Contax 137AF
Apr 16, 2024 14:12:11 GMT
on Apr 16, 2024 14:12:11 GMT
Posted: Apr 16, 2024 14:12:11 GMT
I just spotted that 8 years ago, I was supposed to have uploaded some info on the Contax 137AF and the Yashica FX-A.
While I think I have featured the FX-A often enough to bore the pants off our Members, I never got around to providing an image of the Contax; my apologies. Well, courtesy of a screen grab from a YouTube video, here is the camera with its standard lens in all their glory...
Contax AF-137MA
Although it is based on a 137MA, it has the look of a 159MM. Note the 0000003 serial number of the prototype lens...
Carl Zeiss also made a 35mm f2.8 AF-Distagon and a 135mm f2.8 AF-Sonnar to augment the 50mm f1.7 AF-Planar seen in the piccie.
Tragically, Kyocera was in the process of acquiring the Yashica and Contax brands and it insisted that the Contax AF project was abandoned. They also cancelled the Yashica FX-A but luckily for us, a little over 800 were manufactured before the bean-counters terminated production. Having seen the cameras at Photokina 1982, I am confident that the 137AF would have been a success (assuming it found a sensible price-point) as it had a very fast AF system - I think based on the Honeywell focus detection system which was also used in the FX-A - and most importantly, the AF camera used the same C/Y mount as all of the other cameras and lenses at the time, Thus, there was no need to abandon your heavy investment in glass in favour of a new mount - something which undoubtedly reduced the appeal of the Contax N-series and Yashica AF models to existing Contax and Yashica users.
If you hunt for the video on YouTube, you'll see the camera and lens in action; the lucky owner of the only fully working prototype even removes the front covers so that you can see the AF apparatus working.
Anyhow, after a slight delay of 8 years, you finally have a decent image of this forgotten masterpiece...
While I think I have featured the FX-A often enough to bore the pants off our Members, I never got around to providing an image of the Contax; my apologies. Well, courtesy of a screen grab from a YouTube video, here is the camera with its standard lens in all their glory...
Contax AF-137MA
Although it is based on a 137MA, it has the look of a 159MM. Note the 0000003 serial number of the prototype lens...
Carl Zeiss also made a 35mm f2.8 AF-Distagon and a 135mm f2.8 AF-Sonnar to augment the 50mm f1.7 AF-Planar seen in the piccie.
Tragically, Kyocera was in the process of acquiring the Yashica and Contax brands and it insisted that the Contax AF project was abandoned. They also cancelled the Yashica FX-A but luckily for us, a little over 800 were manufactured before the bean-counters terminated production. Having seen the cameras at Photokina 1982, I am confident that the 137AF would have been a success (assuming it found a sensible price-point) as it had a very fast AF system - I think based on the Honeywell focus detection system which was also used in the FX-A - and most importantly, the AF camera used the same C/Y mount as all of the other cameras and lenses at the time, Thus, there was no need to abandon your heavy investment in glass in favour of a new mount - something which undoubtedly reduced the appeal of the Contax N-series and Yashica AF models to existing Contax and Yashica users.
If you hunt for the video on YouTube, you'll see the camera and lens in action; the lucky owner of the only fully working prototype even removes the front covers so that you can see the AF apparatus working.
Anyhow, after a slight delay of 8 years, you finally have a decent image of this forgotten masterpiece...