Superb build quality, most features found in top SLRs, lenses that are second to none, slower but accurate focus, and accurate metering.

Small viewfinder, though not a big issue, manual focusing not usable.

After reading Nick's review below, I felt the need to add another review, as I'm sure I've done one previously. I've owned the G2 since its inception, and after going through lots of gear, from film(35mm & MF)to digital and back to film, I've always had the G2 by my side. I've used it extensively on professional shots, knowing the focusing will bwe reliable and quality second to none. The camera has never failed me in focus or in operation and will be with me to the end.

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

Contax G1, Leica M6

Just had my G2 back from the Contax Service Engineer. It took about three weeks in all to get it back, and for a service and very minor repair to the shutter speed dial, it cost £167 Sterling including return postage and value added tax. Not cheap. But I am pleased I have it.

Size, weight and lenses.

small viewfinder

I am sure I have reviewed the Contax G2 here before, but having used this camera for about five years and purchased it mint for £700 sterling with three lenses. I added the 21mm soon after. I love it to bits, even though I have just sent the body away to be serviced and repaired. The repair: for some unknown reason the shutter speed dial began to spin freely whilst using iton holiday in Portugal. As I always work in aperture value and rarely need to touch this dial, I have no idea why it should suddenly give me any trouble. However, it was time for a service so I have sent it to our Contax office and await their conclusions - probably an expensive one. Apart from this I have had no trouble with the camera. Locking focus can sometimes be a pig. I think this is largely due to the way light falls on the autofocus window at the front of the camera, giving too much contrast. The lenses, as most users point out, give stunning results. I use four: 21mm, 35mm, 45mm, and the 90mm. All are breathtakingly sharp. I use Fuji Velvia 50 iso or the new Velvia 100F film stock and wouldn't dream of using any thing else. My advice to SLR users looking for a change? It is a different type of photography than you have been used too. It takes time to get in Range Finder mode - When you do, you will love this camera as much as I do.

Customer Service

Let you know when I get my camera back from them

Similar Products Used:

None - a very ex SLR user.

superb color, contrast, and sharpness

durability

My experience with this camera has been rather mixed. The images it produces have superb color, contrast, and sharpness. It is, however, rather slow in focusing, and of late my camera has been malfunctioning. My camera advances after clicking the shutter, but usually without the shutter opening and closing. The result is a blank photo, with many frames in a given roll gone to waste. This is the second time in 3 years that my camera has needed major repairs, and yet I treat it with care commensurate to its price tag. It is highly electronic, and it may be its weakness. It has features superior to Leica, but the latter might a lot more durable. Even with the higher price tag and less features for the Leica, I think it will be more useful and will give more satisfaciton over the long term.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon, Canon, Leica

lens are sharp as a razor. Beautiful color. camera displays excellent metering. Easy to handle

I noticed an average of 20% film loss because of the cameras inability to focus. I always appears to focus but in reality one can never be sure. The camera also gobbles up batterys like they are going out of style.

Beautifully made but not for professional use. Camera has an inability to focus realiably.

Customer Service

Took it in for serviceing but proved to be functioning 100%. sold it shortly. The contax G2 proved to be the most expensive camera I ever owned. in the six month I owned it depreciated over a $1000.

Similar Products Used:

Voightlander

See above

See above

Okay, about 6 months ago, being somewhat dissatisfied with the quality that I was achieving with my 4MP digital, I decided that for the time being, I'll live in the retro world of film. I bought a nice scanner (4000 ppi) and started to scan in some of my old and new work. I then decided to go really retro (sort of) and look for a rangefinder. I looked at both the Leica and the Contax and decided that, for the money, the Contax G2 was a much better value. Onto the the review: The G2 is the best camera I have ever used. I am a Contax/Zeiss SLR user so I am well familiar with high end construction and quality out of the product line. I was a little concerned initially about giving up manual focus to the G2. The output of this camera blows me away. The accuracy of the auto-focus is dead on. The resolving capability of the lens/camera combo is just head and shoulders above anything else I have ever used. I have read that it might be due to the proximity of the lens relative to the film plane (ie close!) of the quality of the lenses, no matter, the resolution and contrast capabilities of the camera are the best. What I like: - Resolution/contrast - Accuracy of autofocus - Nice lens porfolio (16mm to 90mm) - Viewfinder info is good - Price!!! (45mm lens used can be had for $150 - this is one of the best lenses in the world!!!!!) The camera cost is reasonable for the quality - Build quality - seems like a solid piece of metal - Camera feature are very good What I don't like: - F stop not shown in finder (minor) - Autofocus can get confused (minor - you learn to know when it is confused and deal with it). I have less than 1% of shots out of focus. - Not sure I like the flash yet (I just bought an off-the-camera cord extension.

Customer Service

None needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Several other Contax/Zeiss cameras and lenses

Great lenses. Great pics. Great looks.

CR2 batteries are expensive and needs to be replaced every 40-50 rolls. Manual focus. Customer service.

Great RF camera for Expert photographer. However, this is not the best RF camera for professionals. Because it lacks the "real Manual focus" I cannot get that actual feelings of overiding mechanics of Camera. Yet, this camera delivers with excellent choices of T* lenses. Details and depth of prints are amazing. After couple of month of using G2, I found small particle inside of my viewfinder. It does not show on prints due to use of viewfinder, it does become quite annoying. And cleaning also costs quite a bit. At the end, I am quite satisfied with this camera and would definitely recommend it for expert to pro users.

Customer Service

Not great. Also costs quite a bit (expected??)

Similar Products Used:

Leica MP. Rollei RF.

Quality of lenses, quality of color reproduction, auto film advance, ergonomic design.

Lack of real manual focus

I mostly find this camera wonderful. I'm frustrated by its lack of a real manual focus option -- there are certain things that cannot be done with auto, and the manual as it is is impractical and clumsy.

Customer Service

poor: I've tried to contact the plant in New Jersey about a loose wheel and had to finally call california to raise someone. Poor customer service facility.

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 6x7 rangefinder

Build quality, ease of operation, quality of lenses, overall "feel".

Small/dim viewfinder (compared to Leica). No DoF scales on lenses

Before reviewing this camera on it's own merits it is worth pointing out what an absolute bargain it is. I bought the G2 body and 28mm f2.8 Biogon new from HK Supplies for a mere $680. On sheer value alone this camera has to be well worth considering. As with the G1 the G2 has a very precise and quality feel to it. The controls are positioned logically, move with a silky smoothness and overall the camera handles very nicely indeed. In particular the manual foucs dial is a vast improvement over the G1. On the G2 it is a wheel placed vertically on the front plate of the camera and is operated by your index finger. It is exceptionally accurate, as is the autofocus focussing. As far as focussing is concered, many things have been written about the noise of the G2's focussing and motordrive. I have to say personally, I do not find it at all obtrusive. In fact given what I'd read on the subject I had serious reservations about purchasing the camera. However, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised with how quiet it is in it's operation and personally I think rumours about it's noisiness have been greatly exagerated. As with any camera the most important thing is it's picture taking quality, and there will doubtless be comparisions made between the G2 and the Leica M6. In fact many of those considering buying a new G2 may well be attracted to purchasing a used Leica M6. As such although this is a site used for reviewing the Contax G2, I think it is a good idea to compare the two. After all what better way to judge a G2 than to compare it to a Leica M6? Doubtless many will think a comparison between the two unjustifed as the Leica and lens costs five times as much as the Contax. However, as I own both cameras perhaps a comparison is worth considering and I believe it will show just what superb value the G2 is. Doubtless you will have read in various reviews that there is "something special" about holding a Leica. It is true that the camera feels like the precision instrument it is. It is very heavy and because it is quite small (although not much smaller than a G2, but looks so) it does feel very dense. However, I believe this "something special" appeal only exists because people say it is so. If you were to close your eyes and be handed a Leica I bet it wouldn't feel any different, to say, holding an Olympus 0M2. So once you move away from emotion when discussing Leica how does it compare to the Contax in operation and picture taking capabilities ? Firstly, the focussing on the Leica is exceptionally accurate and very fast. The subject does just seem to "snap into focus". Also the viewfinder is exceptionally large and bright (the G2's worst feature in my opinion). The other controls on the Leica, well with the exception of the shutter speed dial, aperture and focussing rings, ISO speed selector and film release/rewind lever - there aren't any. All of them work fine, with the exception of the film rewind lever which is really flimsy, has a reptuation for breaking and does not belong on a camera that costs so much. The biggest downside to the Leica is it's film loading. The base plate has to be removed and it's very fiddly to load the film (although speed comes with practice). On the black finish M6's the paint scratches and in no time at all the camera starts to look very scruffy which seriously effects it's re-sale value. Again, for such an expensive camera it is very poor. Other than the differences outlined above the two cameras are equally pleasureable, although different, to use. Both have +'s and both have -'s. Overall I prefer the G2. The greater shutter speed range, functions, speed of loading film and general feel swing it for me. The only thing I could improve on is the viewfinder and it desperately needs DoF scales on the Lenses. Now picture taking quality. Firstly, the Leica lenses wide open are greatly superior the the Contax lenses (although they do cost a great deal more). Also on B&W the gradation and tonal range of the Leica lenses are better than the Contax lenses. However, colour is a different matter. Using Fuji Velvia with the Contax is a delight. Beautiful colour saturation and hues are the norm and anything other than wide open the lenses are equal to if not sharper than the Leica lenses. In summary if you are seriously thinking of buying a rangefinder or even an SLR, spare more than a passing thought for the G2. For the price it is unbeatable. It is better to operate than a Leica (and far more reliable) other than operating the lenses wide open the quality is equal/better than Leica lenses and for the cost of a Leica body you can buy a G2 plus three lenses and have a lot less hassle !

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

Leica M6

The accuracy of the camera is phenomenal: if you do not have the right combination of light and exposure, the camera will "let you know". As noted, the lenses are superb and the 35-70 which is about all I use now (I do have the 28 and 90mm as well)are non pareil. I have used this gem over the last four months in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; Eastern Europe and in Israel. Having had, over the years, some of the finest cameras ever made, I would not trade back for any of them. The manual exposure is excellent. Auto-focus is wrong only when I am not following camera guide lines. It's appearance as earlier noted gives that wonderful sense of subjective ooomph that makes us happy we are holding a creative instrument that will get the job done...perfectly!

As other reveiewers have noted, would love to see a longer focal length of course designed to work with the electronic focusing and exposure systems. While I don't always enjoy the thunk that often comes when the motor focuses the lens, sometimes I use this white noise as a guide that all is right with the world. I have never used and do not own a flash for the camera, so I cannot comment. I can find no other negative comments about either the G1 and G2.

Because it is substantial in feel, and because of its remarkable capabilities, you use this camera with confidence. It's lenses are superb. It's auto-focus is dead on as is the auto-exposure. Like the G1, which I started with, the little extras available make the camera wonderful to work with; you can set the extras so that your personal needs can easily be met and your shooting habits quickly taken care of.

Customer Service

Never had to use it for the G1 or G2.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M3's and M6's. I no longer have any of these fine cameras, and probably won't every buy another simply because as I will be 62 soon, my vision continues to require help in focusing; the Leica's do not have this capacity insofar as I know, at this time.