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on Aug 27, 2022 12:19:04 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 27, 2022 12:20:05 GMT by grainframe
So you know the ones I mean - the bright gold X-Sync covers you see around from time to time, usually mounted to an RTS II, but I've seen them on 139Q's or sold individually, often for an outrageous price. My guess is that they were originally included with the RTS II when it launched in 1982, and that in the intervening years some of the covers have found their way to other models just from being swapped around by owners.
Anyway, I just picked up a really nice, minty RTS II that wears one of the gold covers, and I wonder if there is any way to verify if it was originally included with the camera or not (perhaps by checking the serial number?). Anyway, I normally don't care too much about such things, as I buy cameras to use, but now that I have one I am a bit curious if there is any information out there about these gold covers.
Thanks for any info.
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on Aug 27, 2022 14:29:42 GMT
Posted: Aug 27, 2022 14:29:42 GMT
I've always doubted their authenticity because it's only in recent years I've ever seen them and I was into Contax gear before 1982 so you might think I would have seen them at the time. I've also never seen them in any literature of the time. But they may have been made for just the Japanese market by the local distributers I guess. I think they're a bit cheap and nasty looking to be anything Zeiss distributed. But I have one I'm keeping - just in case ;-)
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on Aug 27, 2022 14:35:08 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 27, 2022 14:38:49 GMT by lumiworx
There are several so-called anniversary editions of camera bodies that are unmistakable, where they'd have a different color scheme that were never produced for any other model year. One example is the Contax RX 2000, but it wasn't a 50 Year model, and didn't come with the gold plug/cap. The 50 Year models that had them may simply have been any model in the Contax line produced in the 50th year celebration of the brand, and weren't designated as special 'Anniversary' models. The models that were officially noted that way had an anniversary logo affixed to the body (stamped/engraved/painted/???), like this Aria 70th Year model. I don't think I've ever seen any Contax serial number lists that are accurately 'decoded' for dates of manufacture, so it would probably be difficult to confirm whether a 50th gold cap/plug belonged on a particular body... RTS or otherwise. The applicable bodies were produced over several years in the original coverings and finish schemes, and without the custom colorings, it may be impossible to distinguish them apart. For reference... the first year of the Zeiss Ikon Contax was 1932 (through 1936), so any modern Contax body not made in 1982 would never qualify as a '50 Jahre' anniversary model.
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on Aug 27, 2022 15:51:14 GMT
Posted: Aug 27, 2022 15:51:14 GMT
For reference... the first year of the Zeiss Ikon Contax was 1932 (through 1936), so any modern Contax body not made in 1982 would never qualify as a '50 Jahre' anniversary model. Which is why I always groan when a later body appears on ebay with one of the 50 year caps fitted and the seller tries to claim it a special 50 year addition. I think it was only the RTSii, 139 and 137MA that were in production in 1982. At least, those are the three shown in the 50 year brochure ( drive.google.com/file/d/1hA5N9Lr5aStwB6MYTB9pQxUPbLRwHy9u/view)
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on Aug 27, 2022 18:46:43 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 27, 2022 18:48:47 GMT by lumiworx
For reference... the first year of the Zeiss Ikon Contax was 1932 (through 1936), so any modern Contax body not made in 1982 would never qualify as a '50 Jahre' anniversary model. Which is why I always groan when a later body appears on ebay with one of the 50 year caps fitted and the seller tries to claim it a special 50 year addition. I think it was only the RTSii, 139 and 137MA that were in production in 1982. At least, those are the three shown in the 50 year brochure ( drive.google.com/file/d/1hA5N9Lr5aStwB6MYTB9pQxUPbLRwHy9u/view) Terrific brochure, @peterr , and it's also funny that in 26 pages of details, not a single camera photo shows any golden 50 caps in place. Now I too am wondering if they were an aftermarket add-on, or market-specific, and that's why they're a bit of a mystery. Maybe I should commision some in platinum and stick them on a G2 or an N or NX, and ask for a $599 premium. Any buyers? :)
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on Aug 28, 2022 0:59:40 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2022 1:01:15 GMT by grainframe
The funny thing about that brochure is that not only do none of the cameras show the gold caps in place, not a single one has the standard black plastic cap either! So I would say that the absence of the gold caps doesn't necessarily mean they are inauthentic, since we know the black caps were part of the originally-supplied equipment and are not shown either. Given the relative ubiquity of the gold caps and the fact that established retailers like KEH often list them as a Contax-branded accessory, I'm inclined to believe that they are real and were simply supplied with models sold in 1982, at the very least the RTS II. But I reckon these were simply added-on to otherwise standard cameras and do not constitute an actual "anniversary edition" in the same way as the Aria 70th or S2 60th, for example. The link to the RX 2000 got me internet searching and I found a pretty wild green RX for sale on eBay. Further digging showed the RX 2000 in numerous custom colors, and I found a Japanese site with some information on the custom ordering process. I'd like to attach a screen shot of the translated page, but can't figure out how to do so, so I've linked the original. www.ebay.com/itm/304478609324fukuten.blog.jp/archives/19097.html
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on Aug 28, 2022 1:17:29 GMT
Posted: Aug 28, 2022 1:17:29 GMT
Some more info about the RX 2000 customization program. Another option apparently was to have the Contax logo engraved in the "old" typeface, i.e., not the all-caps "CONTAX" logo used by Yashica. m.blog.naver.com/pholee119/221404504712
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on Aug 28, 2022 1:30:34 GMT
Posted: Aug 28, 2022 1:30:34 GMT
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on Aug 28, 2022 10:00:37 GMT
Posted: Aug 28, 2022 10:00:37 GMT
If I remember correctly the English language sheet for these year 2000 anniversary editions offered ..... 7 Body colours, 3 Contax Logo colours and 3 Font mixes, all combinations by the customer's choice. The translation from the Japanese for the colours might be a bit ropey, but the English handout from KY UK said the colours for the body/front & top plates were ... Forest Green, Elegant Rose, Silver, Night Sky Blue, Black, Pearl Stone and Silky Metallic. The TVS III year 2000 editions were part of the same program. I may have posted this image of a selected part of my Contax Family Tree Chart before, but no harm doing it again! Five of the images are actual cameras that customers specified, 2 are promotional graphics. I'll have a look in my archives to see if I have any promotional material on this stuff and report back if I find any! Could the gold caps have come off the Gold RTS 50 years edition of which there were 600 units made? Retailer preview was in 1981 and on sale in 1982. Plenty of references and pictures available through search engines on these Gold show-pieces! I am suspicious though, that someone enterprising may have made copies of the caps, but that is really just a suspicion. I am sure there is a well known member on here that probably knows a lot about these 50 year Gold editions and caps ... maybe he'll be along shortly! He probably has a few himself, I'd be surprised if he didn't!
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on Aug 28, 2022 10:36:47 GMT
Posted: Aug 28, 2022 10:36:47 GMT
The gold RTSs that I've seen pictures of have all got a black flash socket cover. And these 'gold' covers are not really gold whereas the RTS is covered in real gold so I doubt they would have fitted a cheap, gold painted, cover.
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on Aug 28, 2022 16:35:46 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2022 23:59:55 GMT by lumiworx
The funny thing about that brochure is that not only do none of the cameras show the gold caps in place, not a single one has the standard black plastic cap either! So I would say that the absence of the gold caps doesn't necessarily mean they are inauthentic, since we know the black caps were part of the originally-supplied equipment and are not shown either. Given the relative ubiquity of the gold caps and the fact that established retailers like KEH often list them as a Contax-branded accessory, I'm inclined to believe that they are real and were simply supplied with models sold in 1982, at the very least the RTS II. But I reckon these were simply added-on to otherwise standard cameras and do not constitute an actual "anniversary edition" in the same way as the Aria 70th or S2 60th, for example. There's an explanation for the 'cover' or 'no cover' shots in the brochure... anything that would provide a functional connection would be received in its factory packaging with an appropriate cover or plug as a protective measure, but they wouldn't be obscured in any sales literature so that potential buyers can see the connections for what they were. The same happens when you see an RJ45 network or HDMI cable advertised online, and it arrives with protective caps attached. The opposite might be expected in at least the first individual or one family/group shot, to announce them while wearing their anniversary 'badge of honor', in the same way the emblazoned logos are shown on the other anniversary models. An alternative might be that the caps/plugs were created and/or added to the retail packages after the brochure was completed, so no photos were ever made of the fully dressed bodies. ... I'd like to attach a screen shot of the translated page, but can't figure out how to do so, so I've linked the original. The ability to attach images isn't available, as the allotted quota was met long ago. More details, and an alternative for accomplishing the same thing in a different way, are posted here: yashica.boards.net/post/5573/threadOtherwise, links work just as well in this case, so the reference would still be available.
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on Aug 28, 2022 16:46:37 GMT
Posted: Aug 28, 2022 16:46:37 GMT
Hi grainframe , Just caught this thread... The black, red and gold-coloured caps were an official Contax item produced in sufficient numbers to tie in with production during the month in 1982 that represented the 50 years since the introduction by Zeiss Ikon of the not too brilliant Contax I. As far as I'm aware, they were only attached to cameras in that month's production and I have seen them on RTSII and 137MA models but to date not a 139Q. I am expecting a 'new old stock' 137MA from overseas in the next 10 days or so which has the promotional cap attached. I have two gold RTS sets and as Peter has said, neither has the cap: I did have a third set and none was present on that one either. But as these cameras were made in 1981 for sale in 1982, I suspect they were already boxed and ready for distribution before the idea for the anniversary cap was in train. However, I have seen one 'gold RTS' bearing the promotional cap but it was one of the dealer-promotion types which did not feature the (now outlawed) lizard-skin covers on both lens and camera. My understanding is that these sets were to reward the dealers who sold the most gold RTS sets - I'm assuming a few of these were made to cover the geographical areas for which each of the 100 sets was produced, plus those manufactured with serial numbers lacking a location prefix. I don't know what a typical month's camera body output was in 1982, chiming with the big rush to satisfy demand for the new RTSII and 137MA models, but I suppose it would be fair to assume the production of these caps would have slightly exceeded the planned figure so there are likely to be up to a couple of thousand in existence. As has been said earlier, some people are asking (though probably not receiving) crazy prices for these little mementi.
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on Aug 29, 2022 8:46:15 GMT
Posted: Aug 29, 2022 8:46:15 GMT
Hi grainframe , Just caught this thread... However, I have seen one 'gold RTS' bearing the promotional cap .......... That must have been the one I saw an image of years ago! I seem to remember seeing one on a gold RTS!
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on Sept 6, 2022 12:13:55 GMT
Last Edit: Sept 6, 2022 12:15:56 GMT by Deleted
Not wanting to put a spanner in the works (although I still have my doubts about the origins of the flash socket covers) but here's something I haven't seen before. It's a pin with the same design as the flash socket cover. At first I though someone had taken one of the covers and turned it into a pin but on closer inspection that's not the case. This is professionally made and there are slight differences in the size and profile of the button. The finish is also different with a different colour and different machining marks. But the general construction is the same. The body of the button has been machined out and the centre part with the text inserted afterwards. That part is probably moulded. You can see the centre part doesn't fit perfectly in either in the following picture. So it looks like this was made around the same time but not on the same machine or maybe even the same factory. Is there any record of Zeiss producing these? A couple more comparison pictures.
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on Sept 6, 2022 19:16:26 GMT
Last Edit: Sept 6, 2022 19:21:34 GMT by lumiworx
I've never been a dealer, or even worked at a camera store, so from the outside looking in I'm guessing that the tie tack was a promotional giveaway to dealers in much the same way that lots of the jewelry and simpler 'trinkets' were. It may be that the tie tacks came first and inspired someone (a distributor or regional sales office?) to commision the cap/plug as a consumer giveaway... which might account for why they aren't seen in great numbers or only in certain localities. I've yet to have one in hand, so I won't assume either of these are gold or gold plated. That would probably be the only reason I'd pay anywhere near the high asking price, and not for anyone's perceived value on rarity.
One other thing comes to mind. How many of us still has the original and oh-so-plain vinyl/plastic plugs and caps that are still in place? I dare say I have some, but certainly not all of them are present and accounted for.
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