Wow, thats was something I did not know about G2, I always wanted something like this on a 35mm camera :)

Thanx a lot for the info and link Akptc.

Bought a new G2 body yesterday, love the form factor. Put up my 45 & 90, yet to take some pictures. However, the lens motor sound drives me crazy. Looking for a 28 in few months time.

Congrats, Mervyn; you'll surely get fine photos from that gear, assuning you do your part too! :)

I want a G1 or a G2, but what keeps me from buying is the lack of a lens distance/septh of field scale... and manual focus... what are the workarounds if any?

There's someone who figured this out already, and it looks very nice when stuck on your lenses:
http://www.photowithmonkey.com/drupal/node/83

used to have both
 

but i sold the G2 and only keep the G1 for sentimental reason. If i remember correctly , the G2 has the better VF, better parallax correction, better manual focusing and even AF focusing; the G1 is simpler, smaller, thinner, and lighter in design thus more elegant and more pleasing to look at; it's like comparing the Leica M3 to the latest M6: the M6 may win out on technology and features but the charm belongs to the M3, me think. Saying so I think the black G2 is darn sexy; i wouldn't mind one of those if the price is right :cool:

this sticky was very helpful for someone who doesnt know about the G cameras
i was wondering, how difficult is it to get a BLACK G2?
i dont ever recall seeing one in any photos

I don't think it's too difficult, just a matter of coughing up the bucks.

True, it's not too unusual to see Black G2 bodies and lenses on eBay... They do command higher prices.

I own both. I bought a very early G-1 and the factory replaced it in warramty. The G-2 came along later.I find that due to my vision the G-2 works a little better because it takes diopters. The G-1 has an adjustable diopter bit I can see better through the G-2. i wont give up either as I like them both and use them with the 21-28-35-45 and 90 lenses. Flip a coin if you do not need additional diopter adjustment.

I had a G1 and it was a pig to focus, perhaps it was a dud one, so I sold it and got a G2. its like a different camera.
Superb focusing
so my answer form my experience is,
A G2

Current G prices
 

Anyone notice that prices on the web for used Contax G series cameras and lenses have shot up in the past two months? Looks to me like people have been snapping everything up. I just found a beautiful 21 at Adorama but had to pay $900 for it. Saw the same lense a few months back at KEH under $700. Now I am seeing the G2 going for north of $600 and the Black one impossible to find under $1000. Is this temporary pricing due to lack of people parting ways with their kits or a sign of things to come?

(the classifieds on this forum has better prices than most sites by the way)

Interesting; I haven't been tracking Contax G pricing recently, as my system is sufficiently complete and my shopping eye has been gazing other directions. :)

But when I was actively building my Contax kit 30 months ago, it did seem pricing was very reasonable. Some retailers still had NIB gear on the shelves that they were trying to move at clearance prices. For instance my 45mm was brand new from Central Camera for $189.

It was that lovely 21mm Biogon that drew me to the Contax G in the first place, as being fast, tops optically, and reasonable cost. I chose a BGN grade one from KEH for $465; it's like new except for a tiny mark on the rear element. As I recall at the time they also had an EX grade for $616.

Maybe it's people returning to film from dSLR who see the Contax G as an attractive compact quality kit with some familiar features.

I have both G1 & G2 and have had very little difference in perfomrance, however with the cost of about $175 to have the autofocus assembly fixed, and the good chance you will need to have this done, makes the much lower price for a G1 a better bargain. Despite the inability to see what you are doing in manual focus mode, they are both a great bargain relative to the results they give.

Just to confirm, you can set the G1 to manual everything yes, if you want to? I'd like to be able to pre-focus, and set the exposure myself - then snap as soon as I press the button without the thing faffing and asking questions causing a delay.

Can the G1 do this? For example, I want 250th F8 set to focus about 3 meters, can I set this and get an instant click when I press the button?

A.

Larky, On the Contax you see the distance setting in manual mode in the top of body window and in the viewfinder. So, yes. You can run it in full manual and the viewfinder will tell you if you misfocus or misexpose, too.

And if on manual focus, will the shutter trip when I choose, or when the camera decides it's in focus?

It's been awhile since I used the G2, let alone manual focus, but IIRC it will fire when the camera has racked the lens out to the manually-chosen distance, so there can be a tiny delay. However, if you use the focus button on the back, you can pre-focus the lens & then fire the shutter @ your choosing w/no lag whatsoever (same goes for using autofocus).

What about the G1?

I had both and sold the G1; I have tried but can't bring myself to sell the G2, even though I haven't used it in a year. The main reason to buy this camera, IMHO is the amazing 45/2 lens, which is really one of my all-time favorites. The G2 gives me a lot of the advantages of an AF DSLR (like a Nikon F4) in the form factor of a range-finder. My only peeve: the VF is squinty and small. It's a smart camera, no doubt. Nothing wrong with the G!, BTW . . . but we all have our preferences.

Ben Marks

My vote is for the G1. I have and used both, but the G1 is my favorite for travel and hanging out. Its smaller, lighter, easier to manual focus with when shooting from the hip. I might recommend the G2 for more serious shoots, editorials and such, but truthfully, I've never had focusing issues or problems with my G1.
thats my 2 cents.

good luck

Michael

G2 is the only choice. The position of the focus wheel on the G1 is the problem for me- I was always hitting it into MF mode. These are really both AF cameras, and the G2 made this much clearer by making MF mode harder to access.

Well, the only choice for you sepiareverb, and some others I'm sure, may be the G2, however, if I'm walking around with a 21 or 28 lens during the day at f8, I would probably zone focus the camera manually. Its much quicker...you won't miss that shot of that crazy guy in a bunny suit on a bicycle riding by you fast.
However if you love that shallow depth of field and always shoot at f2, well then you probably won't be zone focusing that often.

I don't understand how one could "mistakingly" bump and move the focus dial on the G1. Its locked. Its also in the same position as the shutter dial on the G2 (which is NOT locked unless on auto). So if your moving the focus dial by mistake on the G1, you'd definitley be moving the shutter dial by mistake on the G2. Either way, your screwed. I've never done that on either.

They are both, in my book, fantastic cameras. However the design on the G1 is smarter, lighter and more efficient than the G2.
It was redundant for Contax to separate the shutter dial and bracketing dial on the G2. Does anyone know why they did this? It just takes up space and creates the need of a third focusing wheel in an odd area.
If you want to switch from manual exposure to auto with, say +1 bracketing on the G2, you have to rotate the shutter dail to Auto, then rotate the bracketing dail to +1. Thats two steps. On the G1, its the same dial...which make more sense because all you have to do is rotate the shutter dial from where ever its set to +1. Thats one step. Much more efficient. Less distracting. More photography, less buttons.

Ultimately the choice between the two systems just depends on your shooting style and what your purpose is for having this camera. If its for travel and hanging out, documenting your life, etc I would go for the G1 because it is seriously lighter and smaller to a degree where it does make a difference (Leica M5 vs. Leica CL). If your going to be shooting events and jobs where you always have a big bag full of filters and all your lenses and weight and convenience doesn't really matter to you, then the G2 is fine.

Cheers
Michael

www.michaelbrandt.net

Yes the focus dial on the G1 and the shutter speed dial on the G2 are in the same place, but they are not the same size. The dial on the G1 is right up flush to the edge of the camera, thus much more subject to getting moved by the strap, or the hand when turning the camera on. Quite possible that there was something wrong with my focus dial lock, but I had this happen a lot. I've never shifted a G2 from AUTO mode unintentionally. Just my 2¢ worth, something I found very annoying with the G1 that never was an issue with the G2.

Walking around zone focussed with the G1 would have been a disaster for me- that focus wheel never stayed where it was supposed to be. :)

G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 G2 no doubt

What about service for these cameras? I think they look wonderful and I love all of the features I read about regarding these cameras, but I am reluctant to buy one.

What is the service situation like? In 10 years are these cameras going to be breaking, and never to be fixed? Is there a place we can count on to service these beautiful and expensive mostly electronic cameras, or will we just hope they never break?

Really they look so wonderful but I am just afraid to spend 2000 or more dollars on a nice kit just to see the camera fail and never find someone to service it.

So whats it like?

Tocad in the USA handles the service and will be doing so for quite some time. It might be wise to buy a used beater for parts just in case something "exotic" breaks and they no longer carry the part.

I have 2 G2s, wonderful cameras.

Kent

Tocad is handleing the service, I heard till 2011 or something?

I guess if we keep parts bodies around we can always keep one running well <shrug>

They are just such neat cameras, though id hate to have to stockpile bodies to keep one running.

Shame Kyocera dropped them.

;)hi sell your g1 to your friend and update to g2;) also use a VC heliar 15mm lens that is a great combo with my g2:D

If anyone is curious I asked tocad about how long services will be available for the G2 this is their response:

"Dear Steven,

Yes we service the Contax G2 camera and expect to have parts available for it until atleast 2020.

Thank you,"

2020? That's just not good enough. I wouldn't waste my time with a camera that won't have parts available through at least 2030. But I have a beautiful G1 after owning and selling a G2, and I'm very happy with it. Same 45/2 lens, after all.

So sometime after 2020 that company does not expect to have a stock pile of parts.

<shrug> you replace parts in your good body with a trashed body that has the parts you need. Thats how it goes. Does Canon offer full service for the A-1?

2020? i would think that's already generous

I use bouth and recomend the G2 for all good reasons.

Fun to see this thread live a loooooong life! I have been shooting quite a bit of Kodachrome recently and, as such, I have broken out quite a few of my film cameras.

For daylight shooting I am growing to really enjoy my G2 once again, especially when paired with the 35-70mm zoom. That zoom is really tack sharp (not as sharp as the 45mm obviously but very sharp none the less) and it's a blast to use a short range zoom on a "rangefinder". I highly recommend giving it a try if you're doing some daylight shooting (lens is slow).

Anyway, love my G2s. I might even have to replace the 28mm I sold a while back to one of our fine fellow forum members :)

Kent

After having owned both bodies for a while I finally decided to sell the rarely used G2. The G1 is just enough smaller that it is the body that goes places with me, whereas the G2 stays at home.

Jim

I immediately got used to the G1,and I am taking very sharp and beautiful family photos with the Planar 45mm lens. I have started recently to also use the 90mm 2.8 Sonnar. The G1 is a bargain overall.

I have always thought the G1 AF hunted too much and that shutter lag was very annoying. The G2 has better AF and the pre focus and lock botton in the back really made system more usable.

Well..I just finished a trade and got a G system...G1 and G2 bodies. They both seem to be great...and there aspects of the G1 that make it a 21 or 28 lens camera. But so far I can not see a reason to reject one as being better than the other. All the Best..Laurance

I have 4 G2 Bodies (1 black, 3 titanium) and love them. All have functioned flawlessly. I have not worked with the G1, but dream of a digital G (like the M-9, so I can use all the beautiful lenses again).