Good features and lenses. Easy to learn functions.

Price seems high when compared to Nikon (N80). For the price, base plate ought to be metal. Mine cracked and needed replacement after I dropped it from waist height. Rubberized body shows age after a few months of moderate use.

Good lenses and features overall. Could have been a 5 if not for the prices and cheap plastic base plate. The rubberized body may show wear and tear prematurely. While I'm happy using it in manual mode mostly, photographers wanting to do action shots may want to look at a brand with autofocus lenses.l

Customer Service

Service is expensive. Replacing the base plate cost US$160 which is high considering it is just a piece of plastic!

Similar Products Used:

None

lightweight. informations displayed in the finder (analogue exposure scale etc.) are great

no mirror lock up

best camera to get started with the zeiss lenses, but I wonder who had the idea of calling it "aria", stupid name

Customer Service

had to sent the camera in two times to get a severe and obvious problem (camera started rewinding the film after only 5-6 exposures) fixed

Similar Products Used:

several yashica`s, contax 167mt , contax 139 , contax st

Light, Easy to use, friendly with the Environment (regarding battery), inexpensive

None

After using CAnon and their fancy gadgets (multi focus, presets, etc..) I got a sentiment of freedom with this camera. Sure, more of mine pictures are out of focus, but the one I get right just look great!

Customer Service

Not used yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 500, Canon Elan

Light weight, more advance than older models.

Very difficult to hold vertically, apparently there is only one Carl Zeiss lense (28-70) that fits this body comfortably.
Less solid than other Contax bodies.
The grip is far far too small (I have a small hand already).

There is no point to use this body for just one Carl Zeiss lense. I Traded it in for the Contax RX.

Customer Service

Never needed

Similar Products Used:

Contax AX.
EOS 100, 3

This is a update of my last review on 9/10/99.It is so light and pleaseing to carry whole day.

unbalanced with heavyer lens.The rubber finish on the body is not tought enough,it shows ware already on the front grip.But it is may be my fault that I should cut my nails more often.Shutter and motor are loud.i do not mind though.

The mirror of camera is not soft which got me realy worry to handheld fire below 1/15sec w/50mm.now I can do 1/8 sec for good 8 by 10 print! I can't do with either my FM2 or FE2 (N90s is ok).Aria is a musthave item in Contax line.

Customer Service

I sent the camera to Yashica for the meter problem I had.They respons OK but the job was done nicely.There were no tool mark anywhere even Black screws.

Similar Products Used:

None

Very compact, excellent viewfinder display, nice and simple yet robust control layout

tiny option buttons for choosing selftimer, sequential shooting etc.
slakish shutter release feels as though theres a screws loose inside when clicking on and off.

As a user of an olympus OM1n for over 15 years I found the need for some auto help, especially when on holiday. This camera is perfect for the job, small yet packed with clever features. With the shutter speed option for example you can choose your ideal setting yet if the light condition exceedes the apature limits the speeds are automatically adjusted up or down, something the MZ 5 lacks. Theres always manual if you want total control but its handy to have dummy proof criteriar too! Now its just a case of saving up for some more wonderful Ziess lenses, the 50mm 1.7 is a dream to use.

Customer Service

non

Similar Products Used:

MZ 5n

Nice size, excellent viewfinder and great control layout.

No flash built in.

A great camera to enter the world of Zeiss lenses with. Highly rated by magazines ie. Photo Techniques Magazine Top 25

Customer Service

Good e-mail response about warranty question.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F60
Canon Elan IIE

Cheap for Contax, very lightweight without feeling cheap, good feature set, fairly typical Contax control layout.

No mirror lockup, probably not as durable as my RTSIII, but just as durable as any nonpro camera.

I bought it for the low weight in combination with the new 28-70 lens. In situations where you want Contax quality but have to carry it a long way, the Aria is in a class by itself. Even so, I've been impressed by the feeling of quality and the quality of the zoom lens as well. If I am closer to the car I'll use the RTSIII, but the Aria comes a close second. It's cheap for a Contax, but still a pretty expensive camera.

Customer Service

None needed thus far.

Similar Products Used:

RTSIII, RTS, Minolta 600si, Minolta XK, Minolta XE-5, Minolta 8000i, Minolta 7000

It is light, easy to use, full of features and quality

No mirror lock-up.

If only it has a mirror lock, it would be the perfect camera (for me). It is the only camera you know what it is doing in evaluative-mode becouse you see in the viewfinder an indication about the compensation based on the center weighted meter.

Customer Service

Poor in Spain.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE-10, Praktica BX-20, Nikon F801s

Light, good design, well manufactured, works very well, it's a true Contax quality body.

No problems.

A very good camera which offers Contax "look&feel" / quality and Zeiss lenses top quality at a resonable price.

Customer Service

Very good in Italy (Contax and Zeiss are imported by FOWA).

Similar Products Used:

Yashica FX 3 Super2000 and Pentax ME Super.