4 questions

[jaysan]

hey folks,
1) does anyone know if contax sells lost covers for the flash sync cord and the cable release? or can i get them somewhere else? anyone have any extra ones i could buy?

2) does it make that big a difference with a uv filter on or off? i figure that the zeiss lens is so sharp i'll leave it on for protection. the results i get back are sharp as i've ever seen. if i shoot without the filter will the sharpness just absolutely slice my eye in half?

3) the focus lock button is 'loose.' when i touch it slightly, it moves. it doesn't seem to affect the function of the button, but can it be easily fixed without getting too pricey or should i just leave it? i'm afrad it'll get worse if i leave it.

4)is it just me or does the cable release, well ssuck? when i had a canon, the cable release had a two step process like the shutter; focus lock, then shoot. when just using the cable release, it seems that one cannot recompose the shot. did i just need to spend more to get a better version?
thanks, ya'll are a big help.
jay-san

 

[daleh]

>I can give you some ideas on two of your questions. On the little end caps, I would call Yashica USA in New Jersey on their 800 line. I would start by telling them how much you love your Contax equipment. I would then ask how one would go about ordering or obtaining the little parts. They will either refer you to a dealer to order them as spare parts and give you the retail price; or, they just might throw them in an envelope and mail them to you, gratis. If you ask nicely enough and they like your phone voice, there is a pretty good chance of this happening as they are VERY accomodating for their good customers. On the UV filter aspect: my theory is that I never add additional air-glass surfaces unless really needed. But for most work, you will never be able to detect the difference. If at some point you have to shoot available light, into the light, in a dark church or something like that, you might lose a tiny bit of shadow detail/contrast but again, it might be undetectable to the naked eye. If you are going to use a filter over your lens full time, just make sure it is a really good one with no scratches of any kind, even tiny hairline ones. Treat it and clean it as if it were a $400 lens because if it is not in first class shape, it will make the $400 lens underneath it into a cheap lens, no better than the damaged filter. Hope this gives you some useful guidance.

 

[stooth]

With the G2 autorewind is it possible to rewind film without losing the tip in the cannister? I haven't figured it out.

Ron

 

[daleh]

Yes, it can be programmed and it is explained in the manual. If you do not have a manual, email me at daleh@surewest.net and I'll email you how to do it.

 

[afranklin]

> With the G2 autorewind is it possible to rewind film without losing > the tip in the cannister? I haven't figured it out.

Custom function 3. 0 = rewind all the way, 1 = leave the tail out.

Regards,

Austin

 

[wergin]

>Hallo Ron: You can alter the programm specifications of the G2 to leave the tip of the film outside the canister. Just look it up in the manual. Yours Clemens

 

[robgo2]

I agree that the cable release mechanism on the G2 is poorly designed. The biggest flaw is that the shutter fires immediately after the lens moves into focus position. Without a pause at this point, there may be some vibration in the camera at the exact moment that the film is exposed, which defeats the whole purpose of using a cable release in the first place.

For this reason, I no longer use a CR with my G2. Instead, I depress the shutter button to focus-lock position for several seconds before gently releasing the shutter. In addition, with my other hand, I press downward on the tripod itself. I believe that the camera is very well immobilized by this technique.