Contax T2 Review - Does it live up to the hype?

[@TonyWodarck]

What do you think? Does it live up to the hype? Have you shot with a Contax T2? I'd love hear what you think in the comments below!

[@MarcS4R]

i love mine. i prefer the case size over the T3. i find the IQ to be amazing. the flash too. its better than what i get out of my Nikon F3,

[@TonyWodarck]

That's awesome. Yeah I really like the flash. The metering is spot on for me and the lens is unbeatable for that size.

[@jordanmaidon6312]

are you selling?? really want to buy from a trustworthy seller

[@TonyWodarck]

Jordan Maidon I’m not currently selling one. I bought mine off eBay from a reputable seller that allowed 30 day returns. Just made sure to test it in that time.

[@TonyWodarck]

@@md12962 If you want one of the best point and shoots, they'll cost you. The popularity has skyrocketed lately due to celebrities. What would you recommend comparable but cheaper than the T2?

[@venka_fashion]

I heard it’s better to let the f to 2.8 (program mode) to avoid vignetting. Is that true from your experience? Also heard contrary statements P mode usually sets more open aperture. Which could be negative for street photography where I usually set to f8 on a 400 speed film

[@benjhaisch]

I use the manual focus allllll the time. 1m for party flash stuff and infinity anytime I’m shooting through something, especially a window in a car or plane.

[@TonyWodarck]

Benj Haisch aghh good call! There you go. Valuable info. Thanks so much. I just shot out a plane window to Hawaii. We’ll see what happened when I get the scans back. Hahaha. Thanks so much for watching!

[@phila3884]

Shoot exclusively B+W with mine. In the right light you can get amazing shots. Great camera for training your eye to get the right shot.

[@TonyWodarck]

I miss mine. I sold it a few months back to fund a new camera purchase and wish I never sold it haha.

[@dunkyourdonuts2282]

just found one casually lying around in my house within a pile of junk that my dad hoards, but no batteries so cant try it out yet, hope it works since my dad said he has never used it...ever

[@TonyWodarck]

dunkyourdonuts that’s an awesome thing to stumble upon. Get some batteries and check that thing out! Should be fine.

[@jessicaegbu7689]

Omg thanks for the tip on the frame lines! I just got mine and started shooting a roll and ALSO did not notice 😅

[@TonyWodarck]

Hahaha!! Nice. Glad you didn’t blow a whole roll.

[@lordbountifulitsme7919]

Have 1 l got from swap meet 10 years ago $15 Aus just got some film, original battery was fine but replaced 👌 Thanks for your inspiration 🏆

[@Brema__Brema]

I had the Contax t2 for about a year, love how portable it is and the lense quality, for the price, I think it's a hype camera, there are so many 35mm point and shoot at are under $200 that perform much better.

[@TonyWodarck]

Brema i feel you and agree for sure. What cameras do you like that compare?

[@TonyWodarck]

Michael Diaz yep I feel you. I need to try out a Stylus Epic.

[@yup1039]

Please give some examples🙏

[@jusren]

Nice review and great photos man!!

[@TonyWodarck]

Thanks dude!!!

[@andreabacala4420]

Hi there! I have a question. I was going to buy a contax t2 on ebay but it says that the problem the camera has is the exposure comp is always on. What does that mean? Thank you and have a great day

[@TonyWodarck]

There’s a dial that chooses how much exposure compensation you want. Meaning do you want it at zero, or +1 stop or -1 and it will do a normal exposure metering then factor that compensation in. Not sure what always on means though cause always on at zero wouldn’t do anything.

[@andreabacala4420]

@@TonyWodarck I kinda figured it out. So, even though the exp comp is set to zero, electronically, in the view finder it keeps saying that exp comp mark is on. Do you think i need to get this camera repaired??? Thanks for the reply tho. I really appreciate it.

[@TonyWodarck]

@@andreabacala4420 I don't think so, as long as your photos turn out properly exposed, you should be all good.

[@vangstr]

Great camera, but I’d rather put my money towards Leica glass on my M.

[@sergeleephoto]

great camera and amazing shots!

[@TonyWodarck]

Thanks so much!

[@iriz6576]

Great informative video! I’m struggling to choose between the Contax t2 and t3. I shoot street photography. Which one do you think is more worth it?

[@TonyWodarck]

I think the T3 has two nice features over the T2. It’s smaller and you can choose to shoot at 2.8. On the T2 choosing 2.8 just puts it on auto mode. If those features are worth a few extra hundred go for it. If not, the T2 will treat you right. Good luck!

[@farkenjohn]

What are other recommended affordable point and shoot cameras.

[@TonyWodarck]

John B Nikon35ti, Yashica t4, Olympus Mju-ii, all those are still pretty expensive but great point and shoots.

[@harlanbeeton6869]

If you're looking for image quality ditch the point and shoot idea and pick up a sturdy old SLR or rangefinder system. In my experience, a P+S just can't hang with larger glass, and a nice mechanical camera will save you the headache and stress of Contax ownership. I owned a T2 for about a month and wasn't impressed at all...sold it for whatever astronomical price I paid for it and bought an Olympus MJU (don't even waste your money on the MJU II, the 1 gets the same job done for half the price.) Electronic cameras aren't built to last, no matter how much titanium they're encased in.

[@dr.ralphklose7667]

What about AF speed? Any shutter lag? Can you compare it to the T3?

[@LilioCamere]

What camera/lens combo are you using for this video?

[@TonyWodarck]

Lilio Camere all the talking head stuff is Canon 5DmIV and Canon 35mm 1.4Lii

[@LilioCamere]

Tony Wodarck awesome 😄 is that with C-Log or the standard picture profile?

[@TonyWodarck]

Lilio Camere FHD 23.98 ALL-I, no idea what any of that means but that’s the setting I use.

[@LilioCamere]

Tony Wodarck Alright, thank you! Canon Log is an optional upgrade you can get for your 5D4, that might be a great option to check out if you’re going to be making more content outdoors!

[@TonyWodarck]

Lilio Camere yeah sweet. I’ve seen C-log in some other videos. I use iMovie though so I don’t even bother with color correcting these videos Hahahaha. Not trying to be a pro filmmaker just trying to put out some fun KZbin videos. Maybe will work my way up to that one day but for now this is working.

[@ruok-l5t]

Apparently I own this thing lol. Its been sitting in a cabinet for decades.

[@TonyWodarck]

Ruok casually sitting on an $800+ gem. Dust that thing off, load it up and go shoot!

[@IDaumI]

Why is the lens so close to the right where the grip is? All that empty space on the left would have been a better spot for the lens.

[@TonyWodarck]

I agree. I’ve had the lens open into my hand before haha

[@malevolentgaming1990]

Shot at 12:32 is beautiful!

[@TonyWodarck]

Thank you!!

[@AdamAllen]

As much as I want one of these, I can't bring myself to justify the price. Maybe a vid on some more budget friendly options?

[@TonyWodarck]

For sure! I need to try some other options.

[@JohnVander70]

Get a G1 or G2, the 45mm of the the series is one of the best lenses ever, the 28 is cheap but is also amazing (actually all the g lenses amazing). The T2 is unique because of the lens, if you want want that lens at a cheaper price get the original Contax T rangefinder (mf).

[@TonyWodarck]

John VanderMolen after I made this I got a G2 kit with the 28, 45, and 90. I really loved shooting with it. The 45 is such a beautiful lens. Not knowing if I’m hitting focus though is hard for me. I think I’m going to end up selling it because of that reason. I love the TLA200 flash too so it’s tough but I think I’m going to try a different 35mm setup.

[@choco1atemmm]

@@TonyWodarck how come you dont know when you hit focus? in manual focus does it not tell you in some way what is in focus like regular SLR's? or is it too modern where it mostly does auto? I really wanna get G2 and T2 hahah but now leaning more towards T2

[@TonyWodarck]

shredandenjoy regular SLRs you are looking through the lens. Meaning what you see through the lens is what will be exposed to the film. When you look through the viewfinder on a rangefinder or point and shoot you’re not actually looking through the lens meaning you can’t necessarily see what it’s focusing on. With rangefinders they have a patch where you match two things up to hit focus but with a point and shoot there’s usually nothing or a little notification that something has locked focus. But not necessarily on the exact spot you want.

[@harlanbeeton6869]

Great video! But to anyone looking to pick up a T2 just be warned. Electronic cameras like this aren't gonna last forever, and with the price these dated things are going for, save yourself the headache and pick up something more mechanical. I bought a T2 to bring wherever I went but found myself leaving it at home out of fear that someone would look at it wrong and I'd be out 900 bucks. Plus, while the optics were ok, a Zeiss Sonnar lens can be put on any Leica film body (which cost the same as the T2 and will hold their value longer). If the T2 cost now what it did 10 years ago, I'd sing it's praises as a feature packed point and shoot, but these days the prices are just so prohibitive, paired with it's limited shelf life and underwhelming image quality, so be warned! Again though, nothing against the video itself just my own experience as a repeat Contax owner (G2 and T2). I've since shifted my point and shoot needs to my rusty trusty Olympus MJU, which lives in my coat pocket and poses less of a threat to my wallet.

[@TonyWodarck]

I agree with most of these statements. It's definitely a risk shooting with it, but to me the quality and ergonomics are worth the risk. There are definitely cheaper alternatives like the MJU but not as good IMO.

[@takeshi6by9]

my friend has had his 16 years no problems

[@theunknown1967]

what camera can you recommend that takes fuji photos but does not consume films?

[@markhopkinsphoto7257]

In regards to overexposure: Adding +1/2 stop of exposure compensation with 400 film should would be like rating your film about 320. Am I missing something?

[@TonyWodarck]

Mark Hopkins Photo I put my exposure compensation dial to -0.5. Meaning a half a stop underexposed or for Portra 400 basically saying 640. I then push it a stop in development to get it 320, meaning a half stop overexposed which I believe Portra does best at. Does that make sense? Mastin Labs put out an epic chart that helps: mastinlabs.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a6370c35219a927d835fb34c3&id=ffc073e8b0&e=ca7e09ce3b

[@markhopkinsphoto7257]

@@TonyWodarck Oh you're pushing the film vs just over exposing the film due to it being expired or bringing out the shadows.

[@TonyWodarck]

Mark Hopkins Photo correct, pushing a stop. And overexposing a half a stop from box speed.

[@HungPham-zf1hw]

Tony Wodarck will putting the exposure compensation dial at +0.5 (= rating Portra 400 @320) produce the same result as your method?

[@ckrug32]

@@HungPham-zf1hw I think the exposure itself would be similar, but pushing film makes the negative more contrasty (because you're leaving it in the developing chemicals for longer). So if you don't want/need extra contrast, your method would work fine

[@timeforwp]

Where do you get your film scan at?

[@TonyWodarck]

XCVI WP Goodman film lab in Irvine, California. They’re amazing!

[@timeforwp]

Tony Wodarck Thank you!

[@Thefury06484]

Great video! Make a g2 video.

[@TonyWodarck]

Thanks so much. Will definitely be making one of those in the next couple months. Need to shoot some rolls through it first. I also picked up an Xpan so will be doing a video on that in the near future too!

[@randallstewart1224]

For a guy who posts most of his videos "reviewing" cameras, you'd expect a bit more accuracy from TW. For reference, I've owned my T2 for more than 20 years, and I hardly use it. His negative comment on not being able to select an 2.8 aperture is commonly repeated by many on YT, but it simply put, is not true. You have programed exposure where the camera selects both shutter speed and lens aperture, and you have aperture preferred exposure where you select the aperture and the camera selects the shutter speed. There is no option where the user selects both speed and f-stop. Program exposure is selected by manual selecting 2.8 on the aperture ring. The common, and erroneous, knock is that when you select 2.8, the program then selects a smaller aperture, so you cannot select a working 2.8. That is the error, and the truth is clearly stated in the user manual, which of course almost no one posting on YT would ever read. So, when you set the aperture on 2.8, "program exposure" is activated. That program holds the lens wide open at 2.8 at all times where the film speed and lighting condition will allow a good exposure at 2.8. When and only where the subject is so bright that the shutter's fastest speed will not allow a proper exposure will the program shift down from 2.8 to a smaller f-stop. This means that wherever possible, the program will set the lens opening at its poorest quality aperture. So, you have the option of manually selecting a smaller f-stop by just doing it. In either mode, if you have a desire to over- or under-expose for some reason (push film speed?), you have an exposure compensation dial is do that. As for the need (or his lack thereof) for the manual focus feature, the T2, like most of its class, uses an "active" infrared beam which it projects to the subject, then reads the reflection to measure focus distance. If the subject does not adequately reflect that beam (pet fur), no focus. If the subject is beyond a window, the beam reflects from and focuses on the window. So, there are clear situations where the auto-focus will fail, and the user will have to focus manually. Also, the auto-focus never truly focuses at infinity (too long to explain), so if you want those sharpest mountain shots on vacation, use the manual "infinity" focus over-ride. If you are shopping for a T2, the Konica Hexar AF, while more bulky because the lens does not retract, has a far more sophisticated exposure system and a lens which is faster and optically much superior to the T2.

[@TonyWodarck]

You should use some of your time and knowledge to make your own KZbin videos.

[@MandrakeCigars]

I'm hear trying to find out why a film point and shoot costs $1000 used. 🤔

[@TonyWodarck]

A hyped luxury point and shoot. Great camera but hard to justify $1000 when a $100-200 camera can get you 90% the way there.

[@jrwaca1]

If your death of field is approximately it will shoot it at 2.8 in auto.

[@TonyWodarck]

Oh nice that's good to know!

[@gabrielmercado2942]

Are the 200$ ones on E-Bay legit

[@TonyWodarck]

If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Working, good condition ones are going for $750-1000 right now.

[@aheroforeternity]

Hipster camera.

[@TonyWodarck]

thank you for commenting. Yes, hipster camera. Also, one of the best point and shoot cameras.

[@akyerit]

YOURE a hipster camera

[@danieldijo]

Got mine for $5 at a thrift store

[@TonyWodarck]

If that’s true that’s incredible! Hahaha

[@danieldijo]

@@TonyWodarck no luck lie haha in 2018 I was freaking out. Battery cost me more than the camera

[@lordbountifulitsme7919]

$15 for mine 10 years ago, they seen me coming 😮🤣

[@vermontmike9800]

Don’t do that to the lens motor lol. The in and out is the first thing that will break on a camera like that. Leica Minilux owners allow their cameras to go into sleep mode in lieu of turning it off.

[@TonyWodarck]

Mike H. Hahaha yeah I don’t switch it on and off like that typically. Just for the video to get everyone on edge hahaha. I can imagine that’s what breaks first though. Thanks for checking out the video! 🙌🏼

[@94pn7]

@@TonyWodarck What's the best way to turn it off if not using the lever?

[@brianbenjamin4574]

I shoot with mostly just my T2 for film if anyone wants to see some photos @visualsbyb on IG