberts Camera, Dan shares his thoughts on his most recent review of the Ansco Memo and we talk about Memo cameras. Anthony shares his photographic adventures he went on traveling to New Zealand, and Paul confesses his love for adapting Contaflex 126 lenses!
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
We will welcome in the new year with Episode 84 in which we will be inviting Jeff and Gabe from I Dream of Cameras. There is a high chance we will spend some time on Alpa SLRs, but there’s no telling where the discussion will go with what will effectively two podcasts recording at the same time! If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to have “too many cooks in the kitchen”, this is the episode for you! We will record on Monday, January 13th 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.
In This Episode
Mike’s Update on the Detrola 400 / Other Premium American Rangefinders / Ektra, Bell & Howell Foton, Clarus, Perfex- Allen Wade is Ray, Paul, and Mike’s Source for Camera Repair
- Mr Zhang Modifies Hasselblad Backs / Mike Didn’t Like the Hasselblad SWC
- Paul Wishes for a 6×9 Mamiya 7 / Fuji 6x9s / Texas Leicas
- Dan Cuny Talks About His Review Process / Ansco Memo and Agfa Memo Cameras
- Dan is Curious About the Beier Beira / Voigtländer Prominent
- Paul’s Friend Made a 240 Degree Panoramic Mamiya RB67
- Tim Floyd is Contax Curious / Camerosity Presents: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Contax Cameras
- Pre-War Contax I
- Pre-War Contax II and III
- Post-War Contax IIa and IIIa
- East German Contax SLRs
- Yashica / Kyocera Contax SLRs and Other Cameras
- Comparing Shooting a Contax and Nikon Rangefinder / Dan Has Never Liked Shooting Contax Rangefinders
- What are the Differences Between a Contax / Pentacon / Hexacon SLRs
- Preset Lenses / Contarex Bullseye and non-Bullseye
- Contaflex 126 / Instamatic Cameras
- How Did Yashica Come to Use the Contax Name?
- Kyocera Made Great Knives and Golf Clubs / Contax T and G Series Cameras
- Theo is Shooting a Pentacon Six, KMZ Horizont, and Canon 7
- Gallus Derlux and Foth Derby / Theo Has a Jolly Look from Antony Hands
- Mike Picks Up a Taron Supra V18 / Ray Picks Up an Exakta with an Ansco TLR Lens on It
- Anthony Just Got Back from New Zealand / Voigtländer Bessa and Perkeo II / Anthony Gets a Clip-On Meter
- Zeiss-Ikon Ikoflex TLRs / What’s Next
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social. This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there. Follow us there for show announcements and other content.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Theo Panagopoulos – https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt – https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris – https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue – https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
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