Contax G2 users

[artspraken]

Agree with Brad Pitt.

Autofocus is not ideal for street photography due to AF lag. Street shooting is about zone-focusing lor.

I went to see the Contax G2 today in camera shop. It really is well built - solid like a brick. It is also very good price if you get in a set of body + lens. The most amazing thing is - WAH SEK! Contax G2 can autofocus in the dark!!! The AF is actually quite power, can see in the dark wan lei!!!. But there is a lag of about within 1 sec. Liddat I cannot tahan for street liao.

I got 2 more quibbles. First, the VF is indeed very dim and slightly blur. Second, the batteries is CR-2 - abit hard to find.

 

[STCHAN]

Agree with Brad Pitt.

Autofocus is not ideal for street photography due to AF lag. Street shooting is about zone-focusing lor.

I went to see the Contax G2 today in camera shop. It really is well built - solid like a brick. It is also very good price if you get in a set of body + lens. The most amazing thing is - WAH SEK! Contax G2 can autofocus in the dark!!! The AF is actually quite power, can see in the dark wan lei!!!. But there is a lag of about within 1 sec. Liddat I cannot tahan for street liao.

I got 2 more quibbles. First, the VF is indeed very dim and slightly blur. Second, the batteries is CR-2 - abit hard to find.

You probably got a bad copy of the G2, mine has instant AF speed. I would say its more accurate and faster than the D700 that i use to have. You can get CR-2 Batts online on ebay for a fraction of the price in shops.

And do not generalise that street is all about zone focusing. The ultimate street camera would be the camera phone, silent and unobtrusive, blowing the leica away. The G2 is extremely fast in the field, and lens selection, although small, has quality second to none. There were some results of lens test done between the 45mm planar and leica's 50 summicron posted online. And having used both systems and lens, i can safely say that the 45mm planar outperforms the cron.

Noise-wise, it is only noisy because the camera is next to your ear. I HIGHLY doubt that you will disturb anyone with it, because i did not.

Borrow a G2 for a few test rolls and see what it can do for you. Keep an open-mind and do not let brand loyalty cloud your judgment if you want to try it. I find it slightly amusing that most people have no prior experience with it, and yet could comment so much based on other's thoughts.

Just my 2 cents, cheers.

 

[artspraken]

Thanks. I am truly interested in G2. Will be trying again with test rolls soon, coz my friend got G1 I going to borrow and try. Don't worry I will not be biased. I admit G1 + G2 has a different feature set compared to Leica. I expect G2 will offer different possibilities to my photography. I believe photographers should not allow ourselves to be stuck in one mould (ie Leica). Anyhow, that is how I moved from Panasonic to Ricoh and to Leica. I am not blindly loyal wan.

In my post above, I am quibbling about G2 because I want to go in with open eyes (literally hehehe). Also good for discussion mah.

But hor.....I dun think I am overemphasising zone-focusing for street. At least my type of street, I need to capture that moment, I cannot compromise for allowing any lag (eg. autofocus) to elapse before the shutter capture. Hence the need to zone focus. I do admit in terms of stealth, iPhone4 is sibeh good also lah. But that is stealth. For me, street is more about the zone-focusing. Anyhow, I am open to other possibilities. If G2 AF can be fast enough for instant capture, I am prepared to recognise it as an option.

 

[artspraken]

gewei shifu,

Pls advise where can I CLA a Contax G2 in Singapore? If Singapore dun have repair, any idea where to send for servicing if needed?

I might buy a dodgy old Contax G2 to try. Want to know who can fix it just in case it dies.

 

[artspraken]

http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000378.html

 

[NazgulKing]

I feel tempted to buy a copy of the 90mm/f2.8 Sonnar and convert it to M-mount, but it ain't a priority item.

 

[Cactus jACK]

http://www.botzilla.com/blog/archives/000378.html

good to read reviews based on others' experiences, but nothing like trying it yourself to see if it works for you.

everyone shoots differently - different things, different styles, different techniques, different demands, different perspectives, among other considerations... what works for one need not nec work for another.

not to imply that the G system or rangefinders as a whole are only good for street photography... but as there was some discussion on shooting "street" photography, again, different ppl shoot / approach "street" differently. e.g. some like shooting wide open, others zone, others hyperfocus, and many, a mixture of styles.

point of all of the above is pls try not to be too quick to judge, and too swift to over generalise.

lastly, let's try to remain constructive.

 

[newghost]

gewei shifu,

Pls advise where can I CLA a Contax G2 in Singapore? If Singapore dun have repair, any idea where to send for servicing if needed?

I might buy a dodgy old Contax G2 to try. Want to know who can fix it just in case it dies.

The G2 body is fairly cheap, in the unfortunate event it dies on you... re-use the lens and just get another G2 body. I don't think it makes economical sense to repair it.

btw, i'm now in possession of a black G2... so the titanium silver one will have to part!