Memories of a film rangefinder camera: those of me and Xiao T. CONTAX T3

The motivation for writing this commemorative article comes from the story of NIKON35Ti, the author's No. 23 blade. (with links)

One of the friends who took pictures together just saw this article, reminding you that you did not have a former lover lying in your moisture-proof box. I remembered some of the stories I had to tell with her...

The object of memory today is also the Contax T3, a once-famous gadget. Once there were two, the first was a black commemorative edition, the second was a titanium color, and its implementation was only in the hands of titanium. Why would you do this? The story is a bit twisty, make an easy-to-understand metaphor, when the boy was a young girl, the girls are all kinds of good, but the boy does not know how to cherish, eating a bowl looking at the pot, the exchange can only be broken up. After breaking up, the boy knew that the girl could not be replaced, so he tried hard to replace him. Unfortunately, the girl had already been married. The boy had no alternative but to look for the girl's twin sister... I don’t know The official did not understand, ha ha ha ha. Due to the old purchaser's face to face purchase in the past, there is no record of online transactions, a treasure on the random search for a link, we are for reference only:

After the nonsense ended, returning to life, a brief introduction to the protagonist's life, would like to know in detail how to please my mother. German camera brand, Germany Contax, or Contax. Carl Zeiss was originally Carl Zeiss's camera brand, but it later became a brand under KYOCERA Kyocera, but the blood was thicker than water. KYOCERA Kyocera used the lens of Carl Zeiss in Germany when it used the Contax brand. I am sure that the Kyocera company’s friends are basically no longer young, right! The first batch of PHS imported from Honghe and Dajiang were from the company. Kyocera is still in the company, but the Contax brand has already gone with the dust and has withdrawn from the stage of history. Imagine having a Contax 645 medium-format film machine that year was the dream of how many enthusiasts ... Japan's company, Japan's camera brand, is equipped with Zeiss's Sonnar 35/2.8f lens, with Sony now all in micro-single The same structure of the FE 35/2.8f lens, of course, the same is the shining red star. The history of the cooperation between the Japanese airframe factory and the German lens factory is evident. Contax only has a series of miniaturization that can't be changed for the T series. However, the T series has a total of six models, namely T, T2, T3 and TVS(1-3). Which Taiwanese machine is the most classic? This topic is not discussed here. I have only used the T3 model and have no more say. If you want to find out, please restlessly (color shadow loudly).

In terms of functionality, digital cameras are no longer comparable to today's digital cameras. Their built-in features are extremely simple. Even the most basic camera dates cannot be recorded. People feel that a slightly more professional feature is the exposure lock next to the aperture dial. Exposure compensation keys, which were not seen on ordinary fools in the 1990s. Even a camera with almost no function blocked my love for her. Personally I think that simple functions can focus people's attention on the composition of the picture and the capture of light instead of facing a fleeting death. The scene has to first fiddle with the camera to set parameters. As I love to shoot the subject is limited to sweeping the street, so the small T did not go on a tripod, comes with the flash is basically no flash, the camera mode has always been aperture priority, the shutter stays at 2.8 or 5.6 per year, the conventional operation The basic four: loading, boot, metering focus press the shutter, shut down, all year round. So many small functions have forgotten how to operate, for example, how to change the exposure compensation from step 1/3 to 1/2.

Workmanship, small T reflects the consistent quality of the German brand camera, all-metal (said to be titanium alloy) body shell, fluorite shutter button, in short, the whole body on the next cold feeling. The components are tightly integrated and integrated, and the individual feels that the most ingenious workmanship in the finest design is the lens cover of the camera. After playing with the camera for so many years, the second camera has not seen a similar camera with a metal curtain to protect the lens. Every time the switch lens is retracted, you can see the opening and closing performance of the curtain. Of course, the missing place is that the curtain opening and closing occasionally will not be smooth, and you have to touch the screen with your finger. Because half of the film is left in the cabin, we can't show everyone in the cabin.


Due to its small size and portability, the external lens quality has become the main model of my sweeping street. When shooting people's movies, in order not to disturb the subject, I generally press the shutter button to lock the exposure value halfway down the chest, and then quickly raise the camera when the character is not paying attention. Of course, there are also blind shots, but the film is too money-laden. Every time you press the shutter button, you will feel bad. The advantage of playing digital with such habits is that the number of shutters for any digital camera has not exceeded 10,000...

In retrospect, the little machine started in 2005 (used), and 05-08 coincided with my high fever stage. There were countless murder films. According to wildly, the machine had better feed the reversal film. The Fujifilm Provia film was even better. All photos in this post are shot on the above film. Xiao T accompanied me through Xiamen in 2005; Beijing and Changchun in 2006; Lhasa and Nepal in 2007; and the United States and the East and West Coasts in 10 years, the most photographed player was Xiao T. Later, due to various reasons, the impulse to take pictures became less and less, and Maca did not work. So small T was lying quietly in the moistureproof box. The digital machine in the box changed dials and dials. From Canon 350D to 40D to S110, from Sony's F-717 to NEX-7, to A7M2, most of the machines would not exceed 3 in my hand. year. Only this T3 I plan to keep it with me.

With this small machine out of the film (bottom sweep KM5400):