Contax Reviews

When I started working in the photo store I always wondered why people would spend [big bucks]for a point and shoot camera. After all, this money could have bought you a nice SLR set up and than some. Answer is simple: quality in the small package. TVS series over the years created reputation for themselves by making crystal sharp photographs, being strong, durable and having functionality of pro equipment. I used mine during Kilimanjaro climb and probably won' leave home without one. I was a proud owner of TVS I and II and awaited III to top them both, unfortunately it didn't happen. TVS III still delivers outstanding results but Contax gamble with new design didn't produce expected pay off. 30-60 mm lens range is good enough for all around traveling. Data back is built in. Like previous versions, when shooting wide angle you can experience some fall off (darkening) at the corners but that's normal for a point and shoot. This can be fixed by using higher f-stop. Let me start with pros of the camera:

-strong and durable construction. I have beaten my camera around, it has been in tight spots, I slept on it and still it is as good as new.
-Lens is sharp and has a nice warm saturation to it thanks to T* coating
-My camera has black finish which I expected to wear off quickly. I was proven wrong.
-Very clear viewfinder with a lot of information.

And now the cons:
-Lens cover is a disaster. It offers good protection when camera is closed but when it's open it creates problems and makes shooting uncomfortable. Also placing some of the controls on the cover puts unnecessary strain on hinges.
-Controls are small and hard to reach. Especially aperture settings.
-Flimsy "ON" switch

This is a good camera. I like it regardless of it's problems. To be quite honest I don't like it as much as the previous models but it will do for now. After all I'm after picture quality which in this case is superb.

After using the camera for a few days, I knew I made the right decision selling my HP 720 to buy this one. But I do miss my HP 720's ergonomic fit to my large hands. The Contax TVS digital 5.0Mp camera, being expensive, well rounded, compact size and smooth finish, could easily slip out of my hands. So I always use the wrist strap that came with it. Moreover, HP's download software is easier to use. Twice I had to go back to my Contax manual to figure out how to download my pictures. Other than that, it's not a big deal to accomplish.
What I like the most about this camera is the viewer capture accuracy. What I see in the viewer or LCD, is pretty close to what I snapped and downloaded. My HP 720 was off center somewhat and got much worse as I used the digital zoom. The Contax TVS digital doesn't have this problem. At this point in time I can only compare two digital cameras I bought, and to be able to write this review. I hope it is informative and useful.
What I don't like most about this camera is that the shutter release button is very hard to distinguish from the rest of the top side of the camera. Again, I'm a guy with large hands, with some wear and tear on the finger tips. At times I could not find the shutter button as I was looking thru the viewer. So I may have to add a drop of glue or black finger nail polish to provide a "bump" on the shutter release button so I know I'm on the trigger. I did this once before on another camera and it worked out well.
Overall, the Contax TVs is a great high-end quality camera, and somewhat pricey. I have the Contax T2 "film version" and I just wanted to have the digital version. Is the camera worth the price? Maybe. It's not a slam and dunk decision and it depends on what you are looking for in a camera: quality, materials, name, fashion look, etc.

The Contax T3 is the best point'n'shoot in the world--the Leica Minilux is wonderful, but without external flash support (but it's wonderful lens is 1/2 step faster); the Rollei AFM 35 is the same thing but only 1/4 stop faster. Other special-production, top models from the likes of Minolta are OK, but the T3 is the real deal. Complementary products are the 28mm- and 21mm-lens models from Ricoh; for general use, though, the Contax T3, with its external TTL flash capability and best-in-class Zeiss T* lens, wins out.

Speed is a big theme of the marketing, and sure enough you can get off a burst of shots at a startling speed. With a Lexar 32x card, I can shoot 640x480 30fps until the card fills - at 2MB/sec, this doesn't take long, but you get stunningly good output for such a small device. (320x240 is still nice, and only 500k/s, or almost 10 minutes on a 256M card.)

Note also that although it doesn't have a tripod mount, you can make it very stable by shooting with it folded flat - I've gotten some excellent driving shots simply by setting it leather-side-down on my dashboard. Being able to mount real 28mm filters (with the included, unfortunately plastic, ring adaptor) is nice, and I've used that with lenses too (with some care - the manual recommends against it, the adaptor isn't really meant to support the weight of the camera or a large lens.)

It also really is shirt-pocketable, a key to taking shots Right Now. Also it doesn't skimp on buttons, there's not nearly as much "menu/mode walking" as on some other cameras.

Finally, the rotation feels *very* solid, with a click at +90/0/-90 degrees (though you can go past that in both directions, good for both overhead and low-angle shots.)