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Review Contax T3

It is normal for the battery and frame count indicators to remain visible on the T3 when the camera is switched off.

Simon
 
Yes, this is normal. I've had my T3 for a couple of months and am astounded by the high quality of the images. I shoot mainly chromes and the meter and the focusing have been very accurate. I love the T3. Congratulations on your purchase.
 
Simon, David, thanks for the heads up. Now it's time to take some pics. I have to admit, I had a difficult time choosing between the Minilux and the T3, but the size, flexibility, optics quality, 3 year warranty, and no-nonsense appearance decided the day for me.
By the way, I want to shoot B/W with this camera on my next vacation. Any recommendation on high quality B/W film?
Phil
 
Hi, Phil,

after all these years of developing B/W-films I switched to Kodak T 400 CN.= Can be developed C-41, gives quite good prints on colour-paper and very go= od results scanned or printed on normal B/W-paper. Just try it.

Thomas
 
I like T-Max 400. If you prefer a chromogenic B&W film (a film that can be processed at a color mini-lab using C-41) I'd suggest you try Kodak Portra. Most of all, I'd suggest trying several until you find one you like best. Finally, if ISO 100 is OK then I think T-Max 100 is wonderful. But your taste may differ from mine . . . Most of all enjoy shooting with the camera. I use mine all the time.
 
Incredbile lense. The best performer of the PSs. Best finder with viewable frames (even for the four-eyed like me), good autofocus (t2 is better here) But.....

Ergonomically it is a flop. The T-2 little touches of rubber and larger size make it much more usable. A big shame Contax got too caught up in how the specs would appear in Popular Photography to consider how to hold this optical dwarf on steriods. They really dropped the ball here.

I bought and returned this teaser and don't reget it. My M will suit me fine until they get it right. Also is is no M in it's shuter response. Nothing is though. So I won't argue that further.

FYI

For those of you who bear with the this shortcoming. George of Tamarkin, in NYC, shoots alot with his t-3 (music scene candids) and no suprise gets great results. He also wants to find a way of attaining a more postive grip. Gaffers tapes is an aid but no solution. Photo-Equip in Minnesota (an awesome grip maker for R,M, Nikon and Contaxes, +) expressed interest in making a grip for T-3 users if enough interest was shown. So unite for a better grip. I know it would at the price of the minute size but sometimes these spec. wars go to far and make the camera hard to use.
 
Hi Peter,

"Ergonomically it is a flop. The T-2 little touches of rubber and larger size make it much more usable. "

I had never problems with holding my T3. If you think it is to small or itchy, I would recommend buying the optional flash adapter SA-2 for T3.

It enlarges the size of the T3 to a "minilux", with less weight, but you have an excellent grip then on the camera with the option to mount immediately te TLA200 flash on it.

The combo SA&T3 is feeling like one piece. If you have the black T3, you would even not realize the two separate items.

But I you find an elegant looking addition for a reasonable price, there might be more people who are interested in this.

Dirk
 
Dirk,

My main point about the ergonomic failure of Contax with the T-3 is that they made this camera to look great on in ads and in enlargements IF you are able to comfortably hold it. I am not at all happy in this respect.

It feels (to me) like an clumsy minute brick of titanium.

I have tired the solution you suggested to no avail. In my opinion Contax really overlooked the obvious--that in order to get the most from such a great lense you must be able to hold the camera comfortably and totally still. You can only go so small and then you lose the ability to do so.

Hand-holding in low-light or fast for that matter is not an easy task with this optical mighty-mite and ergonomic nightmare.

Thanks for your suggestion. I appreciate it.

**As I stated in my first post Photo-Equip in Minnesota. the best acessory grip maker I know of, has told me that if they received enough response he would consider making a grip for the t-3. Of course it would not be as small but more usable with such an addition. www.photoequip.net **

In conclusion I'd prefer the t-3 lense in the t-2 body.A much easier to hold dream combo with a superior lense.

peter
 
I have been using the T3 for the past 5 months or so. I have also used many other small cameras. The T3 is in my opinion certainly not a "titanium brick". The T3 is a delight to use, ergonomically friendly,rendering even the most demanding scenes with stunnning clarity, sharpness and ease. This camera can't be rated highly enough.

Greg Clements
 
I am not a 'true beleiver'. I think the 'justification effect' is taking place with many of the zealous lovers of this great lense in an unergonomic titanium brick body. It is unusable to me as it comes from the manufacter. I am better off with a $200 camera. It would offer better handling i.e. stablity and stillness two things the even a great lense trapped in a too small badly shaped body don't.

BTW Greg. I never said anything bad against the lense. I did say as I will again that a camera is the sum of all its parts. Great lense, bad body design=titanium jewlery for me.

I don't like the way it handles.

My opinion is this camera is a major disappointment due to handling. Go ahead and cite MTF and popular-whatever-magazine, or your own personal results (I have seen great results. I know.) until you are blue in face. It still won't make this camera handle any better or 'convert ME'.

For a PS camrea this expensive it had better be perfect. It was not for me. It may be for you. Good,I am happy for you. Really.

I am currently researching an acessory grip to get the most out of this great lense. I will let the group know. Today a friend who loves his T-3 (uses it professionally) and I figured out a potential alternative. He loves the camera (i.e. lense) and ,like me, hates the handling.

I will let everyone know, in case you also aren't contented in t-3 land, if we work out a final solution.



-Peter
 
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