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Condition: Very Good
Contax III 35mm Rangefinder camera body (Faulty)
Good cosmetic condition, the shutter is not working, meter is working, meter glass has a split in it
General Contax III information
The Contax III, also released in 1936 but with some delay, was a Contax II with an selenium exposure meter. It was one of the first 35mm cameras with a built-in exposure meter. During its production the sensitivity range of the exposure meter was slightly expanded.
Early Contaxes have the serial number inside on the bottom of the body and inside the detachable camera back, later ones for easier access also in the accessory shoe.
Both cameras - Contax II and III - were probably delivered to the military and some other countries like France, Latvia, Switzerland and Sweden until as far as April 1945 as some catalogues from Sweden suggest (O and M serial numbers). It is very questionable that Contax production was still going on at that time as bombing on Dresden, where the Contax had been produced, by Allied Forces became more frequent since Autumn 1944. Many wartime Contaxes II & III also found their way to the Fascist Naval Forces during the war, some of their lenses showing for the first time lens coating, a process which had been invented in the late thirties at Jena by Alexander Smakula for Carl Zeiss but had been kept a secret for several years.
After the war, the Soviet Military Forces (who had taken over in Jena after the US troops had left) ordered the remaining designers and staff to produce new drawings and tooling for the Contax II and III which had been lost during the bombing of Dresden and the damage of the ICA plant. These tools had to be prepared in very limited time by Carl Zeiss Jena at the Saalfeld tooling factory (SAG) near Jena where the first set of tools ahd to be set up for a test run. This particular camera, which is commonly referred to as "Jena Contax" (only about 25 Contax III models known), shows slight differences from the prewar version, most notably from the outside by a black ring around the selftimer lever and the word "Jena" in the accessory shoe above the serial number. According Werner Widder, who worked on these cameras, almost every part inside had been modified. The staff at Carl Zeiss Jena had to produce three sets of tools which were transfered together with some members of the staff as technical advisors to the city of Kiev, where they began the production of the Kiev rangefinder camera, as such a continuation of the Contax. Some very early Kievs were just re-labeled Jena Contaxes. An estimate goes that parts for around 2000 cameras were produced until October 1947 in Saalfeld.
At the same time, the Western part of the Zeiss Ikon company, based in Stuttgart, had already completely redesigned the Contax and launched the Contax IIa in November 1949 and Contax IIIa in March 1951.
Camera House Price: £59.00
The Contax III Rangefinder 35mm camera body (Faulty) is shown in Cameras > Vintage Camera.
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Looking after your camera
Use a Camera Bag
A camera bag does more than just protect the camera against scratches and dust: It keeps it safe from rain because many are waterproof on the outside.
Be Very Careful Around the LCD Screen and Camera Lens
Use only special equipment to clean your camera’s LCD screen and camera lens. Buy a special cleaning kit that includes liquid solutions, microfiber cloths and brushes that have been specially designed to clean your camera lens.
Never Leave Your Batteries in Your Camera for Too Long
Many camera batteries are now alkaline or lithium formats. If you keep your camera with the batteries inside of it in a moist area, then the batteries can get corrosive. So if you’re thinking about just putting your camera on the shelf for several months, do yourself a favor and remove them.
Turn Your Camera Off Prior to Doing Anything
Before you do anything to your camera, always keep in mind that it should be turned off first. No matter what it is—swapping lenses, changing memory cards or disconnecting or attaching cables—your camera should be turned off.
Cold and Wet Weather Can Wreak Havoc on Your Camera Body
Take your camera out only in a waterproof bag. If the weather’s unusually cold, just wrap your camera in a plastic bag that has silica desiccant packets for the reduction of moisture. It’s also a smart idea to have a soft towel with you to wipe off any moisture, just in case it should get on your camera.
Good Memory Card Care Is Good Camera Care
Only transport your memory cards inside of a protective caseMake sure the memory cards stay dust-free at all times. When removing memory cards, make sure you do so indoors or in non-dusty situations.
Make sure that you keep memory cards only in cool places. Never keep them in places where they may heat up, like dashboards or glove compartments.
Never place your memory cards close to magnetic sources. Examples of magnetic sources are things such as audio speakers, TV monitors and actual magnets.
Use a Filter to Protect Your Camera Lens
The lens of your camera is naturally fragile. As such, it’s susceptible to scratches, cracks, dents…you name it. A UV filter will not only will you give your lens a fighting chance, but you’ll also enhance the quality of your pictures.
Condensation Can Be Controlled
Condensation normally happens when you move your camera between different temperatures.
Allow your camera a chance to naturally get used to the hotter environment. Don’t place it inside a closed plastic bag when transporting it between different temperatures! Just let the camera sit in the humid temperature for a while, until condensation disappears.
If this still doesn’t get rid of all of it, you can utilize a soft cloth to wipe away any remaining moisture and marks left behind from the condensation.
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