Having previously used the other infamous entry-level metering system, the centre-the-needle method, this took a little getting used to.
#Contax rts ii review manual#
When shooting, you have either aperture priority or a manual of sorts you can let the camera suggest the shutter speed to use to with the chosen aperture. There is no depth of field preview, and the ISO dial only goes to 1600, making shooting 3200-ISO films tricky. The shutter speed extends no further than 1/1000 of a second which can be quite slow, especially when trying to shoot low apertures in bright light. The second, bigger issue is the limited options available for shooting, especially in comparison to some of its more high-end relatives. My own model had the vinyl replaced by the camera shop I bought it from, and the new green leatherette will likely last much longer than the original. This is the first problem with the FX-D, but is one which can be easily rectified with many pre-cut leather kits available from the internet. One thing you may notice with many models is the low-quality soft vinyl that covers the camera body, and many bought off eBay will likely have this peeling off and leaving sticky residue in places.
The FX-D is upon initial inspection a fairly run-of-the-mill late 70s/early 80s SLR, and is relatively compact and well built, the metal body meaning the camera has a nice heaviness to it. The higher-end Contax cameras were often paired with a more entry-level FX camera and indeed the FX-D is considered the younger sibling of the Contax 139, although there are few differences between the two. In the 1970s and early 80s the company reached its peak, producing a series of SLRs for both amateurs and the more professionally inclined, the FX series belonging to the former, and collaboration with Contax creating the excellent RTS series for the latter. Yashica was formed in 1949 and ceased production ceased in 2005, with the Yashica brand name now used for the “Digifilm” camera, which has created no little controversy.
#Contax rts ii review driver#
Yashica is a relatively ignored camera company in comparison to its other Japanese comrades, but over time produced some amazing pieces of engineering, from the Yashica Mat 124G TLR to the Electro 35 family of rangefinders, the latter being another favourite of mine.Ī bus driver I once talked to said he preferred the 124G over his Hasselblad 500, high praise for Yashica indeed. The massively under-rated Yashica FX-D could be one of the best beginner film SLRs you could choose from. KF article top The Yashica FX-D (All pics: Finlay Dalziel)