Contax IIa - proper operation...

[monochromejrnl]

what's the proper sequence... to cock the shutter before setting shutter speed or the other way around?

I've put a roll through my nearly acquired IIa and all the shots that used 1/500 or 1/1250 are bad... only a small sliver.. and some of the slower shutters (one or two) seem to be off...

not sure if it's just bad high speeds or just a fickle mechanism...

tia.
Ken

[furcafe]

For a IIa or IIIa it doesn't matter. The problems you're having w/the shutter speeds are just signs that your shutter needs servicing & have nothing to do w/the winding-shutter speed selection sequence.

For the older Contax II and III, there seem to be 2 schools of thought. According to Henry Scherer, Zeiss Ikon repair guy (http://www.zeisscamera.com/), & others, you should always wind on before setting the shutter speed. Not being an engineer or camera tech, I have no opinion on whether Scherer's opinion is right or wrong. However, I do know that my Contax II instruction manual specifically states that you can wind either before or after setting the shutter speed (this was touted @ the time by Zeiss Ikon as 1 of the many advantages of the Contax over its Leica rival) & I see no reason why this wouldn't have been part of the camera's design.

Bottom line: I've done it both ways & my cameras still work. I usually wind before setting the shutter speed, regardless of what brand camera I'm using, but that's because I always wind on after taking a shot, anyway, so that it's ready for the next shot.

what's the proper sequence... to cock the shutter before setting shutter speed or the other way around?

tia.
Ken

[Bill58]

..........to Henry Scherer, Zeiss Ikon repair guy (http://www.zeisscamera.com/)

Bad link!

[jlw]

I've put a roll through my nearly acquired IIa and all the shots that used 1/500 or 1/1250 are bad... only a small sliver.. and some of the slower shutters (one or two) seem to be off...

This is called "tapering" and it's very common on a Contax IIa/IIIa, especially one that hasn't been used much recently. Basically what's happening is that the shuttter curtains are moving sluggishly, so the closing curtain catches up to the opening curtain and "shuts off" the exposure before the shutter has completed its full travel across the film. This sluggishness also will affect the accuracy of the slower speeds, although it may not be as noticeable.

A kowledgeable CLA will fix it, and will restore the accuracy of your slower speeds as well. Do NOT try to fix it yourself by cranking up the spring tension on the curtains, or by lubricating it, or by squirting in lighter fluid to clean it up. Tuning it up does involve cleaning and lubricating, but you've got to know HOW and WHERE to do it.

[jlw]

..........to Henry Scherer, Zeiss Ikon repair guy (http://www.zeisscamera.com/)

Bad link!

Omit the trailing slash: http://www.zeisscamera.com