Contax G1 | The Best Point & Shoot

[@williamkeene6434]

im so glad someone finally said the autofocus wasnt terrible, i just got my g1 and im just waiting on the 45mm planar and i cant wait to test it out

[@Narsuitus]

Pros: Small size Titanium body G1 is available in two versions: white label and green label (I have one of each) Auto exposure, auto focus, auto film load, auto film advance, and auto rewind features Built-in eyepiece diopter High quality Zeiss lenses (I have 21/28/45/90) 28/45/90 lens kit is very useful 28/45/90 lenses all use the same 46mm filter size 28/45/90 lenses use the same 46mm filter 28/45/90 lenses have aperture ring with full click stops (my personal favorite) Lenses focus closer than my Leica M6 lenses Built-in corrective eyepiece for viewfinder Relatively low price for high quality equipment Accurate through-the-lens light metering Aperture Priority Automatic Exposure Control Manual Exposure Control Automatic Bracket Exposure Control Can change bracket exposure order to over/standard/under from standard/over/under Multiple exposure feature Prefer the G1 hinged back to the M6 removable back G1 hinged back can be removed if desired Built-in film winder automatically cocks shutter and winds film (single shot mode) Built-in motor drive shoots 1.6 shots per second (continuous shot mode) Built-in auto rewind Can change rewind to leave leader out of the cassette instead of rewinding the leader into the cassette Viewfinder automatically changes angle-of-view to match the lens mounted Viewfinder automatically corrects parallax error Flash syncs via hot shoe or PC port Flash syncs at 1/100 second and longer (exceeds my 1/60th sec. and longer standard) Small flash unit (TLA-140) needs only one battery (CR123) Through-the-lens flash metering and auto flash exposure are available with TLA-140 Typical rangefinder advantages over SLR such as no mirror slap, quieter operations, and no subject blackout in viewfinder at time photo is taken Equipment does not attract thieves and muggers Complete 20-year kit packaged in a beautiful wooden box The titanium Contax G1 body with the Zeiss 3-lens kit cost less than one Leica M6 titanium body with no lenses

[@GlaciaDay]

I have 1 G1, 2 G2s and a full set of G lenses. I freaking love this series of cameras and lenses. I'd say 28 and 45 is a must to get. 21 is probably the next, Hologon 16 is you got some extra cash. 35, 90 and zoom are kinda skippable. G2 focuses like 30% faster than G1 especially in lower light situations. A lot people are complaining them missing focus a lot, that is because they either got a failed unit or they don't check the focusing scale every time when pressing the shutter. People have cracked the coding for G1 upgrade, if you search for Contax Paul G1 rom you'll find the tutorial for upgrading a white label G1 to a green label one.

[@hecrof]

I just bought one in eBay, waiting for the delivery. It comes with a 28 and I want the 35, why do you think I better the 45 instead? Thank you!

[@GlaciaDay]

@@hecrof I like 35mm focal length lens but G35 is not on the same level of G45 and G28.

[@lewissmith7033]

Man 😔 - I've got a big day tomorrow and absolutely have to sleep right now or I'll be useless haha, but I'm looking forward to properly settling down and watching this when it's all done! I couldn't see this though w/o writing a little message expressing how sick this channel is (also idk how you made that video about pixel shift scanning so engrossing) - the care that goes into these videos really shines through : ) Keep doing what you're doing!! (And keep making me jealous I don't have an F6 even though I definitely don't have the skills to make the most of it HAHA) - love from Sydney, Aus!!!

[@contaxpaulharrison942]

It is not always obvious when the autofocus is out from the viewfinder display, particularly with the 90mm, if the cameras indicates 7 metres on a subject 6 metres away it is not that obvious it is wrong, focussing with the camera held at a 45 degree angle and locking the focus can help in situations where you think the autofocus may be suspect, typically the camera needs something with some contrast in the vertical axis to focus reliably. The G2 added a second set of sensors at 90 degrees to the first to improve this.

[@DavidSk2683]

Amazing video!

[@CrusaderRabbit59]

loved your how to focus tutorial, but then again i love ragtime ... cheers, the Rabbit. =:3

[@jw48335]

Personally I can't handle the tiny viewfinder🙃 Amazing glass though. I even had the Techart AF adapter and it worked well. For me, carrying a Fujica Compact Deluxe rangefinder was better - similar size, modern battery, comparable lens, mechanical reliability, and focusing was only a hair slower.

[@ianhand5006]

I remember seeing those, brand new, in a local camera shop. Remember those?

[@photoholic6369]

Really really nice video :-) !!! I enjoyed it watching a lot !!

[@ianhand5006]

The green label, in the film chamber, means you can use the 35mm lens on your G1. Ah, you’ve explained it at the end.

[@transamericanlife]

It can be a point and shoot camera, but if you're an experienced photographer it is so much more.

[@rainersauerbier]

Thanks for the full informative video. If I get the G1, I gonna read the f*****g manual. 😅👍

[@Narsuitus]

Cons: Small body size and auto features make some people think it is a point & shoot; camera is too sophisticated to be P&S No black body G1 No manual focus ring on lens (my biggest con) Difficult manual focus performed using rotating dial on top of camera Slow auto focus No depth-of-field scale on lenses Limited choice of lenses for Contax lens mount (about 7) Cannot use the 35-70mm f/3.5 to f/5.6 zoom on my G1 white label or green label Cannot use the 35mm f/2 on my G1 white label Cannot use the 21mm f/2.8 on my G1 white label No Shutter Priority Automatic Exposure Control No Program Automatic Exposure Control Aperture ring rotates in opposite direction of my Nikon and Fuji lenses Self-timer is 10-seconds only No longer produced or supported by manufacturer Battery dependent (uses two CR2 batteries) Not as quiet as Leica M6 rangefinder (important con for me because I want to use it for stage work) Viewfinder is not 100% accurate Prefer a 21/35/85 lens kit If Zeiss Contax G lenses are used on mirrorless digital cameras, an adapter that can provide a focusing feature must be used Small flash unit (TLA-140) uses CR123 battery Second shutter sync not available on TLA-140 flash unit Typical rangefinder limitations such as not as good as SLR for macro, close-ups, extreme wide, or extreme telephoto

[@matthewsmith5883]

why read manual when can make comment online instead?

[@Old-School-Liberal]

Nope! Had the G2 for 10 years glad I sold it!

[@transamericanlife]

why @sleepingliberal?