Build Quality, not to heavy,easy to hold.

Batt. only 5 rolls of 36 exp. in continues shooting.

There's plenty of room for improvement especially the AF it's kinda slow compares to Canon or Nikon.The only reason i bougth this camera is the CZ lens IMOP it's the best out there.

Customer Service

Excellent customer service.I had an AF problem with the N VS 24-85 lens, i send it to them, after a week i got replacement lens.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F5
Nikon F100
Nikon N90S
Contax RTSIII

Intuitive to use
Superb and quick AF/MF dual focus
Zeiss optics tack sharp
Very low distortion at 24mm end of 24-85 zoom
Databack provide excellent recording capabilities
Build quality

No EV compensation in finder when in Evaluative metering mode

This is an excellent camera and the focus spot arrangement is excellent, lending itself very well to good compositions. The focus is spot on, the metering is superb (although is fooled by strong backlighting just like any other)and the Zeiss optics are sharp. The 24-85mm zoom lens is sharp right through the range and in 10x8 enlargements is a match for most primes of the same focal length. next to some of my Leica shots the casual observer was hard pressed to tell the difference - quite something for a zoom lens! The colour rendition of the Zeiss optics is different to the Leica but I like both.

This is a very inutitive camera to use and after 1/2 hour it seesm like you have used it for ages. Definitely a system I shall continue to expand as more lenses become available. I have seen images from the 70-300 zoom macro and they are equally stunning, again a match for prime lens quality output.

Customer Service

Not tried.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F5
Canon EOS 1N
Canon EOS 600

Very sturdy body like all Contaxes, looks expensive and is well built. Nice mirror dampening, emits expensive metallic sound. Focus selector joystick is best feature, a delight to use. Near silent focus motor. Control knobs are very intuitive and easy to use, no need to read up manual. Control dial on grip a welcome feature new to Contax. Five spot focus well spread in frame, very useful for composing. Manual override on lens w/o using switch is a vey nice feature. Pressing 1 shot autofocus on manual mode is also useful. Lots of personal settings to program the camera with. Nice LED light especially in low light. Metering modes quite accurate.

focusing could encounter problems under low light and on subjects with less contrast, not as nice as Canon's. Body a little large and heavy for outdoor fotography. Use of CR5 battery is more expensive and harder to find.

Focusing not up to par with Canon but better than Nikon; best feature is the 5-point autofocus spread and the manual override by touching the focus ring on the lens. Focusing bracketing is a gimmick, not too useful. A solid piece of a camera like any other Contax. A joy to own and to look at, presumably designed by Porsche Design. You buy Contax for the Zeiss lenses and the new N1 zooms won't let you down. They're very contrasty like the G2's lenses and very sharp, needless to say. Both zooms exhibit zoom creep and are quite heavy, but they exude quality thruout. I sold all my Nikon/Canon gear in order to finance my Contax gears (N1 and G2). I have no regrets except I do miss the canon USM focusing sometimes. A special joy owning Contax and Zeiss, if not for technical merits then for looks and build quality.

Customer Service

Not use yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Elan 7, Nikon F100, N90s. Contax RX, Aria.

Intuitive to use
Superb and quick AF/MF dual focus
Zeiss optics tack sharp
Very low distortion at 24mm end of 24-85 zoom
Databack provides excellent recording capabilities
Build quality

24-85mm zoom creep
Low contrast subjects can fool AF

An update on my previous review of the N1.

Focusing Speed

Having owned a Nikon F5 and used an EOS 1V I have to say that the focusing speed is slower than those cameras, although it is not so slow that you
cannot capture moving subjects or capture a quick shot. The f/3.5-f/4.5 zoom lens is not the best way to judge the AF. I tried the fast 50mm f/1.4
prime and it was much faster AF. I am happy with the AF speed on the 24-85mm and on the 70-300mm.

Lens Roaming

The only time I have encountered the lens roaming on the 24-85mm (and it has only happened twice) from one end to the other is when using the four
outside focus points and trying to focus on a slanting subject. The outside focus points are set at a 45 degree angle and cannot focus on something with the same angle. Turning the camera slightly enables the focus to lock on quickly. The 70-300 does roam more but then any lens encompassing that range of focal length is likely to roam. It does not have any problems with high contrast or bright subjects.

Camera Quality

The build and feel of the camera is excellent, as good as any other top range camera and in many ways ergonomically better. I prefer the feel of
the rubberised covering on the N1 to that of the F5 and believe it to feel better in quality than the EOS 1V. As a Leica user I have been spoilt by
build quality and I have not been disappointed by the N1. I use the P9 vertical grip and battery holder and it had transformed the feel of the
camera. Very similar in feel to the F5, especially when using it in vertical format.

Lens Quality

The 24-85mm lens does feel slightly plasticky, more so than the 70-300mm. However, I am comparing it to lenses such as the Leica Noctilux, Leica 90mm APO Asph, Zeiss180mm Sonnar etc. In that company most lenses feel plasticky
but it definitely does not have that heavyweight and solid feel that such lenses as the Hasselblad
Zeiss lenses possess. The again, when travelling a light outfit is sometimes preferable. As for the issue of zoom creep, my 70-300 does not creep at all, and the zoom mechanism is fairly stiff. My 24-85mm does creep and was sent off to Hamburg today to have a new zoom mechanism fitted. Most of the 24-85mm lenses creep (I have seen six and they all do) but Contax know of the problem and will fix it.

Metering

I have found the N1 meter to be incredibly accurate. I believe that popphoto did a lab test
(http://www.popphoto.com/Camera/0601_contaxn1/testresults.html)and found the meter to be within 1/10 stop of their lab equipment when using
spot and centre weighted (which I use almost all the time anyway). As for matrix metering,
I used it last weekend just to see how if would do, and it was excellent. The full popphoto review is at http://www.popphoto.com/Camera/0601_contaxn1/contaxn1_p1.html

Image Quality

What can I say, it is a Zeiss lens and the image quality is excellent. The colour rendition and clarity are superb and the fine detail really comes through in the slides that I have taken with the N1. Even at the 24mm end there is very little discernable distortion and throughout the zoom range the image quality is a match for many primes. Of course it does not match
the medium format quality that I get with the Hasselblad and the 180mm Sonnar but it gives the Leica primes a good run for their money. That said, I would never consider replacing the Leica M gear with the N1, but I am pleased with the quality that I am getting from the N1 as my autofocus SLR. The range from 24mm to 300mm is adequately covered, and when the 17-35mm
f/2.8 arrives it will be a great three lens set-up.

Customer Service

Excellent. 24-85mm lens has been recalled to Hamburg, where the head Contax engineer will be working to resolve the creep problem. I have been given a loan lens to use for the period mine is being fixed. Good service.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 1V
Nikon F5

detail, depth, color saturation, subtle and nuanced shadings

may have AF problems in certain situations

It may be nerve to write this after a single role, but you will understand. On an overcast NJ Saturday afternoon I shot a role of Fuji 800 in two friends' gardens where I had shot many rolls on my Canon and Nikon. This single role shot without my knowing more than the basics of a camera I had just taken home the night before, this single role turned out the most beautiful pictures of flowers I have taken. All those things that cannot be controlled by the photographer outside the darkroom---color naunces, detail, elegance of tonality were present in the finished product in a way that was superior and often distinctly superior to what had been some wonderful picture taken in the past.
The camera is very solid and a bit heavy, but it defines what a feeling of confidence should be given to the hand of the photographer. I used the 70-300 lense(the 24-85 arrives on Monday) which is a heavy piece, but I felt a sense of balance betwen the lense and body I had experienced before only in the Nikon F3HP.
I have decided to give up all the equipment noted above for this body and lenses and few peripherals. I had been up most of night debating the merits of this. The role I just got back confirms the rightness of my affirmation in the N1. I bought it.

Customer Service

not needed ever, I hope

Similar Products Used:

Canon 17-35, 28-70 both 2.8, 28-135, 100-400,50
Sigma 70-210, 2.8; 105 macro,
Nikon F3HP, 105 and 50 mm lenses

First, I should say I have not purchased the camera but had the chance to check one at a store in DC. It feels good in my large hands. I can palm a basketball. The camera fits rather well. Interesting focusing mechanism on the lenses, at least the 24-85. How can I explain, manual focusing is not 1 to 1. There is a 2 to 1 ratio when accomplishing the focusing within the lense. Excellent feel to the lense movement. I've handled others but this 24-85 made me reconsider, in a positive manner, the potential longevity of AF lenses. The AF action was virtually silent when I tested it.

I'm not sure if the AF lenses will match the superior performance of the non-AF Zeiss lenses.

I haven't been a big believer in the AF movement. For my work it would be only marginally beneficial but the N1 with the 24-85 lense felt very nice. The combination will be on my list for future consideration.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it.

Similar Products Used:

I love the idea of the Contax AX. I pray there will be an updated version. I use an RTS II with the fantastic 28-85 Zeiss zoom. I've made serious enlargements with great results with that lens. I also use a Mamiya 330 TLR. I've also checked the Minolta 9 and 7. Both are nice. How good is the glass?

Well made
Easy to use
Zeiss glass

The AF could be improved.
It could be hard to see the edges of the frame in the viewfinder.

Buy this camera it is really awesome. I belive it is worth every penny (or swedish crowns). It is very well made and the dials and buttons are where you need them. The AF with VS 24-85 is extremely silent. The only drawback is that the AF is little slow compared to the Nikon F% and EOS 1V, but this is not a successor for the RTS III.

Customer Service

Not yet and hopefully not.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F4,F5,F65
Canon EOS 1V
Leica R7,R8
Contax Aria
Hasselblad 503 CW
Pentax 645N

Ease of use, egromics, rock-sold construction,focus system

Size if you have small hands

All things considered the only caveat regarding the N1 is that you should get your hands on the camera before blindly purchasing it. The N1 is big, but has superb ergonomics. Since my hands are large it poses no particular problem to me- but it could with very small hands. The Contax N1 is an extremely intuitive camera that I would put on a par with the excellent Minolta Maxxum 9 or the classic Leica M6 in terms of ease of use. For me, it is much easier than many Nikon’s that I have owned. (My SLR trades have been out to Nikon, to Maxxum 9 to Contax N1).

It is not necessary to memorize a 200-page book in order to understand the functions of the N1. It makes common sense. The five-zone system is straightforward and you can keep the subject in any one of five points, or you can use multiple zones quite easily. I regard this to be a clear-cut advantage over a system without this characteristic. A subject out of the center of the picture is generally more interesting. Plus it has a quick over-ride if you are shooting manually which takes it to auto-focus instantly. Matrix metering system is excellent and very accurate for most conditions. As with most high-end cameras it has a cluster of modes, but you can change them on the top of the dial or with your right front finger depending on your choice (good option). Also, it has a wealth of programmable functions that should satisfy even the most technological of those among us.

One of the reasons I chose this camera is because the excellent 24mm-85mm (I rate 5 stars) covers a wide range. In addition, the 70mm-300mm lens is not a monster like the 80-200 Nikon or Minolta G. So with 2 Contax lenses you can cover a considerable amount of territory and save your back.

As an aside, I took the 360 flash and used it on a five-day trip. It worked perfectly. As you probably know it automatically synchs with the Contax N 24mm—85mm without any adjustment in the TTL mode, regardless of the focal point on the zoom. That is something that I really liked. The 360 have two flashes built into the unit- a small one in from and a large tilting, swerving one on top. My flash pictures were right on the money. Absolutely perfect! However, it is a large flash (but light) and the best flash unit I have ever used.

Overall, I rate the camera five stars. If Contax N had as many lenses and peripheral equipment as Canon, Nikon or Minolta, they would be extremely competitive in the professional market. Zeiss glass is for real.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Nikons of all sort
Minolta Maxxum 9
Own Leica M6's with lenses from 21mm ASPH to 90mmAPO/ASPH

Strong-high quality build. Solid and well balanced. Amazing ergonomic design. Everything where you'd want it.

Largish - not a problem for me as I am big, but could be an issue for some.

Glad to contribute back to this board btw. I shopped for this latest purchase for over three months now. I couldn't decide between F5, Eos1v or N1. I've owned many Nikons and Canons over the years, but somehow, other than the Canon F1 way back when, nothing has really felt right. The EOS3 was way too plasticky, the eye control stank, out it went. I liked the Nikon F100, but it still left something open - now that I have the N1 I know what it was. The immediate access to the controls.

Contax did something that every other mfr out there should do... the controls for aperature, speed, as well as bracketing are all direct access AND knob wheel (you know the wheel that you see every mfr have on the front by the shutter release). In other words, I can set the camera for aperature priority, and select shutter speed from a traditional shutter speed dial OR from the multi function knob. WAY COOL. So what was missing from my life was the big primary control knobs on top. This camera, although it has some hidden gem of custom functions, is basic and has everything I'd want. LOVE IT.

The 24-85 lens I bought as part of the package is nothing short of amazing. Sure it is large, but man what optics. I took a test picture hand held of my monitor from about 2 feet away, at 85mm setting. Using the largest aperature, I was only able to get about 1/6 second shutter. Now, hand held, the picture is crisp enough to see every single pixel of the monitor. Amazing.

Color rendition is dead on, crystal clear, and end to end from 24 to 85 it is dead on.

To sum it up, if you can put up with the size, BUY THIS CAMERA! Now if Contax could only figure out how to put enough flashes into the pipeline, but that is another story.

Customer Service

not needed yet - but the folks I emailed before purchase were pretty uptight.

Similar Products Used:

F4, F5, EOS3, EOS1v, canon a1, f1n.

5 focus points well placed, and the little dial to select focusing point well designed. Excellent grip size. Capable of using the 645 lenses with AF.

Lack of program shift, the 5 focus points only the middle one sensitive enough for practical use, lack of mirror lock, lack of N series lenses to choose from. NAM-1 adapter feels a bit loose with 645 lenses attached. Fit and finish seems like a step back from RTS, RX or AX. Plasticky N series lenses

Great concept to start with, but still requires some re-engineering. 5 point AF well though out but the corner 4 points are sensitive enough to capture any action. Still needs to speed up the AF speed. So far the 2 zooms that I tried are quite promising optically but feels plasticky(quite unlike the Zeiss MM SLR lenses in the past). 3 lenses won't be enough and still need to wait for who knows for how long for the new 100 2.8, so at this point we can forget about the N85 1.4 and N17-35 2.8 that was mentioned by Contax. Look forward to future developments in this N system.

Customer Service

Never tried

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 9, Leica R8, R6.2, EOS 1V.