Unexpected 167MT accessory....
May 24, 2024 10:45:48 GMT
on May 24, 2024 10:45:48 GMT
Posted: May 24, 2024 10:45:48 GMT
If you go to the second page of Accessories and look at the thread near the bottom of the page titled 'Silence in Court' you will see a very unusual case designed for the Contax RTS - it's the Sound/Cold-Proof Jacket.
By the time the 159MM was introduced (1985/6), it had disappeared from the systems brochures. However, much to my astonishment, on looking through Kyocera's trade price lists for 1997 and 1998, it re-emerged as a 'special order' accessory for the 167MT. I have both versions of the 167's brochure and it's never mentioned. I've not been able to find any image showing a 167MT with the jacket which begs the question as to how anyone would know such an accessory was available...
The original jacket, although designed for the RTS with a Winder, will work with most Contax 35mm SLRs so there's no practical reason why it could not have been offered for pretty much every camera - I've not tried an AX or N-series model to see if they can be squeezed in.
It was always an expensive item (that did not change in 1997/8!) with a limited number of applications. Although marketed initially as ideal for use in a cold climate (very true), it was also positioned as perfect for use in a court (very few courts permit photography!) but should instead have been aimed at theatre work. Even if that had been done, sales would still have been low so one can't help wondering if Kyocera had simply discovered a number of the unused jackets in Japan and tried to repurpose them for the 167MT.
Out of curiosity, I popped a 167 with its P-5 attached and a VS 35-70mm f3.4 lens into the jacket and it's an excellent fit - and very quiet.
By the time the 159MM was introduced (1985/6), it had disappeared from the systems brochures. However, much to my astonishment, on looking through Kyocera's trade price lists for 1997 and 1998, it re-emerged as a 'special order' accessory for the 167MT. I have both versions of the 167's brochure and it's never mentioned. I've not been able to find any image showing a 167MT with the jacket which begs the question as to how anyone would know such an accessory was available...
The original jacket, although designed for the RTS with a Winder, will work with most Contax 35mm SLRs so there's no practical reason why it could not have been offered for pretty much every camera - I've not tried an AX or N-series model to see if they can be squeezed in.
It was always an expensive item (that did not change in 1997/8!) with a limited number of applications. Although marketed initially as ideal for use in a cold climate (very true), it was also positioned as perfect for use in a court (very few courts permit photography!) but should instead have been aimed at theatre work. Even if that had been done, sales would still have been low so one can't help wondering if Kyocera had simply discovered a number of the unused jackets in Japan and tried to repurpose them for the 167MT.
Out of curiosity, I popped a 167 with its P-5 attached and a VS 35-70mm f3.4 lens into the jacket and it's an excellent fit - and very quiet.
