Zeiss Lens
Body Quality Construction
Price
Size

MF dial needs more resistance.
Small Viewfinder.
Battery Dependent.

I have the G1 green label with the 35mm, 90mm, TLA200 Flash. Outstanding Carl Zeiss lens....absolutely blows away any Nikon lens which I have used but can't beat the medium format due to obvious reasons. Great for travel, small size, strong & lightweight. For the price.....it can't be beat!

Customer Service

Have not used it yet.

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This is my first rangefinder but have used Mamiya Pro 645, Bronica SQAI, Nikon N6006, N70, F-5, F-100 (Current body I use)

Obviously sturdily built, controls thoughfully laid out, light weight and small. bulk. Uses the incredible Zeiss lenses.

Must lock focus before shooting, not too swift autofocus, somewht noisy.

An incredible value.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

SLRs by Konical, Canon, Leica & Nikon. Konica rangefinder, Minox, medium format cameras.

T* Lenses!!!
Small Size
Ease of Use
Titanium

Manual Focus (although once accustomed to it, it is almost as easy as a traditional rangefinder)

I bought this camera after a painful trip to Asia with 40lbs of Medium Format gear. I didn't want to miss the photo opportunities, but I looked quite silly at business meetings with a rather large camera bag. I had to have the image quality of my 6X6 -or at least closer than my FD or EOS Canon would give me- yet I needed something that fit into my briefcase. I have been so thrilled with the results of the Contax that my other gear has started collecting dust and I now carry a camera with me everyday (this has resulted in some great spur of the moment shots). Is it a Medium Format? No. Is it Medium Format enough? Absolutely!

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Various Canons (FD, EOS, and Rangefinder)

Great feel--you can tell this is quality just by picking it up.
Well laid-out controls.
Uses Zeiss lenses--nuff said.

Lenses and other accessories are expensive.

This is the camera I have been looking for. My last SLR system--a Nikon 8008 with a 35-70 2.8 lens--took great pictures, but was so heavy it hurt my neck and back to carry it any distance at all. I found myself leaving the Nikon at home and carrying a P&S for 99% of my outings. Then I traded for the G1 with the Zeiss 45mm lens--in mint condition--and have not looked back. This review is supposed to be for the body--there are glowing reviews for the lens on another page of this site. The G1 camera fits like a glove. It oozes quality. Easy to figure out, easy to use. This is NOT a camera for beginners. You need to understand exposure settings--aperature and shutter speed--as you will need to set one or both. This is not a fast autofocus camera, so for the happy snaps of Suzie's birthday party, get out the Olympus Stylus Epic. But for the time of your life behind a camera, buy or trade for this gem.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Pentax, Canon and Nikon SLR outfits; numerous P&S cameras.

Solid build, uses excellent Zeiss lenses, compact, well-thought out features

Manual focus almost unuseable, no DOF scale on lenses

While this camera is somewhat quirky, and it takes some getting used to (like any rangefinder), the quality of my photos has definitely improved since buying it. The lenses are superb (I have the 21mm, 35mm and 90mm lenses) and it's a camera that feels good in the hand.

Customer Service

not used

Similar Products Used:

Yashica rangefinder, Olympus OM4 SLR

Lightweight, compact size, high finish quality, simplicity, EXCELLENT lenses!

need to carry a pin to use film rewind button

Aided with Zeiss optics, the G1 is an excellent system for certain types of photography. It's so agile that it's a joy to carry around the streets. The G1 plus three lenses are lighter than my old Caon A2e with just one lens. The lack of shutter lag opened up photographic opportunities that I never realized existed.

Not for every one.

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Mamiya 6

excellant lense quality, compact size

af a little sluggish

this is a wonderful camera for the serious photographer

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g2