Contax G2 4 Year Review - Before You Buy
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Having owned this camera for almost exactly 4 years on the day I recorded this, I decided that I might have some insights to offer.
I hope that what I have said is somewhat useful, or at least inspires conversation!
Check out more of my work;
Instagram: / willysheeps...
Website: www.willysheep...
Songs Prod. Lim0
The intros on William's videos are iconic
Thanks so much for such a lovely compliment Iain!!!
The way Will looks at his Contax at 4:59 🥰
Ey I look at you like that too
Oh Will this act will have consequances mate
He likes me a lot sweetheart.
Some amazing photos and impressive subjects! New advice to all singles out there.... "Find yourself someone who looks at you the way Will looks at that camera" 😂😏
He doesn’t even look at me that way 🤣
@@mayasarembock8739 🤣🤣... Lies💕.. I've seen it with my own eyes 😜💕
Haha I did notice I gave it some loving looks!
this dude really just posted a photo of uncle Cyril with no explanation looool
ahah I ran into him at a garden center a few years back! Was hilarious directing him for the portrait with a crowd of tannies wanting a selfie and his bodyguards freaking out slightly lol!
Hey, just wanna let you know that the link to your website might not be working, at least it doesnt for me! Also, are you planning to do a review like this for the Nikon F3? I never bothered to check it out
Oh dang thanks for letting me know man! It sometimes bugs out and reads as a non safe site on chrome or mobile, but I’ll look into it when I get home!
I’m absolutely going to do an F3 review, will be a little while before I put that out though cus I’m running out cameras I’ve owned for years haha!
Checked it out! Think I might've just written it in wrong, but in case it still doesn't work in the bio www.willysheepskin.com should hopefully do the trick! Thanks for letting me know!
Will you make a video on the Nikon f3?
Absolutely!
hey
Hey 😏
🤣 oh deer, your Mamiya RB67 was wonderful enough to get me to pull the trigger on one ☝🏼 *Gosh* checking eBay for Contax G2’s now 😁
Haha I sense a healthy analog camera addiction in the making! If you're willing to take the risk the results can be stellar!
After 10 minutes of chill with Will I feel happier, somehow.
Ahaha thanks so much Sergej! I hope to continue providing the chill!
Yo! Just revisiting this video because you finally got me to pull the trigger on one of these!
Quick question: So sometimes i'll focus on something, the little focusing mark will pop up, and the camera will do a long, lower pitched like *zzztttttzz* but if I refocus once or twice more, the little focus mark will pop up, and it'll do a short, quick *zzt!*. Does THAT mean its focused?! haha this sounds insane but I wanted to verify thats what you were kind of talking about in this vid. Let me know if you have any other advice for it in terms of the auto focus and keep up the amazing vids! thanks!
Ahoy! I dunno why I didn't mention it in the video if I didn't buuut the best way to get used to the good sound vs the bad sound is to use the rangefinder in the cam. If it flashes on either side of the reading after its tried to focus that's when it'll have made the bad sound, and if its a solid dot over a number on the rangefinder - like 3 meters for example, then it'll have made the correct sound haha. So basically just use the distance reading bar thing to check focus and eventually the sounds of good vs bad readings will make sense lol!
Prachtige camera maakt prachtige foto’s! Ik zou voor dat geld te bang zijn dat hij stuk gaat, dus ik hou het voorlopig bij mijn betrouwbare Canon A-1 :)
Dankie Tim! Die Canon A-1 is ook n mooi kamera, ek het nog nooit een gebruik nie maar my vriende se baie gooie dinge!
a week to late mate...
You gotta buy one for the next job methinks ;;;;;)
Have you used the original Nikon F?
I haven’t put any film through one, but I’ve handled a couple for the sake of checking them out, they’re beasts!
Great review, maybe review F3 at some point as well? Any excuse for another video
The F3 is on the cards for sure! As are a few other fun videos haha ;)
Your videos are honestly fantastic, Will - one of my favourite UA-camrs to watch! Fab shots as always, looking forward to the next video!
Thanks so much Sean, so honored to hear things like that, I hope you enjoy the next one too haha!
I really wanted to buy but scared if one day I regret my decision if it breaks. Do you suggest any other similar camera or....??
Damn, Will, some of those shots are pure gold.
Thanks so much! Was super fun diving into the archive and finding stuff I’d overlooked before!
I inherited my grandpas black Contax g2 and I adore it. I used to shoot it a ton and I have always been afraid of the electronics failing, but I will say the camera has taken 2-3 HARD falls and it’s been totally fine. To compliment the fully auto nature of the g2 I saved and bought a Leica m2 a few years ago that I generally prefer and only pull the g2 out for special occasions and I baby it a lot more than I used to. With the 28mm and the tla200 it’s pretty hard to beat for street shooting
It looks like a giant point and shoot. Also, look at that casual name drop at 7:05
It pretty much is hey! You get to be a bit more specific than most point and shoots with some features but that is pretty good way to describe it haha
And that little gem, quietly placed at 0.09
Glad to hear you have a camera that hasn't given you too many headaches lol
Ahah I was glad to realize that was the case as I was speaking about it!
Hey. Can I ask with the parallax compensation focusing closely did your focus point not remain central? The correction only seems to happen from top left on my g2 and my friends g2 also.
I absolutely love this camera.
Most electronic issues probably are just a capacitor dying, should be relatively easy fix.
Is that a white South African accent? Sounds strange, much more tolerable than the standard white South African accent.
I can totally understand how you feel about the G2. Personally I found a good balance between form, function and budget. For me it's the Canon 1V, I know how boring, it looks like a plain DSLR but it was built to withstand war in any climate. If I were to drop it from a second floor and it didn't survive the fall, I wouldn't feel terrible because I could pick up a third body for less than half the price of the G2. I could also just use the backup 1V I purchased, both cost me less than one Contax G2. Canon L glass is excellent as well. The one downside is that they still are a little on the pricey side but with the popularity of mirrorless cameras prices are slowly coming down.
Awesome review! Do you see a huge difference between manual focused Nikon 50mm lenses and the Planar 45mm?
Thank you kindly! To be honest I haven’t used the Nikon very frequently at all since I got the Contax, but on the few occasions I have there has definitely been a noticeable difference in raw sharpness.
I think to give a true opinion I’ll have to compare the cameras and scan or print some negs myself but there’s just something about that Planar that makes 35mm look way crisper than any other lens I’ve used.
I reckon I’ll look into it properly when the time comes for my long term Nikon f3 review!
I know how you feel about it and have wanted one for some time, however the prices put me off so much. They do (an even more expensive) rare black version that looks good enough to eat.
Thanks! I was just thinking of buying one and I needed this review
Cheers! Glad it helped!
🤩
Great review! Still cant justify the price it's at right now lol. But speaking of nikon. I would love for you to do a review of the FM3A.
Ooh I haven't played with an FM3A in a very long time, that would be good fun! And yeah the G2 prices are probably always going to be higher than most sane people are keen to pay for a potential paperweight - but if one likes to live vicariously it's a beautiful camera to have haha!
@@willysheepskin lol. I bit the bullet and bought one. Watching your video again made me decide.
@@willysheepskin and the fm3a is a very elusive camera that I can't seem to find any reviews especially with it's iconic pancake lens.
As usual, a great review! I used to own this camera and this is one of few cameras I regret to have sold. Planner lens is crazy good. Probably very well comparable good to Leica's Summicron 35/50mm. One small downside was a tiny view finder... Besides that, I agree this is a fantastic camera.
Ah I'd love to compare it to a Summicron actually! Might have to look into that haha, I consider selling mine on occasion just because of the risk of it bricking, but not sure I could bring myself to do so unless I had a reaaaally nice alternative lined up, like something with a Summicron on it haha!
did you keyframe the writing in the beginning?? it so cool
Ah thanks dude first time someone’s commented on it! I tried recording myself writing it but that was too slow so I took a screenshot of that and animated it in after effects!
I want a G2 even more badly now and that’s your fault!
“holding it, is a transcendent feeling” 😩
It really is!
I thought about the Contax but passed because of the electronic issues it can have. That coupled with there being so few people that can or are willing to work on them drove me to the Nikon F3 HP. When I'm really worried about electronics and having a failure at the wrong moment I bring my Hasselblad 500C or the Mamiya RB67.
Yeah I think there's like only one spot in America that I know of called Nippon that will still even look at em, they might have some places elsewhere in the world too but the only reference I've seen online is for the Nippon spot and there's no way mine's ever going to make its way out there haha. The Nikon F3 HP is a stellar choice though, I actually traded one of those and a Bronica ETRSi for my Contax lol! Jealous that you have a 500C and an RB67, I want to run a Hassy with my RB someday!
This is a great summary. I’ve owned the G2 twice. Never had any issues, and like he says, you know if you’re not in focus - I never worried about it. The metering is fantastic. The 45 planar is an other-worldly lens. If I bought this camera again, I’d buy the 28mm, too. 35 doesn’t get much love but I had wonderful results with it. 90 is nice but viewfinder experience with it is so so.
Amazing camera ! Mine broke 2 years ago. ! Shutter issue... and I've been looking for someone who can repair it since...
Ah sorry to hear man! I've heard online that Nippon photo clinic works on them, if they're still around
Nippon photo clinic will fix it!!
for those who considering G2 but find it expensive, buy G1. its the same thing, just sliiiightly slower. if you never use g2, you will think G1 af is fine. its the lenses though. they are a blast.
Can you see the corner of the lens through your view finder? Im about to take a sort of new contax g2 out to a shoot and I realized you can see like the littlest bit of the lens when you look through the view finder and I don't remember it being like that before when I shot with a different g2 I had. I'm worried it got dropped or something when I moved recently. I'm going to test it asap but I'm curious if yours does this!
Hmmm I can't actually! Mine doesn't show in the finder at all, maybe the lens in the finder is slightly out of position or something? Hopefully it only impacts the finder and not the photos!
Good review! I’ve thought about buying this camera many times. The brick bit is what has always stopped me.
I just bought a used one and now Im nervous about it breaking on me lol. Has yours broken on you before?
Enjoy it! I just ignore the bad possibilities and use mine while I can haha! It's never broken in any way no, but have a number of friends who had ones that just died
Favorite UA-cam film photography channel, love the content. Keep it coming Will!
Thanks so so much! I absolutely will!
Can you recommend me a good film lab?
"very weird picture" @ 2:11 = actually very cool picture
Ahah yeah that one it did work well for tbh, all the bad examples are on some random hardrive I couldn’t find
The problem with electronic control camera is you will damage it by using rechargable battery, I got one of the contax g2, the damage of mother board will used up brand new battery within a raw
Oh wow thats good to know, shall definitely continue to avoid using rechargeable batteries then!
banger viddy mr willy
You’re a banger Mr Jono 💞
Lovely video
Great video I've been enjoying the content and subscribed today! Cheers
Thanks man! Welcome aboard!
Class video as always. Following closely with every upload Willy!
Many thanks, I look forward to seeing you again when I put up the next one haha!
As always, Love the review and video. Would you consider doing a review on the f3?
Thanks Kenneth! I’m absolutely going to do the f3, I’m just staggering my long term reviews a bit because I’m running out of cameras hahaha! It’s in pre production though, planning some cool things for it!
@@willysheepskin That’s great to hear! I have a little F3 buddy whispering in one ear saying, “pick me up cause you can count on me and I will never die on you and the other ear hears a classy g2 strutting along saying, look how sexy I am, you know you want it.” Lol
@@Nightwatch1986 that’s exactly what mine say to me too! Strongly considering trading my g2 towards a Hasselblad setup but I don’t think I can do it cus i love that camera too much haha
Is it still going strong?
I love your review! I have taken a G2 Champagne Titanium system as payment for a lot of work I did for someone helping them sell their father's Leicas. The moment I saw it and held it, I knew I was IN LOVE. I've tried to explain this feeling to several friends, but they just don't get it.
At first, it wouldn't work when I put batteries in it and night after night I would sit in front of the tv JUST HOLDING IT. Once I got it working, it's even better! I will probably never actually put a roll of film through it (spent forty of my fifty years in photography shooting film, and I'm done), but just sitting with it in my hand makes me happy. I'm not normally an equipment junkie, and I've never felt like this about a camera before. It doesn't hurt that it is also one of the most beautiful pieces of machinery I've ever encountered. I think you captured this feeling perfectly in your video.
I don't know what I will do if it stops working. Probably just go back to holding it...
What a lovely way to come into owning a G2! And I'm very glad to hear that at least one person out there understands just what I mean in terms of holding it haha! I think our appreciation of it is mirrored, although you're a step ahead of me in terms of appreciating it without shooting it haha!
I hope yours continues to work and brings many more years of enjoyment whether you end up putting film through it or not!
Love the little celebrity Easter Egg at 0.09 - Great video as always ..
Haha thank you! There's a president among it all someplace too!
You have the best film channel. No doubt about it
Thanks so much Eric, really appreciate that and hope to continue earning that opinion haha!
@@willysheepskin Haha you got it in the bag
i have a g1 and i love it
Nice one dude! Glad to hear it’s treating you well!
You really have one of the best channels out here
Thanks so much Miles!
@@willysheepskin of course!
🤙🏽
I currently use an Rb67 and want something more portable for daily / travel use but the price of a Contax G2 is more than I can justify atm (personal not professional use). The G1 green label is more in the price range of what I'm looking to spend. How do the G1 and G2 compare and is the price difference worth it? Also any advice on which lenses to get would be appreciated. My RB takes great portraits so I've love something for city / street shots and sights etc.
I have a G1. Beautiful camera, a jewel, except for the autofocus: utter disaster. Oh, and apart from that instance when it broke down after being serviced and me taking exactly 0 pictures.
Do you have any experience with the G1? Will an upgrade to the G2 be worth it? Would it solve my autofocus problems? Looking at your report: only partially.
Ahaha that's pretty much exactly in line with what I've heard about the G1 regarding autofocus! I reckon an upgrade to the G2 will help with autofocus issues, but you're just as likely to have it break down on you for no reason unfortunately :/. I'm keen to try out a G1 at some point, will have to have it in hand for a while to form an opinion but that could be fun for sure!
@@willysheepskin If you want to try a G1: I can mail you mine and when you are done, you mail it back. You seem like an honest fellow. (And I try to be)
I'll never forget that camera and 45/2. Amazing camera. Sublime lens.
Truly! I know that at least if the body dies I'll be able to mess around with that miraculous glass still haha
I just got my G2. I am trying to familiarize myself with the focusing sound you’ve shown in this vid. I wonder if you could make a video just a short one to highlight or make those sound louder? Thanks!
Next up do a Nikon f3 review!
It’s next for sure!
Hey Will (or anyone), do you have any thoughts on the Contax G1? It’s a lot more affordable than the G2 right now.
I just bought a fuji ga645, but i really want a g2 now
Contax were the greatest camera company of all time!
Hey will, just picked a g2 up myself and I am beyond excited to get started with it - a quick question though, do you shoot with aperture priority mode and let the internal light meter determine the shutter speed? Or do you use a light meter and manually control it all?
Awesome review!! I’ve always wanted to try out a G2! I don’t think I would want to own one because of the electronics and the fact that you can’t really manually focus, but it just seems so damn fun to shoot
Thanks Reimann! I recommend trying one out for sure, although be cautious because they are very addictive once you've got a taste haha! After I held one for the first time I knew it had to be my next camera even with the risks involved lol
@@willysheepskin haha I will proceed with caution then
Great Quality camera and lens so under rated.
Great video :) any reason you prefer the Contax G2 over the g1? or just a comparison in general as you don't really discuss the g1 at all? I love my G1, considering selling it because I'm scared it will brick but I find it really hard to let go of the lenses and want to adapt them somehow... At the same time it may be the nicest/my favourite 35mm camera I have ever used. Recently picked up an F3T in champagne finish at a good price which is really nice, although I have to put some work into it, only shot one test roll so far but I love that viewfinder
Thanks Dylan! I prefer the G2 for the improved autofocus mainly, I also never vibed with that notch the G1 has on the top corner. I would consider picking up a green label G1 though if my G2 ever died just for the sake of it being cheaper.
The F3T is an awesome pickup though! I reckon you’re really gonna dig it!
@@willysheepskin definitely excited, unfortunately the g1 never really got me feeling confident in long exposures and landscapes. But as a camera that I have around with me that I can pass over to a friend and with amazing metering (even using ttl flash) and decent af there’s a good chance they don’t miss the shots. Really really excited to have a proper mechanical speed that I can set for long exposures got some lomo 800 and the weather is starting to clear up in central europe so hoping for clear skies and astro long exposures :) also absolutely love the champagne finish, fantastic look. Wish more cameras today were produced in that colourway
@@dylan.thissen Yeah man landscapes in general on 35mm are always a bit tricky because the tonality can be quite limited unless the light is really really nice I find.
I'd be super stoked to have an F3T too, especially champagne! I really dig the champagne finish on pretty much anything besides the Mamiya 7ii ahah!
Using it for astro stuff also sounds sick, I think we have some of the best star viewing spots in the world down here so might have to give that a go at some point - although I'd want to do it the way Jasefilm does it and his setup looks preeeeetty expensive haha
@@willysheepskin yeah jasefilm is a madman, I can't afford any of that crazy star tracker gear haha
That's why I prefer to just shoot short instances with digital cameras and star trails with film.
I've found my favourite landscape shots I've taken to be on film to be with my mamiya 645, love the 70 and 150mm lenses
Did you use the 45mm with a filter on it? if it's so which filter do you use?
I keep a 46mm skylight filter on it to protect the glass, but take it off sometimes if I want to be sure I get the most out of the lens haha! Sometimes feels a bit silly having a piece of glass in front of that amazing lens but also don't ever want to scratch it
Hi Will, would you recommend the Contax G1 as well? I was thinking of picking that up and then buying the G2 eventually
The optical quality you can get out of a g1 should be the same since the lenses are all interchangeable if you have a green label body, I just know that the G1 autofocus gives people a lot of issues!
@@willysheepskin Hmmm. I've been hearing that alot but I mostly do architecture/landscape photography. Nothing crazy fast. I'm just debating whether I should get the G2 now or later. Either way I feel like it'll be a good time and maybe if the g1 bricks on me I wont cry as long! Although I am in the States so Nippon is very close.
@@ericrepo Just picked up the G1, autofocus hasn't been an issue for me. It's also smaller & lighter. I'd say go for it!
hi william.. if using a Contax g2 camera, is it still necessary to use a lightmeter?
The built in meter on the G2 has always worked amazing for me!
@@willysheepskin thank you Wil
It’s great to get some information from a longtime user about different cameras. After getting an rb67 I found that video you did, and these breakdowns are dead useful. I appreciate you doing them. Cheers!
Thanks so much Justin! I was waiting for your comment ahah, was of plan to make a comment noting your absence in the event you didn't manage to stop by lol!
@@willysheepskin That’s funny! You do what you enjoy on your channel. That comes through, and people
Respond to that. Keep doing your thing! Thanks 😊
thanks for the review!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I want to get a G1 so bad just for the 45mm
That's probably the best way to get into the G series glass if you're willing to fiddle with the autofocus a bunch tbh!
why us the 16mm lens so expensive? not many were made?
They're very popular for M mount conversions, and if the leica fellas wanna spend money on things then they end up being expensive haha!
@@willysheepskin oh yeah just seen that it can be mounted on Leica s cams ! thanks a lot dude. love the 16 mm video so much - shame u can't use the flash attachment while using that lens
I use a G1 and can recommend to anyone who would like to shoot these amazing lenses without getting too nervous with the body breaking. G1s are still relatively cheap to replace.
I reckon I’d consider going that route if mine gives up, just nervous about the autofocus but I guess if I got used to it on this one I could get used to it on the G1!
@@willysheepskin the G2 is definitely an improved version of the G1 with main differences like infrared focus and shutter speed of 1/4000 but for the most part they’re very alike. I nail focus 95% of the time with my G1 and if you have problems with your G2 at night, I can tell you it’s the same with the G1. I know some people who invest in a G1 despite having a G2 just so they can use it daily without worry, also, an old guru told me to shoot at least 6 rolls a year to maintain these cameras.
@@Suckmine10 That's a very strong guru tip! The g2 actually maxes out at 1/6000 but it only goes that high in auto mode can't set it manually, might try pick up a G1 as a backup preemptively if one shows itself for a decent price haha
@@willysheepskin Didn’t know that! If you do pick one up you’d want to choose the green label over the white one, those can take more lenses Contax made later. Good luck hunting for one, I saw someone on UA-cam thrifted one for $25 with pelican case with 3 lenses and the flash I’ve never been more jealous 😭