Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Rather than being a Contarex "joke", it's a true story. I still own a Contarex with interchangeable film magazines. Photographer/ writer Simon Nathan often told people that someone broke into my car and left a Contarex there. As for the Leicaflex (through the SL) Bob Schwalberg told me to turn them around with the lens faceing my eyes."Now tell me how it feels", he would say. And he was correct. Leitz put the lens on the wrong side. Back to the Contarex. I think I've told this story a few times before. But here it is. Back in the dark ages Popular Photography published test reports by expert Norman Goldberg. They weren't always perfect, however. When the Contarex test report was published and read by the Zeiss Ikon people a few of them are said to have broken out in laughter. The report showed that the Contarex's noise level was very low, although we know this not to be the case. It turns out that the testing device only recorded the beginning of the shutter noise sequence and not the entire wherring and clumping noises. So the testing device had to be changed. So much for bench tests. I still own and dearly love my Contarex Special (first version). I have mercury cells in my freezer for it's wonderful spot meter, plus the 25mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2 and 85mm f/2, in addition to my Novoflex adapter. It's the jewel of the 1960s. That ain't so old. Ed