New to Contax...

[kitacontax]

Life is interesting...a couple months ago on my way to my usual thrift shop haunts I found digital slr for under $100! Got lucky...sold my old Canon AE SLRs, and an old NIkon AF film slr...film I thought was in the past...(tho I still kept my really old Nikon F and FM3a slrs and lenses...you don't burn all your bridges...)

AND THEN....

Yesterday I'm in another thrift and ask if they have any cameras...and the nice little old lady brings out....


I throw in a set of new batts (and ordered a copy of the manual from ebay) and I'm into film, again...a G1 for under $100!

What a nice camera...yes, it's quirky, but after the simplicity of my F bods that didn't even have a light meter, EVERY camera is quirky...

The G1 is a very nice Bresson type cam...simple, reasonably quiet (esp. in manual focus) and unobtrusive...

I do like the Canon dslr, but I can see using this as my b/w walkaround, like in the good ol' days...when they and I were young.

I'll be lurking and contributing if I can about my experiences...look forward to reading about yours...

See ya 'round....

[keoj]

I'm a big G Contax advocate and you got a heck of a deal for $100. Let's see, you got a camera with lens that is comparable to a Leica (yes, I have owned an M in the past) for $100. Buy yourself a ~$400 to $500 film scanner, and you'll have the benefits of film and digital capability that will blow almost any digital camera away (other than the work involved). Congrats!!!!!

keoj

[LazyHammock]

Holy cow you are finding some pretty good deals. That 45/2 Planar is a fantastic lens the negs really pop.

[Socke]

A G1 with a lens for less than $100? Congrats! You are very lucky.

[sooner]

It must be a fake for that price...better send it to me for verification! Congrats on the good deal.

[NoTx]

I want to know where you shop... and when... I want to go first

[kitacontax]

Actually, I have a couple of scanners...an epson flatbed, and a scanwit (now acer) film scanner still hooked up to my old W98 system.
[img]http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdIm...5/20852101.JPG[/img]

Tho I have used it for color, with success, I've not used it for b/w...I imagine I'll use the Canon dslr for color...it is impressive to these eyes (red-green deficient tho they may be) and the Contax for b/w...it'll be interesting to play with b/w in photoshop and to see how my Eppie 1280 prints the results...

....now to figure out what to do with my Nikon F's, FM3A and assorted lenses in the corner of my closet...next to my backup sets of golf clubs...

[kitacontax]

Forgot...a question...what is the left to right slide under and at the rear of the shutter speed dial? I've ordered a manual (off fleabay...and a filter) but thought you might not mind letting me in on this secret switch......

[rhogg]

That would be your auto bracket. There is a 1/2 stop indent and a full stop indent. When you move the lever to the left you should see a red dot on the right and engraved on the side of the dial you will see numbers.

The camera takes a normal expposure, followed by a + exposure, and finally a - exposure.

[kitacontax]

thanx rhogg...yet another very interesting feature...didn't even see the numbers there and only after you pointed out did I notice the blinking counter to id that the bracketing mode is set...now to find a small hip-sack to put it in...the protruding lens is not a fit (too tight or too large) for most made-for-digicam bags...

[ZeissFan]

That Planar will beat the pants off of any "kit" zoom lens that Canon offers with its DSLRs and never break a sweat. You got a great deal -- good going.

[kitacontax]

The Canon d30 (3mpxls) came with the 50/1.8, and I then got a 24-85, and have gotten nice shots with each...this is a 1.5x2.5" cropped section of a 20x30 enlargement...
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1...vic2cjsno2.jpg

No doubt I'll find the Zeiss lens superb...the G1 comes to me at the time I've decided to sell my 50-yr old Hasselblad 1000f focal plane
2 1/4 set up with ITS 80mm zeiss tessar and assorted wide angle and tele-lenses...I'll miss them, even tho I've too rarely used them...