-precise spot metering
-good craft
-utilities functions
-easy to handle, adjust and control

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for seizz lover, this's one of the best camera that you can trust. when i have a trip to photo people or outdoor. i will alway chose RX because it's quiet and smooth controll let my work done easily.

Customer Service

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Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3
Nikon FA
Nikon Fm2
Contax st
Contax s2

sturdy body
intuitive controls
nice hand grip / rubber texture
clear (tho only 95%) view finder
smooth film transport
auto bracket control

on/off switch jiggles
custom function cycling
tiny rewind custom function buttons

In my opinion, there are only two contender camera bodies that Contax currently manufactures: RX and RTS3. The RX, in my opinion, feels only slightly less robust than the RTS3, but only for certain features on the camera body. At first it felt just a bit too heavy, but now that I have been using it, I do not notice that aspect as much as I expected to. There are only two things keeping me from using the RTS3: Price and weight. If both of those were equal to the RX, the RTS3 would be my Contax body of choice. The AX is actually a rather nice body, but is very bulky for my taste, and I neither need nor want auto focus capability.

I am predisposed to manually operated cameras. However, when I became interested in Zeiss lenses, I had to confront the fact that Contax does not make a satisfactory manual body (I tried and reviewed the S2: it is not as nice as my FM2, and nowhere near *any* Leica body). Anyways, now I am confronted with an electronic body, so I wanted something that was not totally button 'centric'. After using the RX for a while, I find that I am liking the electronic shutter and film transport because I can keep my eye on what is happening more than before, freeing me up to do more photography and less camera body manipulation.

The custom functions are nice, and I use some of them. However, I would like to be able to fix my settings as the default. This stems from the fact that the functions cycle in only one direction, and when you cycle from the last one back to the first one, all settings revert their default settings - Gah. So I set them all over again. The upshot of this is that I have all the settings memorized at this point. ;-)

There is just one minor nit to pick about this camera body, though. The on/off switch works fine, but jiggles in position just a bit. It does not jiggle in the direction of operation, but it teeters 'vertically'. I called the Kyocera/Contax distributors, and the repair technician tried the switch on all the Contax bodies and agreed with my observation. The RX, ST and G1/2 all have this jiggle, and the RTS3, AX do not. What a thing to have a design flaw on!

Also the bottom of the body is not perfectly flat, and does not stand firmly when resting on a table top without a lense. Odd.

Overall, this is a fine instrument. I would recommend this camera body for the avid amateur. Perhaps the professional would be more impressed with the RTS3 (?) . The RX is a nice mixture of function and sophistication.

Customer Service

not really used

Similar Products Used:

FM2
S2

Intuit layout
Substantial feel

None yet

I was watching a press conference a few days back. There was a fellow that I observed for about 8 - 10 minutes who could clearly be seen with his 2 Canon's. In between each shot I noticed that he had to take his eye off the action and look at all the marvelous knobs on these enormous looking Canon's.

I have only owned my RX for a short time. I allready am used to the controls and do not have to take my eye off the scene for any functionality of the camera. The ABC switch, Spot vs Avg meter switch and exposure compensation knob are all right there at my right fingers. All can be observed in the viewfinder very clearly. I love the meter activiation button on the front, very nice touch, helps to avoid those accidental shots when you push the shutter button too much.

In a day of cheap looking and to some extent feeling expensive cameras it is nice feel this camera. You feel like you paid for something of value that is likely to last.

Customer Service

None yet

Similar Products Used:

None

Very solid feel. Ergonomics are superb - unlike many other MF or AF cameras, you can keep you eye on the action... everything is sensibly laid out within finger-tip reach. Front exposure check is great convenience. 3 FPS frame advance is adequate for what I need (people, art). Electronic range-finder works great, even in low light, and I LOVE the depth of field read-out in the viewfinder.

I like it more every day, but would say if I knew of one. Expensive? Maybe...

I would buy it all over again. And this is not even the best reason to own Contax -- Carl Zeiss lenses are!

Customer Service

Never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Contax RTS II; Nikon FA, FM2N, FG, F3; Pentax K1000; Minolta XG1; Canon F1N.

AF confirmation, build quality, viewfinder

None

The RX is a good substitute for the RTS III. It has many of the features of the RTS III, and is only moderately less solid and sturdy as the RTSIII, which is the best I've seen. Build quality and attention to detail are superb in a typical Contax way.

The RX has one unique feature--it has a focus confirmation that lights up when the subject comes in focus. Very handy. Although you don't get AF, you get the ACCURACY of AF. This is good for people who don't need AF speed but desire its accuracy.

Contax has the best AE lock switch on the market which comes in handy all the time. Good for long compositions. Also TTL preflash metering is unique for Contax, and is the best I've seen because it works with any flash equipment--even if the flash is not connected to the camera, I believe.

Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Contax RTS III
Contax AX
Leica R8
Canon EOS-A2e
Canon EOS-10s