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Contax G2

Kian-Guan,

It's generally considered a good thing to take your time and consider all of your options before jumping into a completely new system. I commend you for doing just that.

By now you know that the G system has a strong fan base (I include myself among that group). Should you decide to stay with 35mm, the G is a wonderful option. I don't think it can be overemphasized just how fine the G optics are.

The Fuji mid-format rangefinders certainly look like an attractive option for your needs, and their reputation for quality seems solid (I believe they also make the XPan for Hasselblad). I have no experience with Fuji cameras myself, so can only recommend giving one a try--perhaps rent one or at least shoot a test roll at a dealer.

I've recently become aware of an Alpa mid-format rangefinder that, coincidently, uses Zeiss lenses, the Alpa 12. They're certainly gorgeous to look at, and I imagine they fetch a small king's ransom to buy. http://www.alpa.ch/alpa/alpa12.html

I consider it good news for photographers that this long-overlooked format is generating interest from manufacturers again, much like the renewed interest in 35mm rangefinders. I like to think of it as the disposable, digital backlash :)

Regards,

--Rick
 
Hello Rick,

Thank you very much for your comments.

I have been longed for the Contax G2 for a long time. Maybe it is time for me to buy it soon. Which dealer sells the kit at lowest price? I notice that some other countries than US sells cheaper than US. Is it worth to buy it outside US? I understand that it is 1 year warranty. I know that if I buy it from US dealer like B&H, it is 3 years warranty. Is the 3 years warranty worth?

I do not mind to rent a medium format rangefinder from the dealer. But unfortunately, the local dealer does not have everything. I will try to look for a dealer who has something that I need to rent.

Thanks again,
Kian-Guan
 
Kian-Guan,

I'll respect Dirk's wishes and not recommend a particular dealer. I believe that I'd repeat what I did, which was to buy my starter kit at my local dealer here in the States to get the three-year warranty. There are many things that can go wrong in a modern and complex camera body, and my experiences with Contax USA repair have mostly been positive.

Lenses, on the other hand, have far fewer things that might go wrong so I'd be more willing to buy them used, gray market or from overseas. I've seen very competitive prices from Hong Kong.

--Rick
 
Kian-Guan,

since you plan to spend a lot of bucks, I would strongly act on Ricks advice and catch hold of the items in real life.
Get a personal impression of the extra bulk and weight that comes even with the "tiniest" MF-system (which are the Fuji's, then Bronica RF, Mamiya 7II).

One last point. The camera is only one part of the photographic process, and often considered as the less important one. MF means extra efforts in projection, scanning or darkroom handling as well. Only you can decide whether all this is well balanced by the extra quality or not.

Just one link to delve into MF in general:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/u-medium.shtml

Have fun on studying, buying and enjoying the right equipment and above all, your photographic work.
Till
 
Till:
I agree with you 100 % I'll never forge the first set of chromes I got back from my RZ67. Those slides taught me a huge lesson on DOF. It also made it clear to me why most veiw camera shots are taken at f/64 and higher. For 35mm, you can't beat the G2 for street photography and its unobtrusiveness.
 
Hello Rick and Till,

I really appreciate your greatly help and feedback. Thank you very much.

I agree with both of you completely. I would rent one of the mid-format rangefinder this month or later and see if this kinda fits me well or not. I suspect that I like the G2 better because of compact, quality, easy to travel with, and also I tend to print the 4 x 6 photos. Sometimes I print 8 x 10 but not often. I understand that the mid-format one can print larger best photos.

I do not want to jump into a new system too fast. I have to take my time to think and make a right decision. I know it is a lot of money to invest and buy it. I do not want to regret myself.

Regards,
Kian-Guan
 
Kian-Guan,

I would like to classify your needs:
While the advantage of MF begins before 35mm sucks, my personal feeling is that at 4x6 to 8x10 you should get really satisfying results from 35mm - especially with CZ glass.
The advantage of high quality 35mm glass gains importance with size as well. I think 8x10 is at the lower end of this range.

Assuming that you are actually getting your prints from a usual consumer lab, MF would mostly bring you extra bulk, weight and costs for less versatility.

Sorry for the bad advice, which was based on your demand for "best quality" without knowing about your print sizes.

Don't waste your time and rent some of these gems:
G2, M6/M7, XPan, Bessa R2. Also compare them to a light but HQ SLR as Aria, FM3A, maybe Pentax MZ-S. There are fine primes for all of them.
But forget about F5.

Till
 
Kian Guan,

The G2 prints blow up beautifully to 12x18. I have had many of these done on the Noritsu 2901 processing machine and they look almost equal to my Contax 645 prints of this size, at a fraction of the cost. You will not be dissapointed with this camera.

John
 
...not to forget Konica Hexar RF, kind of an automated Leica, and just to mention rebadged Rollei 35 RF...

Golden 35mm RF revival!
 
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