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Need G1 Advice

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful advice. I was able to get a pretty good understanding of the G1's strengths and weaknesses from your posts. I went ahead and bought the used G1 with the 45/2 Planar since it seemed like a good price. I downloaded a scanned copy of the manual and have been reading it while I wait for the unit to arrive, and looking at some pictures posted on the web shot with this combination, which I must say really impress me. I think the chief value of having this camera is that I plan to always have it with me so maybe I will shoot more pictures with it.

As for the 139Q with the pancake Tessar, I like mine, even though as Joseph says, it can be a little tricky to focus with that small ring. But, it is a great little lens and is razor sharp and produces great colors. The 139 is at its best when carried just as it is with this lens on it, when you add the winder, it gets heavier than it needs to be and it spoils the package. I guess I will see which set-up I like best.

Thanks again to all for your responses.
 
I still fancy the 45mm Tessar to go on my Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 and might get one if I see one at a good price.
 
John,

I've been using my 45 Tessar on a 139Q for several months now as my "always with me" camera/lens. As a result, I've probably taken more pictures with it than with anything else. I'm probably not using this lens on anything really demanding from a focusing standpoint, but I will say that even drugstore lab prints made with film bought from the grocery store make me smile when I open the envelope. They are sharp and the colors are wonderful. The results are visibly different than the same type of shots made with other lenses, such as the run-of-the-mill Yashica normal lenses, so much so that the processing personnel have commented and asked me what I took the pictures with. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on one's perspective, my new wife has decided she likes this combo so much that she wants it. I think it's probably worth the sacrifice to have her share my hobby, and I get to justify the G1 purchase.

I bought my 45 Tessar for less than $150 on e-bay, and I do not think you would go wrong with one. When I read your post, I put mine on one of the FX-3's we have here for work cameras. It looked great and made a neat little package, just like on the 139Q. There is something kind of neat about having a "stealth" top of the line lens on a low-end Yashica body too. If you see one on e-bay at a good price, I'd say go for it!

Cheers.

Tom
 
> Hi, I am aware that this is the incorrect place to request being dropped from the service but after many efforts through the web site and having no success I am using this choice, I am enrolled in leica, contax canon and minolta please drop from all. I am srroy to use this discussion group, but it is a last ditich effort

Jim
 
In the even lower end there is the Yashica FX-2 and I have one. A few months ago I deliberately chose FX-2 instead of the more popular FX-3. This camera is chunky, in contrast, it has a very light mirror. It can function without the battery. Although the view is dim and smaller than other Contax cameras, I do find it to be a very good backup.
I do use it with the" top of the line lenses'' such as 45 2.8, 85 1.2, 21 2.8 and 28 2. I might find a Tele-apo-tessar 300 2.8 to fit on the FX-2 in the future. Perhaps the biggest contrast is when you fit FX-3 with Zeiss Tele-apo-tessar 600mm f4, this is something I wish to do one day. reference for 600 4 www.geocities.com/ilprode/600f4.htm
 
Joseph,

I know what you mean about the positive features of FX-2's. I have over a dozen of these workhorse cameras, which we use to teach investigative photography and to issue to our invesigators precisely because they will work without batteries. They are a bit heavy and clunky, but ours have survived many an incident where they were dropped, etc. I would think they would be a little large and heavy to match up well with the 45 Tessar, but it certainly would work if one wanted to do it. By the way, if anyone here needs parts for FX-2's I have a half-dozen of these cameras that came to us broken in various ways and are not worth our time or effort to repair. They can be made available free to forum members who wish to perform camera surgery for only the cost of shipping them to you.

Cheers,

Tom
 
I wish to ask one question about the FX-3. Does this body have mirror lock up like the S2 ? What I mean is rewind the body, pull the mechanical self timer, press the shutter button you get the mirror lift up, once the timer finish, the shutter opens, so there is a time gap between mirror lifting up and shutter opening.
 
I'll have to check mine Joseph and get back to you as I can't remember off hand and it is stored in the loft at the moment.
John
 
Tom,
Thanks for your reply. I reckon I'll go for it if I see one, perhaps as a birthday or Christmas present. I have to recover from our daughter's wedding first, which takes place on the 9th October. She has just flown over from Sydney for it and her Australian fiance is due next week.
Cheers,
John
 
Joseph,
Yes on my FX -3 Super 2000, the mirror lifts as soon as the shutter button is pressed in self timer mode. The mirror flips down again the moment the shutter has tripped.
I must say that although the camera certainly gives a healthy clunk, I have never noticed undue blur in the pictures.
An advantage is that I have just discovered that the batteries are flat in mine but of course the camera still works fine, just no meter.
No doubt it is the venerable Cosina designed and made camera. I have always liked the design and simplicity of it. It was the original model which introduced me to Yashica SLR's from whence I moved to Contax with the excellent 139 20 years ago. I cannot really remember but I feel that my original one was much more heavily made than this latest one.
I think that the Cosina design has been the base for many cameras which must prove the worth of the original design.
John
 
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