Re: Leica Alternatives

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

 The Contax design, as a whole, is somewhat more rugged.
>So, all in all, the chance of having a functional Contax IIa or IIIa or M3
>is about the same -- in fact, I have a fully functional run of all the
>Contaxes, Prewar and Postwar.  Every M3 I've ever owned needed overhauled.  
>
Lipinski, author of the very famous book " Miniature and precision 
cameras" has made a screw by screw analysis of the Contax and concluded 
that its 'enormous mechanical complexity' makes it more susceptible to 
wear and dust. The shutter is especially prone to failure and is a 
'masterpiece of misplaced ingenuity'. Roger Hicks is even more negative: 
"the fact that it (the Contax) works at all is a triumph of something". 
The fact that the Contax uses 24 (!) gears in its slow speed regulation 
is one such example. To drive 24 wheels you need strong springs, which 
break down easier and whatever you may think of the beauty of a 24-gear 
train it must be more prone to wear and tear. And Jason Schneider also 
draws attention to the somewhat delicate nature of the Contax. We have 
here an instance of  the  classical engineering rule that everything that 
moves can fail and certainly will wear out. And the Contax has many more 
parts in its chassis than the Leica M.
That every M3 needs an overhaul is no valid argument that the camera 
would be inherently less rugged than a product which does not seem to 
need such treatment. A battle tank, which certainly would qualify as 
rugged, needs an overhaul every few thousand miles. 
My own experience with the Contax ( I also owned and used a few) gave me 
mixed feelings. It worked allright but its shutter gave me constantly 
troubles. I had to replace the silk strands that guide the metal shutter 
rollers. 
On the other hand I might point out that the best built camera ever has 
been the Contarex. I have one from 1959 that has been used heavily every 
day of its life till a few years ago and it still functions smoothly and 
flawlessly. Only its second shuttercurtain is a little fast. The 1/1000 
is in fact a 1/2000. 
Personally I would not blindly buy any Leica or Contax in the second hand 
'arena'. Any Leica or Contax can  be abused and has its share of 
problems. But most Contaxes I have handled were in a bad shape and needed 
repairs, more so than that most Leica's. But maybe these Contax specimens 
were more mishandled. 
One of my never answered questions is this one. In WW II the German 
reporters were equipped with Leica sets and Contax sets. Many Leica sets 
have survived the war. But were are the Contax ones? 
Erwin Puts