Really light, carries Zeiss lenses, spot metering, conventional controls

no mirror lock-up, 16-1/4000 shutter speed

This is the best body I have ever had. It might be made out of plastic, but it doesn't feel that way. The way the controls are put out is so wonderful, I could not ask for anything more. It's so small! Perfect for hiking, etc. A wider range of shutter speeds would be nice, as well as a lower price and mirror lock-up. You can't have it all, but the Aria is as close as you get at this price range. People will be glad to be able to put their RTS III away in some situations.

Customer Service

Have had no need of it yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Elan IIe, Pentax ZX-M

- Inexpensive entry into Zeiss system of optics

- Easy to carry and hold

- Enough helpful features to make life easy, but not overloaded with dummy-modes like Nikon N80

-What seems to be a very good on-board metering system

- Did I mention excellent lenses?

-Lots of plastic...

- The Drive and ISO buttons are too small

- The camera feels small in my hands, and lens-heavy even with just a 135mm 2.8

-The included strap is pretty crappy

-Uses and electronic remote shutter release and not standard cable release

This is an excellent camera for the money. It's the first body I've purchased new, and I'm happy with it. My other cameras have all been hand-me-downs and garage-sale finds. The price is exceptionally reasonable, as I can get the body and my three favorite focal legnths (50, 28, 135) for around 2,000.00 USD. The Aria does use a lot of plastic in its construction, but it does not feel flimsy at all... it feels very solid and comfortable in the hand. Remember, my points of reference are old, all-metal dinosaurs. Almost all new cameras for under 2000.00 seem to have at least some plastic these days. I like the grippy rubber that surrounds the body, but my pessimistic side wonders if it will wear well (and if it can be replaced by Contax??). The 45mm Tessar seems custom made for this camera, and I'm getting one as soon as I can afford it! The Zeiss line, next to Leica perhaps, are the finest lenses I've ever seen. The 28mm 2.8 Distagon, is in my opinion, the best 28mm lens available. The more extreme wide angles get *very* expensive, though...Which brings me to the one real gripe I have: With this line, you give up the option of buying cheap, 3rd party lenses. What I mean, is with a Nikon, you could get a cheap fisheye, for 200.00 or even a cheap 500mm for a few hundred dollars and have fun with it... 3rd party lens makers don't really make lenses for Contax, so it's hard to play around with specialized lenses without spending thousands of dollars. While those cheap lenses aren't going to take reference-level pictures, I liked having a low-end fisheye to play around with. Now, to get the fisheye would cost me 4000.00. Also, the cheapest PC lens in the system is 3000.00

Customer Service

Not tried yet

Similar Products Used:

-I sampled everything else in the contax line in the store.

- I've owned several manual Minolta's from the 70's-80's

-I've used the Contax G1 rangefinder

-I owned a Nikonos V (but that's not really similar)

*Light weight.
*Excellent for small female hands.
*Good entry to the famous Carl Zeisis lenses.
*Well built.
*Ideal for travel photography.
*Manual focus and not auto everything.
*Classic design.

*Poor balance if it is used with long telephoto lenses.
*Very expensive lenses.
*Would be better if the slowest shutter speed extended down to 30s.

It is a delightful little camera with a romantic name. I think the Contax designers made this camera ideal for female hands. The Carl Zesis lenses are very expensive, particularly the second-handed West German Carl Zeisis. Recently,I have bought 50mm F1.7,85mm F1.4(West Germany), 135mm F2.8 and 180mm F2.8 (W. Germany). I am very poor now. For travel and landscape photography, I would rather pack five Arias than one Mamiya RZ67 into my bag.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 1000NF
Mamiya RZ67 Pro II

Ziess glass, Metering system, light

Short battery life

Great camera for entry into the Ziess lens system. I got the body and the 28-70 as a package price from the Base Exchange. Glass is everything in a camera system and none is better than Ziess. I shoot on average of over 5000 rolls of film a year at work, and for my own off duty shooting, I enjoy using the Aria. The metering system is dead on accurate and the manuel controls are great. I hate automation when I'm shooting for my own images. This camera gives you total control with the best glass you can buy. This is a definate winner for the money.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon, (all), Sinar
Canon, (most),Mamiya
Bronica, Contax,(RTS III
Hasselblad,

Direct Access to main features via actual knobs and levers.
Excellent spec for a manual camera. Good build quality. Viewfinder info is excellent.

Body is too small. Becomes uncomfortable to hold for long periods particularly when using longer lenses and large flasgun (TLA 360). On/off/AEL switch feels cheap and plasticky compared to rest of camera.

I would definately recommend this camera. The body although plastic, feels very well made and solid. A bit like the plastic in an Audi or BMW compared to that of a Toyota or Ford. The switches and knobs are well laid out and before long you will find that you can use them without having to look at them. The camera has all the features you could need, even matrix metering which is unusual on a manual body. I have found all the metering modes to be very accurate and rarely slip up. Of course sports and action shots are a lot more difficult without auto focus, but this is a thinking mans camera best suited to someone who likes outdoor or portrait shots. I had a Canon EOS 5 before this and was never happy with my compostion. I bought this camera in order to slow me down and make me think more and it worked. My photography is now improving vastly. The quality of the carl zeiss lenses took me by suprise. I knew they were supposed to be good but I did not think that someone of my level would be able to tell the difference but it was immediately apparent and I will never go back now. Unfortunately the camera is difficult to hold with the heavy lenses like the 135, due to the lightness and compact size of the body, but this is nothing that a good tripod cant fix.
I would like to see an extended grip available to add a bit of bulk to the body. I am currently saving up for the D9 databack which prints exposure info between frames as I always forget to write it down, however like most things with a Contax badge on, its expensive!

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

None

Spot meter, small, light yet solid, complete manual control.

For those into autofocus, it doesn't have it, so maybe that's a weakness. However for the manual enthusiast like myself, it's ideal.

I started photography with a Pentax MZ-M which I absolutely loved. However, I recently switched to the Contax Aria for one reason: the spot meter. Everyone talks about the Zeiss lens but for me the use of the spot meter takes the biscuit for this camera. It gives you absolute control on metering an image, any image, no matter how unbalanced it is in terms of light and dark. It takes minimal extra effort in taking a picture but you're guaranteed the outcome, unlike centre-weighted metering systems. Just meter off whatever you want, compensate appropriately to get the desired tone and then shoot. Come the prints and you'll have you want. Particularly useful for outdoor or night photography where bright and dark tend to dominate the photos respectively.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax MZ-M

Cheap, evaluative metering, high quality optics

Poor build quality, light, no viewfinder shutter, no backlight LCD

It is a very good entry level MFSLR for beginner. You will be surprised by the quality of Carl Zeiss's lenses. Build quality is always the problem of CONTAX.

Customer Service

No customer service in Hong Kong

Similar Products Used:

Canon F-1, Canon FTb, Nikon FM 2, Nikon F4, Nikon F60, Olympus OM-2

Very light. Very well thought out. Excellent build. Controls are great.

No mirror lock-up.

A great entry camera on the excellent Carl Zeiss lens line. Excellent to carry around all day. Great features.

Customer Service

Is ok.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N90s, EOS AE2