In a long quest of finding the next image making tool, every once in a while, there is a camera came into scene, but eventually faded away. Few stayed longer, or a lot longer, but gone out of the scene due to its age, dated concept, or sometimes simply because it was no longer serviced. Few stayed very shortly, shiny and exciting but unfortunately dismissed due to its support, or sometimes it came much before the market is ready, or sometimes limited by its financier's vision.
What can I say about Contax? A camera brand I love most, and a camera brand no longer in production, in fact no longer in production of any camera or lens since 2005. Over a long period of time, I have owned and use most of its significant models, all with pleasure. Very unfortunately, many Contax fell into the category I mentioned above.
Contax RTSIII - to me the best ever built single lens reflex camera and the most beautiful viewfinder I have ever use and the nicest shutter sound ever. I have collected its line of lenses, almost any single one of it, and use them all. And it is a Porsche design. To me, still the most beautiful SLR ever made.
Contax G2 - offer what a modern digital range-finder could be - 15 years ago! Introduced in 1996, many still hope and dream (me included) that a resurrection of G2 with a digital sensor will eventually happen, something to continue to dream.
Contax N Digital - first full frame DLSR ever, great N series lens that I have just about every one, with no support of fine raw conversion software, it became my most expensive JPEG only camera. This is the first camera tought me how important to have enough spare batteries. Oh, what a memory.
Contax 645 - the first and only Contax ever earn me money! And what a fine camera it is. When Contax 645 became available in the market, I quickly bought one, and then two, and then three, with every lens ever produced. I don't shoot professionally (paid to shoot for client, that is) until 2006, it was my tool of the trade when I started, until 2009 I made a system switch because in reality, it is a camera system no longer alive, although it still produce great image with my Phase One backs that I continue to use today. It was a heart break departure, and a Contax I still much missed. Introduced back in 1998, I quickly became an early owner, and soon my Hasselbkad and Rollei stay in the cabinet, rarely get used. The memory of shooting Contax using Fuji Velvia in those day is just like first love, it just doesn't fade away. When I consider to switch to a digital back, I have choice of Contax, Hasselblad and Rollie 6008, and it was not a hard decsion then I went with Contax, which serve me well and earn good money for me, never a hiccup.....
And now it is 2010. The image making industries change a lot. Digital is the main stay, and digital still moves into extra dimension, not only those small digital point and shoot record videos, almost all the new DLSR comes with video capability, and rightfully called HDSLR, or HDDSLR, or VSLR, whatever it is, the name says everyting. EVIL in 2010 is a hot topic, SONY came after Panasonic, Olympus and Smasung, and hot rumors saying just about every camera makers are working on their EVIL solution, are we seeing the end of traditional reflex camera? And now, with James Cameron's Avatar, many movies are shot in 3D, everyone is trying to get an extra dimension of their work, to be at the edge of competition. We are in the age that simple press material may slowly replaced by more interactive media, along the birth of Apple iPad. Compact yet powerful hybrid camera designed to take both still and motion will gain its foothold in mainstream multi-media production.
So far we have seen Panasonic and Olymus, then the Samsung, nice product, but not quite there yet. And SONY NEX came along, setting the bar a little higher, and we move into a new age.
