Contax ST

[writing4me]

Hello all,
I know the RTS III has the highly praised Real Time Vacuum Back and ceramic pressure plate. I was surprised to read just now that the ST has the ceramic pressure plate. Does this mean both cameras (the RTS III and ST) hold the film perfectly flat? Did they incorporate this feature in any other SLR body?
Thanks,
Lynn

 

[matthias]

The ST does not have the vacuum back. it has only a ceramic plate which seems to be harder to avoid scratches on the back itself and therefore on the film. That's all.

Matthias

 

[writing4me]

Thank you Matthias. Now I understand. -Lynn

 

[ou1954]

Posted by MatthiasLauterer on Saturday, July 05, 2003 - 9:30 am:

The ST does not have the vacuum back. it has only a ceramic plate which seems to be harder to avoid scratches on the back itself and therefore on the film. That's all.

Matthias

Makes perfect sense, at least from a business point of view. Kyocera is very big in ceramics and used to have a huge ceramics plant here in San Diego when many integrated circuits were solder-sealed on ceramic plates.

That's actually where I first heard of them, long before I knew they were in the camera business. A company I worked for some 25 years ago leased the Kyocera plant for some additional manufacturing space, and the next time I looked the name was gone from the building.

Don Williams

 

[dormant]

I just picked up a used ST and its DOF preview buttong is quite stiff. I know it's mechanical, but it requires considerable amount of force to press it. Although it's movement is smooth in the sense that there is no sudden jolt in pressing the button, it is so stiff as to make it difficult to use that feature while shooting.

Is this normal? How stiff usually is the DOF button on a ST?


Thanks in advance.

 

[davidfung]

Hi, I have an used ST as well. The body is in very good condition. I find that the DOF button is rather unusal, compared to other DOF buttons. Like the RTSII, and other fully mechanical cameras. It is a bit more stiffer. But the action feels like it is actually pushing some form of gear or other mechanism. It does take much more force, and I do sometimes wonder if it is too much. However, the force required is not that great. Equivalent to the shutter release on a 'Blad. It also makes a funny noise. Hope that helps.

 

[dormant]

Thanks David. Well, it's hard to exactly quantify the amount of force needed. And it does make a funny noise like the sound of a latched gear pushing a metal spring or something. Nevertheless, all seems well with this camera. It is clean on the outside, though the bottom plate that covers the battery room is fairly well-worn.