I provide the highest possible quality services to the Zeiss Ikon Contax line of cameras.  These services range from cosmetic repair to complete overhauls.  Your service needs for your camera can be completely fulfilled here.  Here you will find the highest possible quality and service available anywhere in the world for you valuable Zeiss Ikon Contax cameras, lenses and accessories.

I am sure you have many questions.  This site attempts to answer them.   If you want to generally know what will be done to your camera, are a person working on your own camera, or thinking about it, all the information you need is here.  Just check out the hot link list and find your question.

Replacement Rebuilt Contax II/III Shutter -  $135.00 (With rebuildable exchange)
Replacement Contax IIa/IIIa Shutter Module - 175.00 (With exchange)
Replacement Contax III Lightmeter - $95.00 (With rebuildable exchange)
Replacement Contax IIIa Lightmeter - $155.00 (With rebuildable exchange)
Replacement Contax II/III Viewfinder Prism - $85.00
Replacement Contax IIa/IIIa Viewfinder Prism - $175.00
Replacement Back Leather (With Zeiss Embossed Logo) - $55.00
Replacement Front Leather (Right and Left) $45.00
Replacement Contax IIa/IIIa Focusing Helical - $115.00
Replacement Contax II/III Focusing Helical  - 85.00
Replacement Contax IIa/IIIa Front Plate - $185.00
Replacement Contax II/III Front Plate - $95.00
Replacement Contax IIa/IIIa Back - $175.00
Replacement Contax II/III Back -  $95.00
Silk Contax I, II, III Shutter Tape $75.00 per yard.

Other parts are available please inquire concerning your needs.

The Zeiss Document Library

Free Section

The Ten Contax Lenses"

The Zeiss Ikon Dealer Bulletin No. 11 of 1954 is a fascinating look into Zeiss Ikon Stuttgart when it was at its very peak.  Many topics are covered including the introduction of the Zeiss 21mm Biogon and the 35mm Planar lenses for the Contax RF Camera, stereo photography, post war reconstruction, company history, dealer tips, and the Contaflex SLR camera.  Lavishly illustrated and very professionally produced.  This document is well worth lingering over.  It is filled with a great many gold nuggets.  It is 30 pages in length.

This is not a Library Document, it is a link to a Web Site authored by Mr. Klaus-Eckard Riess.  Mr. Reiss is a Zeiss camera expert whose father was an executive at Zeiss prior to World War II.  He  apprentenced at Zeiss and actually worked in the Zeiss factories and Camera Prototype Department during the time following World War II and up to the time of the end of Zeiss camera production.  His web site is definitely the must see site for anyone who is interested in the Contax camera and its history.  His first hand observations and story about his time at Zeiss are a true revelation and are a "must read" for the true Zeiss Lover.

The subscription section is in preparation and will be here soon.  This section of the library will be password controlled and will be open for subscription at nominal cost due to the high cost of purchasing the rare documents it will contain.  Those customers who have a camera overhauled will receive a free subscription good for one year.  The first documents to be included will include scans of the orignal instruction books for the Contax I, III, IIa BD and IIIa CD and BD models.  It will be expanded to include rare catalogs and other rare Zeiss documents related to the Contax Rangefinder cameras.
 
 

This is an Autocollimator.  It is used to precision align the lens mount to the film plane.  Each and every camera whose lens mount is disturbed during servicing is aligned on this autocollimator to ensure the best possible sharpness from edge to edge.  A Contax III is shown mounted on it.

To contact me directly please use email.  You can use this hot link to send me email:  Mail.

I once posted my telephone number and address on this website.  The result was that I got telephone calls at all hours of the day and night from people all over the world, my mailbox began to fill up with solicitations for every kind of dishonest investment scheme,  and there was no way I could get any work done.

If you want to talk to me about Contax I want to talk to you.   I will be very happy to give you my telephone number in response to your email request.

My thumbnail background is that as a young man I sold cameras at various camera stores in the Los Angeles area in the 1960's.  That was the time when the rangefinder camera was right at the end of its time as the king of photography.  So I remember well the days when the Contax was being made and sold and what people were saying about it then.  I am a trained watchmaker, was a precision machinist on a Nuclear Submarine, ran a successful custom printing business using the Kodak Dye Transfer Process, have degrees in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering.  I worked as a Nuclear Engineer and have been retired for some time now and have been specializing in the restoration of the Contax Rangefinder cameras for over 12 years.  I decided to specialize in the Contax rangefinder camera because I found out there were no high quality sources of repairs anywhere.  My feelings were that such a unique camera deserved much better service than was available and decided to provide it.

The Contax camera is very sensitive to shock and vibration.  It is very possible for your camera to be further damaged during shipment to me if it is improperly packaged and it is more possible for it to be damaged during shipment to you if it is not properly poackaged.  I have a lot of experience in shipping Contax cameras and have learned the hard way what is required to minimize the possibility of damage to your camera while it is in shipment.  So please follow these instructions with great care.

Free Packaging Offer:    If you don't want to go through all the trouble, expense and bother it will take to obtain all the necessary materials you will need to ship your camera to me all you have to do is ask me to send you a shipping kit.  I will send you, at no cost to you, a complete kit containing all the packaging materials you need to properly package your camera for shipment to me for service.  Use this link to find out all about this offer:  Free Shipping Kit.

Or You Can Do It Yourself

I realize it may cost a little money, inconvenience and time to package your camera properly.  But remember that while your camera is in shipment it is in the custody of people who do not know how important it is to you and me or just how fragile it is.  The packaging needs to take the place of our hands.

Shipping Address:  I will gladly provide you with my address and telephone number in response to your email request for it.  Just send me an email.  My email address is:

[email protected]

or you can juse this convenient link: Mail to Henry Scherer

Packing Fee:  I will package your camera in accordance with these instructions to return your camera to you.  If the materials you use to send  the camera to me are not suitable for return shipment you will be charged a $10.00 fee to cover all of my costs in obtaining and purchasing the proper shipping materials.

Box:   Use a new thick walled box at least 12"x12"x12" in size.

Plastic Bag:   Put the camera in a Ziploc type plastic bag to hold the camera to protect it from moisture.

Bubble Wrap:   Use bubble wrap to cover the camera with at least three layers of bubble wrap (use more if you have more).  Please do not tape the bubble wrap, use a rubber band to keep it from unrolling.  Taping the bubble wrap makes it impossible for me to reuse it when I return the camera to you.

Packing:   Use foam plastic packing peanuts.  Fill the box about 1/2 full, then place the camera on top of the layer of peanuts.  Then cover the camera with the remaining peanuts.  Fill the box so that when the flaps are closed it is necessary to compress the penauts slightly so that the box is firm.  Shake the box lightly to see if the camera can be felt to be moving.  If it can, add some more peanuts.

Do not use plastic baloons, wadded newspaper or other paper, large chunks of upholstery foam or broken up pieces of solid foam plastic to pack your camera.

Tape:   Use high qulity package sealing tape to seal the box closed using a single continuous run of tape that covers the top and bottom closures with two layers of tape.  There is no need to cross tape the box.  Taping the box excessively makes it impossible for it to be reused when returning the camera to you.

Marking:   Mark the box "Fragile" on the top and bottom of the box.   DO NOT MARK THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX TO INDICATE IT CONTAINS A CAMERA OR CAMERA EQUIPMENT.

 

SHIPPING AND PAYMENT

Shipping:   your camera to me should be by insured shipment.  Shipping to and from me for servicing is at your cost.  Shipment to me is at your cost and from me for warranty work is at my cost for domestic destinations and shipping both ways is at your cost for destinations outside the USA.  I ship by USPS insured priority mail for USA delivery and by USPS insured Express mail for foreign shipment.  Fedex shipping, including overnight delivery is available.

Payment is acceptable in the form of a personal check, company check, postal money order, bank or other type of money order, bank cashiers check, or you can use your credit card with PayPal.  High quality equipment in trade is also an option.

If you choose to send cash the responsibility for loss or theft while in transit is yours.  Most postal authorities and shipping companies will not insure cash shipments.  If you do choose to send cash you must use a method that requires me to sign for delivery.

Charges for services are due and payable at the time you are notified the work is complete.  Normally I will notify you by email unless you specify another method.  Payment for services is due and payable within 10 days of the submission of the statement of charges.  Repaired equipment for which payment is not received within 90 days will be considered to be abandoned and will be sold to recover my fees.

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GUARANTEE

THE QUALITY  OF MY WORK

All of my work comes with an unconditional one year guarantee.  This includes shutter speed performance.  The highest speeds are of the most concern to the modern user.  You can have confidence your fully rebuilt camera will perform reliably and consistently.  Here is an excerpt from a letter I recently received from a person who wrote to inform me of his tests of his rebuilt Contax II camera and serviced lens:

"Henry:

You have done a great job in fixing the problems. The shutter seems to work flawlessly at every speed. I have not found any problems with it so far.  The match of the FR and the focusing (distance) ring is absolutely perfect. When I "focus" on an object 20 meters away through the range finder, the 20 meter line of the focusing ring comes right at the black dot. The same thing happens for 10m, 6m, 4m, and so on all the way down to 0.9m.   All the test pictures were taken with f2.0 and 1/1250 (on a tripod and with a shutter release cable.) . I am very happy with your work, and I can now use the camera with full confidence.
Thank you!

T.Y."

Dear Henry,
I am so delighted with the work you've done to the camera! It arrived this morning. Thanks so very much. The shutter sounds just terrific, so much quieter that I now realize I've never heard one as it should sound. Very pleased also with the smooth  focusing and the work you did on the rangefinder. It's as you said, like new. Will bring another body into work with me tomorrow and FedEx it off to you for arrival Thurs PM if that's ok. Thanks again.
 

B.P.

Dear Henry,

                    When it comes to these Contax machines you are the best!
Your ability to create superb cameras is second to none. Also I appreciate
the factual way that you describe the camera's attributes and even ,
sometimes  the the news that is not so good.  But still you managed to improve
even on the worst of them as in the case of the Contax II BD. Thanks again
for servicing all my cameras and lenses.
I'll let you know when I receive the camera.

Best regards,

R.

All work has an absolute 1 year guarantee issued to the owner at the time of the service.   If something should  go wrong with a covered function of the camera included in a servicing any time within 1 year,  simply return it by insured priority mail and it will be repaired and return shipped to you by insured priority mail at no charge.  Shipping to and from destinations outside the USA is at your cost.  The guarantee is subject to the following conditions:

1.  The camera has not been opened by any person.  If the camera has been opened by any person after it leaves my hands the guarantee is void.

2.  The shutter curtains have not been forced:  In the event of  a shutter problem do not attempt to move the shutter curtains by hand or with a tool of any kind.  If the shutter curtains have been damaged by force or manipulation the guarantee on shutter work is voided completely.

3.  The film advance knob has not been forced:  In the event of a shutter problem or camera jam do not force the film advance knob.  Forcing this knob will shear the shutter cocking/speed select pin.  If this pin has been sheared the guarantee is voided completely.

4.  The camera has not been dropped, wetted, or abused:  The Contax camera contains a number of very fragile optical components. Dropping the camera, wetting it, subjecting it to conditions of excessive heat, cold or humidity or otherwise treating it in an careless and abusive manner can result in corrosion,  the breakage of optical components, loss of alignment and/or calibration of mechanical components.

5. The Problem is not due to the failure of a component due to a problem with original factory materials or workmanship:  The Contax camera is over 50 years old, in most cases.  It is possible for a part or component to fail due to the cause that it has reached the end of its service life, metal fatigue, or an original defect present from the time of manufacture.  The guarantee does not cover failure of original factory shutter tapes or guide cords.  My guarantee covers my work and does not extend to parts, materials and factors that are not related to my work on the camera.

6. I am the sole arbitrator of any dispute concerning the Guarantee:  In submitting a camera to me for repair, or in purchasing a camera I have repaired you accept that I am the sole arbitrator and of any dispute concerning any matter connected to the one year guarantee.

7. The Guarantee on the lightmeter of the Contax III and IIIa model cameras is limited:  The meter will be repaired and restored to normal operation if it should fail in a manner where replacement parts are not needed.  Repair parts, if necessary, will be installed at additional cost and labor.

8.  The Guarantee Terms Applicable to the Contarex Line of Camera are Specified in the Contrarex section of this Web Site.  The Guarantee Terms specified in this section apply only to the Contax Rangefinder Line of Cameras and lenses.

9.  Adjustments required due to Shocks sufferend during Shipping Will be covered under the guarantee :  Shifts in alignment or adjustment to controls or components caused by damge during shipping are covered by the guarantee.  Permanent damage caused during shipping is covered by the postal insurance that is purchased for each shipment.

10.  There may be one or more exclusions:   If your camera is heavily damaged, has been exposed to water or high humidity, or has been damaged due to work by others, it may not be possible to restore shutter speeds to factory tollerances.  In this case you will be informed of this circumstance and shutter speed accuracy will be excluded from the one year guarantee.

11.  The guarantee is not transferable without my permission:   The guarantee is only to the owner of the camera at the time it is serviced.  If the camera is sold or transferred  prior to the expiration date of the guarantee the guarantee expires at the date and time of the sale or transfer.
 

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STANDING OFFER TO PURCHASE

I will purchase Contax Cameras, Lenses and Accessories or allow their value against services as you require.   If you have any Contax items to sell, please contact me by email.   Selling Items.

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The schedules of services provided in this web site are intended to address the most common problems encountered with the pre-war and post-war Contax cameras.  If you believe your camera has problems that are not covered by the schedule, please do not hesitate to contact me using the following mail hot link: Service Questions

The final test of any camera is the pictures it takes.  Every camera I work on is given a final check of picture perfection on the ZTS Precision Focus Tester.  This machine provides a highly magnified ultra-high resolution view of a small segment through the center of the lens, through the camera in real time.  This example shows a Contax IIa with a 50 mm f1.5 Sonnar viewing a very small portion of a large wall hanging Starrett Micrometer Instruction Chart at a distance of 2 meters.

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The Black Chrome Contax III with Pre-War Coated 50 mm f2.0 Sonnar. Want one? Scroll down this page..

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KIEV CAMERA SERVICES

I have received many questions concerning repair services for the Kiev line of Contax Type cameras.  I can and will service Kiev cameras.  The prices are the same as for the Contax Cameras.  To find out the prices for the service or repair you need for your Kiev camera just go to the section applicable to the Contax camera that is most similar to your Kiev camera.  It is unfortunate that while Kiev cameras are currently much less expensive than the Contax camera, they are identically constructed and require a more or less equal amount of time, labor and materials to service so the prices must be the same.

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What is a CLA?

I have hadn enough experience with cameras that have been subjected to a CLA to know what CLA really means.  It means that you have been robbed.  I have yet to see a camera that has supposedly had a CLA which has actually been cleand and lubricated.  All have been dirty and full of old hardened grease, dirt and metal wear products.  Some have been "adjusted", and adjusted is not the right word because it does not mean "full of bent parts".

The acronym "CLA" stands for clean, lubricate and adjust.  Many of the cameras that are sent to me for a complete servicing have been recently CLA'd by others by repair facilities whose names I once held in high regard..

The main problem I see with cameras that are sent to me that are not performing properly after having had a CLA is that when I open the camera it is apparent that absolutely nothing of any substance has been done to the camera.  I have yet to open a camera that has had a CLA that is not filthy dirty inside with the parts either not lubricated or covered with ancient hardened lubricant.  In some cases I have seen cameras that have been lubricated, but the lubricant was uselessly applied on top of parts instead of underneath them where it should have been applied.

If you do send your camera to someone for a CLA, and you are fortunate enough to really get one you should understand what a CLA really is.  It is a very superficial camera service that is appropriate only for a camera that is in otherwise full functioning condition and which has been regularly receiving CLA's on a frequency of no less than 5  years throughout its life.  In the old days when people could afford to purchase mechanical watches everyone knew it was necessary to have the watch cleaned, lubricated and adjusted every three to five years.  This wisdom was also well known among camera owners because of the similarity between watches and mechanical cameras.  But this knowledge is not so wide spread today.

A CLA is a service that refreshes lubricant in the camera, cleans wearing points that take hard use, and adjusts shutter speeds due to wear of the mechanisms.  Here are the things a CLA does not include:
 

• Complete camera disassembly;
• Ultrasonic cleaning of all mechanical parts and screws;
• Complete internal and external camera shell cleaning;
• Cleaning and lubrication of all film advance system components;
• Adjustment of poorly fitting original parts;
• Cleaning of all optical surfaces in the camera body;
• Leather cleaning, preservation and resurfacing;
• Collimator check and precision alignment of the lens;
• Autocollimator check of lens mount alignment;
• Self timer cleaning and lubrication;
• Renewal of all lubricants in the camera using modern non deteriorating synthetic lubricants;
• Diamond lapping of focusing helical to restore smoothness and ease of rotation;
• Recementing of range finder lenses;
• And repair of broken parts among other things.

It is a sad fact that an attempt to restore a Contax camera that has not been used for ten or more years by a normal CLA may result in serious damage to internal components.  The reason for this is that unskilled workers will many times attempt to restore a sticky shutter whose real problem is hardened lubricant to normal operation by taking adjustments beyond the limit of adjustment.  This can result in permanent damage to shutter components.

It is also a sad fact that continued use of an old Contax without a complete servicing can result in permanent damage to precision shutter components due to lack of lubrication. It doesn't take too many rolls of film through an old Contax with hardened lubrication to permanently damage shutter components so that the highest shutter speeds can never be restored.

The Contax camera is complex metal casting body filled with many high precision parts with complex shapes made of various metals.  It can be highly susceptible to deterioration of shutter performance in cold weather due to dimensional changes in the metal parts caused by temperature change.  All metals change dimension with temperature change.  Generally metal pieces become longer when the temperature increases and become smaller when the temperature decreases.  The overall situation is very complex inside a Contax when it is exposed to a large temperature change, such as going from inside a nice warm house in winter to the outside where it is close to freezing or below.

Another problem that can really gum up a camera is old lubricant.  50 year old grease tends to become like concrete when it is exposed to temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  If your camera has not been serviced in a long time and you intend to take it on a winter vacation, a very serious consideration of a complete servicing will doubtless save you much disappointment when you open the processed film envelope.  It is also possible the problem may become evident quickly when the camera is exposed to cold air.  The wind mechanism may freeze as also may the focusing wheel or the rewind knob.  The shutter release may not work.  All these things can happen due to old deteriorated lubricant exposed to relatively moderate lower temperatures.

When I open a camera for servicing it is always easy to identify a camera that spent a lot of time going in and out of the house in winter.  Screw heads are rusted, internal parts are rusted, brass parts are pitted and rough and it is a real struggle to get the camera to work properly.  In many cases it is not possible to restore the high shutter speeds of such a camera.  If you live in a cold climate and want your Contax to stay in good shape it is important for you to understand just how damaging condensation of internal moisture can be to your camera.  The phenomena of water condensation in the camera is relatively complex, but very important.

The Contax camera body is light tight and therefore relatively air tight; but there is some very slow exchange of air with the outside.  If your camera is kept in a nice warm humid house the air inside the camera will also develop the same high relative humidity as the air in the house.  When this camera is taken outside in very cold weather the water in the air inside the camera will tend to condense as very small droplets inside the camera mechanisms as the camera begins to cool.  This will dry out the air inside the camera.  When the camera taken back inside the house, the humidity in the home air will diffuse into the camera due to the difference in the humidity between the home air and the camera internal air.  Since the camera is still going to be cold for a while, the water in this new air will also condense.  As the camera warms the amount of water in the form of droplets inside the camera will not fully evaporate back into the camera air.  The reason for this is that there is more water in the camera now than than there was when the camera was taken out of the house.  If the camera is taken in and out of the house over the winter the internal parts can become very corroded due to constant presence of liquid water inside the camera.  It takes a very long time for the excess water inside the camera to diffuse out of it.

The solution to the problem is simple.  Purchase one of those small catalytic hand warmers at a well equipped sporting goods store and get it nice and warm before you leave the house with your camera.  Wear a nice warm coat with an inside pocket that is large enough to hold your camera and the hand warmer.  Keep your camera inside the pocket when you're not using it and remove it for only as long as is required to take your pictures, then return it to the warm pocket.  Always keep your camera warm.

If you have an old Contax and you want it to be reliable in Winter have it serviced.

 

What You Must Always Do

When Contax cameras were being made their cost was astronomical.  A Contax IIa with 50mm f2.0 Sonnar sold new for the equivalent of over $5,000.00 in today's dollars.  So these cameras were treated with the utmost respect back then.  Today they cost considerably less, but if you intend to keep your Contax working properly you must treat it as if it cost you $5,000.00.  The reason for this is acceleration and deceleration.

If you take your precious Contax camera and toss it onto the passenger seat when you enter your car  it will hit the seat, go down, stop, and then go up.  It has been accelerated to a speed of approximately 15 miles per hour, instantaneously stopped, and then reaccelerated in the opposite direction.  In doing this very simple thing your camera has been subjected to a cycle of acceleration and deceleration that the camera is instantaneously exposed to at least 15 gravities of force.  Imagine what you would look like and feel like after a good 15G shaking!  The shutter mechanism has long thin levers in it that are very carefully, delicately, minutely and precisely bent to adjust the shutter speeds.  This sort of acceleration/decelaration can easily distort them.  So it should not surprise you that if your camera is tossed onto a car seat or somewhere else the next time you use it the shutter speeds will not be quite right.

It is easy to take a Contax apart.  Many people have done this.  Putting it back together is another thing.  A Contax must be carefully assembled over a period of days.  Each part and assembly must be put back so that its feel is correct.  Each assembly distorts the body a little, and the adjustments are many and tiny.  With each assembly there must be a wait to ensure the situation is permanent.  Finally the camera is in one piece and every control has precisely the right feel and everything is accurate and reliable.  A single toss of the camera can undo all this careful labor in a split second.

So treat your Contax camera just like it was a precision scientific instrument upon which your life depends and you can't go wrong.

What Does MINT Really Mean?

The word MINT gets thrown around a lot on Ebay and many people write to me asking if I have any MINT condition cameras available for immediate sale at a low price.

Mint means "Just like out of the box when new".  I have seen two Contax IIIa cameras sold on Ebay which were brand new, in the original box, with the original papers and case, lens and lens cap.  These were truly mint cameras.  One was a black dial and sold for $1380.00, and the other was a color dial and sold for $1800.00.  So to me MINT means that on the average one camera is worth the same total amount as it would take to buy about five normal cameras in very slightly used condition.

If you are going to purchase a Contax to actually use, why spend the money for MINT?  If you use the thing it won't be mint for long and the depreciation is very steep.  It seems to me the best thing to do is to buy one that is within your budget and which is 100% mechanically, optically and electrically.  After all, a camera is for taking pictures and it doesn't matter what the thing looks like if it will not take a good picture or fails to work at the critical moment.

My simple advice is this.  If you see a camera for sale and it is described to be mint, but it is for sale for much less than $1400.00 then it really isn't mint, and who is fooling who anyway?

I do buy cameras and rebuild them for sale.  Most are not mint.  But all are as close to 100% mechanically, optically and mechanically as it is possible to obtain.  Each is fully guaranteed for one year and each and every one of them will is reliable and take great pictures.

How Good are Russian Lenses?

The huge price difference between Zeiss lenses and Kiev, Jupiter and other Russian made lenses with Contax lens mounts makes them appear to be an appealing alternative to expensive Zeiss lenses.

Optically the Russian lenses can be fantastically superb, but then they can also be very bad.  There is a great variation in optical quality.  This is why they are so cheap.  Luckily the lenses are cheap enough so that one can afford to buy four or five of them in order to get one that is optically extremely fine.  But then you can also be very unlucky and get five really bad ones in a row.  This is also possible.  The Kiev Camera Company used to run an advertisement in Shutterbug magazine that read, "Did you loose at Russian Roulette?" to describe the quality range of cameras and lenses imported directly from Russia.

Mechanically the Russian lenses are of very primitive design and the quality of the components is very low.  The lenses are usually fabricated of the softest grade of aluminum instead of brass.  The lubricant used is a form of wax and while it does not deteriorate because it is a wax instead of a grease, it also doesn't lubricate very well and gives the focusing a rotten stiff feel.

 The main problem with the mechanical components is that they appear to have been fabricated by people who really did not care about what the outcome of job was.  Many parts that require a very fine finish in order to slide easily are finished roughly.  It is possible to improve the parts, but the amount of elbow grease and just plain hard detail work it takes to do this is very large, and in the end the cost would probably wind up being greater than it would be to just go ahead and purchase a Zeiss lens anyway.

Many lenses are not set properly and do not focus at infinity.  You can count on one thing for sure with a Russian lens and this is if you do not have a very lucky purchase you will definitely have the nagging thought the lens needs a good servicing.

When you are thinking of purchasing that extra lens keep one thing in mind.  The exterior cosmetics are insignificant if the front and rear lens elements are clean and are not scratched.  You can save a lot of money on a superb Zeiss lens by waiting your time and waiting for a good well used optically perfect Zeiss lens to come along on Ebay.  You can save a great deal of money if you are willing to do with less than Mint cosmetics and just focus on the picture taking quality of the lens.

I service Russian lenses.

BEWARE THE FAKE CONTAX

I recently found a fake Contax being auctioned on Ebay and fetching a good price.  It must be true that wherever there is a thing of value there will also be fakes.  The following pictures were lifted from the auction page and each is explained to show how you can diagnose the clever Contax fake.

The first picture demonstrates that a real Contax front plate will definitely fit on a Kiev.  Notice the Kiev flash synchronization socket on the right and the style of the lightmeter adjustment knob.  The Kiev camera has a lightmeter knob on its Contax III type models that is a copy of the knob on the Contax IIIa type models.  It also has a Contax IIIa type rising rewind knob.

This camera has a Contax front plate and a Zeis 50mm Collapsable Sonnar, but it's no Contax.

This is a Kiev bottom plate.  The Contax plate has the famous flip out stabilizer and decorative raised bezels around the closing bails.  Kiev closing bails are also highly polished.  Notice there is no Zeiss logo stamp on the leather.
 
 

The small meter adjustment screw bezel and the cocked meter top plate are Kiev givaways.

The Kiev uses little round headed screws to hold the meter top plate and the front plate onto the camera.  Notice how flat headed Zeiss screws have been used on this camera to help disguise it.

Finally, can you see the little Russian word following the "500" on the film speed setting dial?

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The One Thing You Must Never Do

Many of the Contax cameras I see have severe shutter damage due to a finger being used to push the shutter curtains in an attempt to "loosen" them.  Pushing, pulling or interfering with shutter curtain travel can cause severe shutter damage.  The damage done is not to the interna mechanisms, it is done to the edges of the shutter curtains.  The edges of the shutter curtains are made of very thin aluminum (Contax IIa/IIIa) or brass (Contax I/II/III, TLR) which is easily bent and deformed.  Unfortunately it is not so easily straightened and it is almost impossible to obtain the original alignment.

There is no shutter malfunction that can be corrected by touching the shutter curtains. So no matter what ever ever touch the shutter curtains for any reason.
 

Tips on Buying a Used Contax

There's almost no way you can go wrong if you can buy a Contax with a lens on it for $50.00 or less.  If you are going to pay more you need to keep some things in mind, particularly if you intend to use the camera to take pictures.  The following tips are all based upon my experiences with Contax cameras purchased on Ebay.  If you are interested in getting what you think you are paying for I strongly suggest you consider the following before moving forward to purchase a Contax camera on Ebay.

Please remember that most sellers are honest, but it is still possible to buy a bad camera from a sincere person who knows nothing about it and who believes it is in good condition.  It is also human nature to accentuate the good points about a thing being put up for sale and to minimize its bad points.

My experience is a 75% disappointment ratio.  This is to say that about 75% of the cameras I buy disappoint me when they arrive.  Fortunately I have the skills, materials and resources to make most things right in a bad camera.

Before placing your bid be sure to ask the seller the following questions, as applicable, and receive a satisfactory answer:

1.  Does the seller offer a satisfaction guarantee; and if so what are its terms?

2.  Are any cosmetic defects not shown in the pictures included with the auction description such as corrosion, edge dings or dents or serial numbers engraved on the base plate or the back of the top plate?  If the pictures do not show the side of the camera ask if there are any marks on the sides of the top plates from strap usage in the past.  Are there any missing external screws?

2.  Are there any signs of internal corrosion?

3.  Is there a clearly visible gold rectangle visible in the center of the viewfinder?

4.  Is there a grinding feeling or sound when the winding knob is advanced?

5.  Is there a grinding feeling or sound when the focusing wheel is turned?

6.  Has the camera been tested with film or with a shutter and focus testing machines?

7.  Does the seller know if the camera has been opened by any person?

8.  Does the seller warrant the camera contains all of its internal parts?

9.  Do the external screw heads look new and clean or do the slots show screwdriver wear?

10.  Are there any signs the filter ring has been dinged and been repaired?  Does the lens bezel show signs of scratching around the slots?  Are there any scratches on the lens bezel?

11.  Are there any defects visible in the lens when it is removed from the camera and a light sighted through it?

12.  Does the aperture control stick and does it move fully from smallest to largest aperture?

13.  Are there any scratches or cleaning marks on the lens front or rear element external surfaces?

14.  Does the shutter curtain appear to have any marks or bending problems?

15.  Has the range finder been checked against known distances?

16.  Have the shutter speeds been tested and are they all accurate?

17.  If the camera is a IIIa, is the light meter responding to light and has it been calibrated or tested?

One way of telling a very well used camera is to look at the top plate just to the left of the wind knob.  A camera that has taken many pictures will have a crescent wipe mark visible on the top plate where the thumb has rubbed while winding the camera.

Another good tip is to import the pictures shown on the auction and then examine them critically by manipulating the size, brightness and contrast.  Some sellers intentionally post very dark pictures to hide very bad paint and some sellers just don't know how to take good pictures.  The black paint on a Contax will not show up properly unless the picture is lightened considerably.  The way to import the picture is to place the cursor on the picture then click the right mouse button.  Follow the menu to import the picture to a folder in your computer then use your picture editor to manipulate and examine it critically.

A good rule of thumb is that the camera will need a complete servicing in order to be reliable.

Another good rule of thumb is that if the camera looks really beautiful and pristine it has a serious problem that prevents it from taking good pictures that no one has been able to figure out in the last 50 or so years.  I have had the unhappy experience of purchasing some cameras that were very beautiful externally, but inside they showed the work of many desperate angry hands with tools in them.

The IIIa Lightmeter Problem

There is a story going around through various web sites that there is a simple fix for a IIIa light meter that doesn't work.  According to these experts the problem is oxidation of the electrical contacts to the photocell and that all one needs to do is to remove the cell, take a blade and scrape the contacts.  This is supposed to restore the meter to  normal operation.

The fact is that about one of every five IIIa camera I receive for servicing has damage to the cell contacts caused by scraping.  This damage adds a fair amount of work to the camera servicing because it is necessary to repair this damage by polishing out the scratches and replacing the gold plating that was removed by the surface being scraped.  Zeiss understood corrosion, and in most of their light meters the cell contacts were gold plated to eliminate the possibility of corrosion and to ensure long term good electrical contact.  There is no need to scrape the contacts.  Corrosion is the problem, but it is corrosion to the cell itself, and not to the electrical contacts.  The following illustration of the ideal selenium photocell shows what I mean by this.

• C is a transparent thin layer of metal that is deposited over the selenium layer (B) that is deposited over the steel sell support (A).  The selenium layer is made up of small crystals.  In order to collect the electricity from all of them, a conductor must contact each crystal.  The only way to accomplish this is to use a contactor surface that is so thin that light can pass through it.  Over a long time (around 20 years) this layer oxidizes and looses its ability to conduct electricity.  The result is cell failure.
• (E) and (D) are raised electrically conductive surfaces that are applied to the front and back of the cell.  These are typically made of epoxy filled with silver dust.  These are the surfaces the meter electrical contacts compress against when the cell is installed in the meter.
• Another problem that can effect the cell over time is that the selenium layer (B) is a special form of selenium called "metallic" selenium.  Selenium can have several crystal forms, some of which are electrically unconductive and which will not generate electricity when exposed to light. It is possible for the selenium in a cell to begin to change its crystal form over time.  This conversion process can be triggered by the cell being exposed to excessively high or low temperatures.  Once started the conversion process will proceed and cannot be stopped.  In most cases its progress is slow.

The cells in Contax IIIa cameras are all old.  While some may respond to light, the meter cannot possibly be accurate or linear with an old cell in it.  The only way to restore the meter to like new operation is to have a new cell installed in it.  There is absolutely no substitute for this.

There are almost no workers who work on the Contax IIIa light meter.  I am  happy to work on them and am expert in restoring meters to full operation, even those which have been written off by other experts.

If your IIIa meter has a problem and you want it made right correctly please write to me.
 

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Site Copyright

All the written and photographic material contained in this Internet Web page along with all other written and photographic material contained in the Internet Web pages that are accessible from it by use of the links provided herein are copyrighted by me, Henry W. Scherer Jr., the original author of this material in accordance with the laws of the United States of America.  No written or photographic material, in whole or in part, may be copied from any of these pages without my specific written permission.

If any person utilizes any photographic or written material covered by this site copyright statement for the purpose of commercial gain or profit of any kind it is expressly agreed by such person or persons that the use of my written or photographic material without my written permission constitutes an economic injury against me having a value of $5,000.00 for each instance such material is accessed by another person on this or any other Internet web page, or viewed by any person at any place if such material is used in the form of hard copy.  It is further agreed by any person using such material without my permission that they will pay all costs of collection of this debt and that regardless of the location of any computer or place of business from which such use is perpetrated the adjudication of any dispute regarding any matter pertinent to these matters shall be within the judicial district of my domicile in the State of California.

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Other Terms of Service

When you ship a camera or other piece of photographic equipment to me you accept  and agree that the sole terms of service are those which appear in this Internet document and other applicable Internet documents linked to this page which are applicable to your equipment, which are authored by me, and which of the most recent revision.  You agree that the only contractual terms applicable to our transaction are those contained herein and that I am the sole arbitrator of any dispute concerning them.  You agree that any attempt by you to waive, modify, increase, decrease or add to these terms by any method, including but not limited to the sending of mails or letters, statements added to the back of personal checks or other payment instruments, letters or other documents included with the equipment shipment or the sending of hard copy letters to me are invalid and can have no effect.

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Items for Sale

It is my intention to make Contax camera bodies, Contax and Nikon Lenses, and Contax and other accessories available for direct sale from this site.  Please keep checking back.  The appropriate pages will be added once this material is organized.  In the meanwhile, if you have any particular needs, please write.

You can also obtain a Contax camera. lens or accessory at no risk and the lowest possible cost by using The Contax Camera Buying Program.  Just read the next section to find out all about it.

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The Contax Camera Buying Program

The main source of Contax rangefinder cameras is Ebay.  The problem for most people who are planning to buy a Contax is that it is a very important purchase and the uncertainties of the Ebay process are too great.

In order to provide you with an opportunity to obtain a Contax camera having the exterior cosmetic condition you require in 100% mechanical and optical condition that is 100% reliable the Contax Camera Buying Program is available.

Here's how it works:  You tell me the model of camera and the lens you want and I will find it on Ebay.  When one that appears to meet your specifications becomes available I will question the seller and conduct the necessary research to ensure it is the proper camera and will then place a winning bid on it.  The camera will be shipped here and will be completely overhauled and restored to 100% mechanical condition.  It will also be cosmetically detailed.  Then it will be shipped to you with a no-nonsense one year guarantee.

Here's what you pay:

1.  The Ebay bid price plus shipping costs to get the camera sent here.

2.  The normal body overhaul price.

3.  The normal lens overhaul price.

4.  The normal light meter overhaul price if the camera is a III or IIIa model.

5.  The cost of insured USPS shipping to you.

So you pay no more than if you bought the camera yourself and sent it to me for restoration.  There are no extra fees, surcharges or other costs.  It costs you the same as if you did it all yourself, but at no risk  to you.

Here's how to start:  Just use this link to send me an email and tell me you want to buy a camera, lens or accessory:  Mail To Henry Scherer

Here's why I'm doing this:  I check all the Ebay listings for Contax camera equipment daily in order to obtain stock for sale and equipment to provide parts for the repair of customer cameras.  So it's no additional trouble for me to find a camera for someone else.  Interest in the German made Contax rangefinder cameras is growing and the number of emails I receive from people interested in finding and purchasing one is increasing.  I cannot examine all of the auctions and other references to Contax cameras that are being provided to me for comment.  There are simply too many of them and they are taking up too much time and work.  In addition to this there are a great many uncertainties involved in purchasing a camera, lens or accessory on Ebay or elsewhere on the Internet.  If someone purchases a camera basing that decision on my advice I feel to blame if the result is a disappointment due to seller ignorance, ineptitude or dishonesty or due to a mistake on my part.  So it's better for me to simply assume all of the responsibility.  Simply put, you really don't know what you purchased until you open the box.   And in too many instances the result is a great disappointment.  I have been buying Contax equipment on Ebay since it first opened for business and have enough experience with buying on Ebay to be able to reduce the odds of a significant or uncorrectable disappointment.  In the worst case, because of my repair work, I can always use a bad camera as a parts camera.  In most cases the typical camera seeker can't do this.  I believe that anyone who sincerely wants a Zeiss Contax Rangefinder Camera to use should have one that is as good as it was designed and built to be and that it should be 100% reliable; and I know that the only source of 100% reliable Zeiss Contax cameras is my workshop.
 

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Camera Buying Advice

I am sorry to have to say that the number of requests I receive from people to evaluate Contax cameras being sold on Ebay or elsewhere on the Internet have simply become too great for me to be able to perform this service any longer.  Evaluating an Ebay auction and the correspondence with the seller and the sender simply consume too much time and require too much work and effort.  It has gotten to the point where this service has impacted my ability to work on cameras, so it has to be discontinued.

If you want to obtain a Contax Camera on the Internet and you want to do it at the lowest possible price and with absolutely no risk please consider The Contax Camera Buyers Program.  You can read all about it in the section above this one.  If you want to purchase a camera for yourself it is probably a good idea for you to review my set of buyers tips on this page.  Use this link to check them out:   Buyers Tips

I will answer all of the most frequently asked questions below and will refer you to this section if you write to me asking for advice about the purchase of a camera from anywhere other than my site:

Q.  I see a fair number of Contax IIa and IIIa bodies without lenses for sale on Ebay at low prices.  Are there any problems in purchasing a body without a lens?

A.  Zeiss did not sell bodies without lenses.  There is no catalog listing for a body without a lens.  If a camera doesn't have it's lens this is likely due to one of two reasons, each of which are equally likely.  A camera can be missing its lens because it was dropped on its lens and the lens was discarded or  the camera never worked properly and one of its owners sold the lens to recover some of the purchase price.

Good lenses are rare.  When one comes up for sale on Ebay it is usually bid up to a price where the cost of the body when added to that of the lens greatly exceeds the price of a camera with the lens on it when it was sold.  It seems to me that a fair number of people buy  lens less bodies and then become very sincere about getting a lens after having to wait a long time for one to become available.
 
 

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Zeiss Contax SLR Services

I hope in the future to be able to service the Zeiss Ikon made Contax SLR and  Contaflex SLR cameras made in Germany after World War II, but do not offer any services for these cameras at this time.

Kyocera Contax SLR and Rangefinder Camera Services

I do not service or repair the Contax line of Single Lens Reflex and Rangefinder cameas made in Japan by the Kyocera Company.  I am also unable to provide any advice concerning these cameras.  If you have a problem with your Kyocera Contax camera you can contact this company directly from their web site using the following URL:

 http://www.kyocera.com/KOI/Contact/index.htm

or you can use the following contact information:

Kyocera Optics, Inc.
         Western Sales and Service
              6020 Irwindale Avenue #A-C
  Irwindale, CA 91706
 Tel: (626) 812-8888
   Fax: (626) 812-8898

or

   Kyocera Optics, Inc.
           2301-200 Cottontail Lane
            Somerset NJ 08873-1245
    Tel: (732) 560-0060
      Fax: (732) 560-9221
             E-mail: [email protected]

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The Library

The library is open for business.  The first Zeiss Ikon book is available for free.

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This site is always in progress and I welcome your suggestions and advice.

Thank you for visiting!

The terms of service and other conditions specified herein and in other linked documents available for viewing from this page are subject to change without notice.