Superbe machine, mesure Spot et LED's de mise au point utiles.

A l'usage, un peu lourd. L'obturateur s'est grippé après 3 ans d'utilisation... mais marche de nouveau.

Super build quality. Super lens system. Great metering. Intuitive controls (I love the exposure compensation knob's location). Super-quick film loading, and rewind with an option to leave some leader out (great if you want to switch film type mid-shoot). Bright finder. With the split/microprism finder, focusing is pretty quick and easy. Digital focus confirmation is useful under some conditions. I like having it.

Heavy. But that's the cost of a very fine build quality.

A solid, manual-focus, but auto-everything else, high-performance camera.

I shoot both film and digital. The RX is my go-to camera when I want to shoot film, but don't want to worry too much about exposure (my other film cameras at the moment are meterless). Or, when I just want to shoot the phenomenal Zeiss 28mm f/2.8 (which is often).

I got mine as a kit (with Zeiss 50mm f/1.7) off eBay for about $450. You just can't beat that value. I added a Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2.8, which is a phenomenal lens.

Customer Service

Not needed yet. I expect it would be spotty on a 15-year old camera :-)

Similar Products Used:

Miranda Sensorex, back in the day. Nikon N4004. Canon EOS 630. Digital SLRs (if that counts).

Built quality, handling, metering , totally customisable and of course Zeiss lenses, but we all know this :)

None disturbing to me.

I took an opportunity on that one, aiming for an Aria in first place.But i don't regret this buy at all. Constuction and handling is amazing, viewfinder is clear and bright ( grid screen ) which might be disturbing in first place , but is very useful for achitecture and landscape shots.

The keys are incredibly well placed on this camera, as in most late Contax bodies with this speed dial on the left, and the rest of the right, well done. Not too much gadgetery, and the custom functions are quite useful. I'm not using the DFI , but it might be helpful in macro i guess. Not overload indications in the vf, i use av info. Shutter is quiet, i love the sound of it.

I really appreciate this camera more and more. Use it with a 50 mm Planar 1.7, a perfect combo for me sor far. I plan to add a 85 mm and surely buying an Aria, lighter and smaller.

Highly recommended, the price being now affordable.

Customer Service

My camera got a mirror issue that hitted the back of the lens, it was some 5 mm in the wrong place. Fixed easily, now working perfect.

Similar Products Used:

None yet. I got a 139 and will get an RTS soon.

Built like a tank: heavy but substantial
well designed
Leitz optics: no better made
Nice viewfinder
Focus confirmation
Durable and reliable

No autofocus
No longer supported

My last stop in film cameras. Have used different 35mm cameras since the 70's: Nikon, Canon, Konica, Minolta, Rolleiflex and Leica M. 2 Years ago I got a Contax G and was blown away by the quality of the camera and the Zeiss lenses...so much so I sold my Leica M outit as quality was comparible. I then got a 137MD cheap and again was blown away. I have put away my Maxxum outfit for good. I then got an RX used and some AE lenses (18/4, 28/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/2.8, 135/2.8 and 300/4). This outfit is so good, so well made, I don't mind going back to manual focus (my older eyes appreciate the focus confirmation in the RX). This is it; my wonderlust is over, no camera has ever impressed me as this one has.

Customer Service

No longer available, but never used..not needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FTn, Nikkormat, Canon AE-1 Minolta SRTs, Maxxums, Konica autoreflex, Leica

Very well built. CARL ZEISS, CARL ZEISS. viewfinder is very cool, weight is well balenced even with a long 80-200mm attatched

are you kidding?.. the only thing that is frightening is the price of new lenses but you get what you pay for.

I have an old 139 fully manual CONTAX camera and i like it loads but since digital has been around i have been playing with a MINOLTA dimage7 UG. YUCK!!! I hear you cry... I agree, but its very handy still. I was / am a very casual photographer and it brings me peace of mind, but I am also a very fussy person when it comes to quality. I saw this CONTAX RX sitting nicely in a secondhand camera shop next to an array of CARL ZEISS lenses, my mistake was to pick it up and play with it.. love at first touch.. it felt so good to have a REAL machine in my hands again and the old feelings came flooding back, I havn't had time to really check it out fully yet and I am trying to download the manual in english for it too but in saying that this baby slotted into my hand as if it were made for it. I was impressed, my second mistake was to attach the 80-200mm ZEISS lens to it and start to zoom around the room, clearity is an understatement. Next mistake was to check my wallet to find i could afford the camera AND the lens so now it belongs to me...muahahaha. It's a beast of a camera, I dont need to worry about the picture quality, CARL ZEISS, say no more. Being a casual photographer I will need to study the manual to get to grips with it but it does seem to be fairly simple to use. I am going on a shoot to KYOTO next week and i will be taking her with me for a test run, my old CONTAX camera is getting a bit tatty now but still takes wonderfull shots (a good eye helps). Its a bit early really for me to talk but i am so excited by this camera i had to tell someone.

Customer Service

doubt i will ever need it, i haven't so far with any of my CONTAX machines

Similar Products Used:

I have an old 139 but not really similar, I had a 136 too but my friend has it on a permenant borrow, its a semi-auto with a YASHICA lens at 55mm.

DFI, well built &solid. Contoured perfectly for my hand. Takes Zeiss lenses. It is user friendly.

none

This is the finest camera I have ever owned. The RX is a beautiful machine that I fell in love with as soon as I held it in my hands. It is user friendly and its heft is so well balenced that you don't really notice it.

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

RTS,167MT,137 md, Aria,Yashica fx2000

excellent optics sturdy build DF Indicator, especially for macro use

Manual focus cameras are not for the instant gratification generation, thus we are seeing fewer new models on the scene. What I would give to see an RTS IV!!!!!

For those of us who choose to work with manual focusing equipment, the Contax RX ia unique instrument. The digital focus indicator takes some getting use to, but does fill a niche in certain areas. For me it is in the area of macro work. I do believe that the RTS III is the absolute best camera that Contax has to offer, but the RX is the one that houses my 60 2.8 macro (AE model, but Japanese built). Anyone who is serious about macro work will tell you that regardless of camera, manual focusing will give finer results when macr shooting. The DFI feature along with an absolutely exquisite Zeiss macro optic will give you mind boggling results. Anyone knocking Zeiss optics simply cannot be taken seriously. It is not a matter of snobbery but rather a superb end product.

Customer Service

Not needed for over 11 years!!!

Similar Products Used:

RTS III Leica M6TTL Leica M7

handling, build quality feeling

(if that would be one)no matrix metering

Very good camera, more solid build then Aria (at least from the feeling). All features you might want to have included, except matrix metering. Look for more infos at: www.contaxinfo.com. This is the ultimate source for every Contax user. For every Contax-system!

Similar Products Used:

almost all Contax cameras

Exceptionally well built and of the highest quality. Takes absolutely fantastic Zeiss manual focus lenses. Built-in date-back is standard and imprints the date/time between frames. Built-in diopter and viewfinder shutter Controls are logically placed and although they appear to be standard dials they are actually microswitches that coimmunicate to the camera electronics. It is quite easy to change settings without having to take your eye from the viewfinder. There are 9 custom functions and Contax includes a sticker sheet for the bottom of the camera to summarize the functions. The camera does NOT have mirror lock-up. I have NOT included this as a weakness however because the camera is so well damped that it doesn''t need one. The camera is incredibly quiet for a 3fps motor drive SLR. In all it is a wonderful camera to use.

Like any camera that is not made of plastic, the RX is heavy. The DFI focus does not lock when you press the shutter button and, if you expect it to operate like a standard AF camera you might be mislead. Once you remember that this is a manual focus camera with a secondary confirmation you will not expect the DFI to lock. Focus isn''t really changing since you have to move the focus ring.

The RX represents one of Contax''s approaches to integrating autofocus technology into a camera while retaining the use of the exceptional Zeiss manual focus lenses. What Contax has done is build in all of the electronics of an AF system into the camera without the motors to move the lens. That job is left to the photographer. In fact, the RX is always used as a manual focus camera and the Digital Focus Indicator is only used as another confirmation of correct focus in addition to the standard focusing screens. The DFI also provides a digital representation of Depth of Field in the viewfinder.

Customer Service

Top of the line. Never any difficulties with getting parts or accessories and the camera has no defects in manufacturing or any other problems.

Similar Products Used:

Yashica 108MP, Contax 167MT

Solid, quiet operation. A joy to hold and use. Fit and finish is fantastic and extremely durable

none I have found

With DFI I can use a manual camera again, but the RX and RTSIII put Leica and many others to shame.
The camera is simply a pleasure to use, it is intuitive in the layout of controls and Carl Zeiss lenses are as good or better than anything in 35mm I have seen. Absolutely worth every cent of the purchase price.

Customer Service

Haven't used it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N90s, F4s, F5, Eos-1N, Leica R4, R6