Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/02/12

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Subject: Re: Leica RF Competitors
From: Stephen Gandy <cameras@jetlink.net>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 21:47:25 -0800

colin wrote:
> 
> > I was always told that the Contax shutter was superbly quiet, even quieter
> > that Leica's, but that it was not as durable.  Apparently it had some silk
> > (?) strings, which were prone to failure.
> 

The Contax is not as quiet as the Leica shutter, at least in my opinion.

All Contax RF shutters are a metal segmented curtain which travels
vertically.

The Contax I's shutters are so undependable that it is rare to find one
which works at all.

The Contax II/III and the postwar IIA/IIIA have relatively reliable
shutters.

Although they may need ribbon repairs, they almost never require curtain
replacement--a very common Leica problem.  Both often need slow speed
cleaning.  Essentially its a tradeoff.

Stephen Gandy