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Hi_country_flash
Tinkerer
Username: Hi_country_flash

Post Number: 43
Registered: 12-2012

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Posted on Sunday, June 16, 2013 - 09:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I very recently bought a camera I had long wanted one of A Contax IIA. I really think that's what I got OK. But when it arrived the first thing I saw was a Kiev case!! My heart about stopped as I knew all the stories about Fake Contax. However I thought that it was the prewar contax that could be faked using a kiev , mostly because the rangefinder spread on the IIA is a lot shorter than the Kiev . Here are some pictures of the Camera , I do hope that it is a real Contax , I have done as much research as I can and I think it is the real article. Let me know what you guys think, it is in darn nice shape and everything works perfect.










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Mr_flibble
Tinkerer
Username: Mr_flibble

Post Number: 105
Registered: 10-2011

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Posted on Monday, June 17, 2013 - 06:00 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Looks like a genuine Contax IIa to me. I don't think this version of the Contax was faked as the Kiev cameras that are used to create the fakes are all based on the pre-war Contax II (and III).

Can't speak for the Sonnar lens though.
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Davejb
Tinkerer
Username: Davejb

Post Number: 3
Registered: 04-2013

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Posted on Monday, June 17, 2013 - 11:16 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

As Mr flibble says, nobody has ever faked a IIa or IIIa. There is no cheaper camera to base it on that looks anything like the real thing, so it would have to be built from scratch, which would cost a fortune!

I'll bet it is a pretty easy fit in the Kiev case. Though the case looks a lot like the post-war Contax case, the Kiev is basically a pre-war Contax, and is a noticeably larger camera.
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Jagstang
Tinkerer
Username: Jagstang

Post Number: 22
Registered: 01-2013

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Posted on Monday, June 17, 2013 - 05:29 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

As the others have said, IIa/IIIas have never been faked to my knowledge. I'm sure their are faked II/IIIs out there but likely in nowhere near the numbers of faked screwmount Leicas. Looks like you got a nice camera
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Hi_country_flash
Tinkerer
Username: Hi_country_flash

Post Number: 44
Registered: 12-2012

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Posted on Monday, June 17, 2013 - 09:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks , that's petty much the opinion I had arrived at but was not sure if there were things I missed in my searching.
It does fit very nice in the Kiev case , lots of room in there!It IS a very nice case.
I think it was a pretty nice deal to get it for a shade over $200.

As I said, every thing works quite well.
Thanks for looking at it for me.
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Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum

Post Number: 577
Registered: 11-2010

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Posted on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 05:50 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Some folks say the shutter in the black dial version is quieter than in the color dial one. I am very happy with my IIa, but don't shoot it enough. Even had to make a "repair" on it, as someone had put a washer on the winding shaft that made the frame counter look like a roulette wheel in action. With the help of some drawings from Rick Olsen's site http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/ , I was able to do a disassemble of the winder, and remove the offending part. I didn't find a place where it was supposed to go, so I have no idea why it may have been put there. I saved it in a little bag in case I ever find out where it belongs.

Happy shooting with your new camera!

PF

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