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Contax N1

What a Contax N1 actually produces — 32 photographs shot on one by members here.

Contax · 35mm · 32 photographs

Find one at KEH Contax N1 → Affiliate link

The Contax N1 was Kyocera's attempt to take the Contax name into autofocus, and it is a better camera than its short life suggests. Launched in 2000, it used a new N mount with Carl Zeiss autofocus lenses, and it was built around the same mount as the Contax N Digital, one of the earliest full-frame digital SLRs.

In the hand it is a serious body: shutter speeds to 1/8000, a five-point autofocus system, and the usual program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual modes. It is fully electronic and runs on lithium cells, so a spare battery belongs in the bag.

The catch is the system around it. Kyocera left the camera business in 2005, and the N line ended with only a handful of Zeiss lenses — zooms, a fast 50, an 85, a macro. There will never be more, and nothing outside the Contax N line takes them natively. That is exactly why the N1 is good value: optics that would cost far more in other mounts sell at orphan-system prices.

If you have one, the advice is simple. Buy the lenses you want now, while they still turn up working. Loaded with Portra 400, an N1 with the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 is a quietly excellent everyday camera.

Images taken with the Contax N1

Small group of protesters Small group of protesters thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 When the crowds have gone When the crowds have gone thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 Columbia Risen Columbia Risen thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 Morning Flower Morning Flower thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 City & County Building of Salt Lake City City & County Building of Salt Lake City thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 A.W. Bananas & Deconstruction A.W. Bananas & Deconstruction thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 Walker Center Reflection Walker Center Reflection thinbegin · Kentmere Pan 400 Shattered by sunlight Shattered by sunlight thinbegin · Kodak Tri-X 400 Chapel in Eureka Utah Chapel in Eureka Utah thinbegin · Agfa Precisa CT Little shoes left behind Little shoes left behind thinbegin · Agfa Precisa CT Saloon Saloon thinbegin · Agfa Precisa CT As a town grows As a town grows thinbegin · Agfa Precisa CT Waiting Waiting thinbegin · Agfa Precisa CT Sky Lines Sky Lines thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Silhouette of Bird in flight Silhouette of Bird in flight thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Silhouette of pearched Bird of Prey Silhouette of pearched Bird of Prey thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Memorial Maker Memorial Maker thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Birdhouse on a tree Birdhouse on a tree thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Trees as seen in water Trees as seen in water thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Grounds of Autumn Grounds of Autumn thinbegin · Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary Classic curves Classic curves thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 Shops in the Sugarhouse Shops in the Sugarhouse thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 A Bench's Patience A Bench's Patience thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 Dueler in the hot sun Dueler in the hot sun thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 Boat on Wheels Boat on Wheels thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 Entrance Entrance thinbegin · Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 Reflections on a sports car's bumper Reflections on a sports car's bumper thinbegin · Kodak UltraColor 400 UC Room above carpark Room above carpark thinbegin · Kodak UltraColor 400 UC Artist as art Artist as art thinbegin · Kodak UltraColor 400 UC Once traveled far and wide Once traveled far and wide thinbegin · Kodak UltraColor 400 UC Diagonal Stripes Diagonal Stripes thinbegin · Kodak UltraColor 400 UC Contents of a shelf Contents of a shelf thinbegin · Ilford HP5 Plus

Lenses people use on it

Taken from what members recorded on the frames above, in their own wording. Counts, not recommendations.

Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 26
Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 70-300mm f/4-5.6 6

Film shot on it

Each one links through to every frame on that stock, from any camera.

Rollei Paul & Reinhold 100 Year Anniversary 7 Kentmere Pan 400 7 Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 6 Kodak UltraColor 400 UC 5 Agfa Precisa CT 5 Ilford HP5 Plus 1 Kodak Tri-X 400 1
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