Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/28

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Leicaflex vs Leica R
From: Edward Meyers <aghalide@panix.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 10:00:48 -0500 (EST)

Rather than being a Contarex "joke", it's a true story. I still
own a Contarex with interchangeable film magazines. Photographer/
writer Simon Nathan often told people that someone broke into
my car and left a Contarex there.
As for the Leicaflex (through the SL) Bob Schwalberg told me
to turn them around with the lens faceing my eyes."Now tell
me how it feels", he would say. And he was correct. Leitz
put the lens on the wrong side.
Back to the Contarex. I think I've told this story a few times
before. But here it is. Back in the dark ages Popular Photography
published test reports by expert Norman Goldberg. They weren't
always perfect, however. When the Contarex test report was
published and read by the Zeiss Ikon people a few of them
are said to have broken out in laughter. The report showed that
the Contarex's noise level was very low, although we know this
not to be the case. It turns out that the testing device only
recorded the beginning of the shutter noise sequence and not
the entire wherring and clumping noises. So the testing device
had to be changed. So much for bench tests.
I still own and dearly love my Contarex Special (first version).
I have mercury cells in my freezer for it's wonderful spot
meter, plus the 25mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2 and 85mm f/2, in addition
to my Novoflex adapter. It's the jewel of the 1960s. That
ain't so old. Ed

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Leicaflex vs Leica R)