Contax G2 Film Camera Series Are On
Lens: Carl Zeiss T Sonnar 38mm f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 8s - 1/500s Size: Width 119mm x Height 66mm x Depth.1,500.00 In stockI too was thinking long what one to get - the G1 or the G2. A Preview of Katherine and Sam's Legare Waring House Wedding in Black and WhiteFilm: 35mm (135 cartridge) DX ISO 25 - 5000. The Contax G2 is a beautiful, well designed and convenient camera that is fully automated - range-finder type autofocus, auto film advance and rewind - it is quaint by. As sure as the sun shines these write-ups praising the G series are on target. Thought I restart my film experience and got a Contax G2 camera with Carl Zeiss 28mm & 45mm lenses.
Fashion Editorial in a Backyard Portrait Studio Creating Moody Editorial Fashion Photography in my Charleston SC Backyard Classic studio fashion editorial on black and white film with a tulle dress My First Attempts with Large Format Black and White Film Portraiture Charleston South Carolina Portraits in an Outdoor Studio
Hasselblad 202FA Film Camera Review For Portraits and WeddingsContax 645 Medium Format Film Camera System OverviewThe Contax 645 has become synonomous with wedding photography - so much so that the very branding of the camera is front and center in nearly every film wedding photographer's headshot. Hasselblad FE 110mm F2 Planar Medium Format Film Lens Review Portrait and Lighting Tips for Shooting Film with Strobes in Studio
It was just too wide, with about a 28mm 35mm full frame equivablent, and it seemed prone to highlights blowing from flare. The only other lens I have used is the 45mm F2.8, briefly, and I didn't care for it. It has a very long focus throw, common to macro lenses, so it isn't the quickest. It's my favorite lens to use in studio because of how sharp it is and how close I can focus. Not many people use the macro lens but I LOVE this lens for the occasional macro shot but, more importantly, ultra-sharp studio strobe portraiture. Optional Maxwell Bright Screen for Better FocusingI own the Zeiss 80mm F2 and Zeiss 140mm F4 Macro lenses for my Contax 645 system.
The strobes are needed to shoot this lens in studio because of the F4 minimum aperture. Zeiss 80mm F2 Lens for Contax 645This lens is known for dreamy rendering and bokeh, like this Portra 800 image of a bride and bouquet that I shot during a Charleston Wedding Editorial.This lens is sharp, and has a wonderfully pleasing rendering that I just love for studio portraiture with strobes. Zeiss 140mm F4 Macro (amazing macro and portrait lens)Here are two examples of where the two lenses I own for my Contax 645 system really shine.
It's a very fast camera as well. These cameras are sort of known for finicky electronics, but I've kept mine clean and it has been quite reliable for me. It's lightweight - I previously owned a Hasselblad H1 and the Contax is significantly lighter. You can always use a monopod as well.Long focus throw on the Zeiss 120mm F4 macro planar lens.Contax 645 for Wedding Photography Review Useability as one of the best medium format film cameras for wedding photographersHonestly, the camera is perfect for wedding photographers (I say this with a caveat to come later).
The viewfinder / screen are bright and I've had wonderful luck manually focusing this camera. You just have to learn to use it, practice, and always be able to manually focus as a back up option. Autofocus isn't amazing on the camera, but it also isn't bad either.
Somewhere along the line, someone started shooting this camera at weddings (cough cough Jose Villa and Erich McVey) and the look of the lens sort of became synonomous with "film wedding photography". This is why people buy this camera - full stop. I feel nimble and comfortable when shooting it which is quite possibly the most important thing when deciding what camera you are going to shoot during the pace of a wedding.Dreamy rendering and bokeh review of the Contax 645The camera is known for the 80mm F2 lens.
It's quite surreal and it makes for beautiful wedding photographs. Subjects have this dreamy ability to 'melt' into the background and almost become a painting. Simply, it's the most beautiful bokeh of any lens I have ever seen.
The camera has a very ergonomic grip and the combination of lightweight and a bright viewfinder means I have no problem shooting moving subjects or while running / moving myself.Additional wedding photography information and Contax 645 images on the siteFilm Wedding Photography by Brian D Smith Review - Photographing Portraits with the Contax 645 Film SystemNearly half, if not more, of the work I shoot is portraiture. When I was shooting Canon DSLRs, the weight of the Contax system was quite comparable to my digital setup. This bridal bouquet shot of a Michigan bride was shot on Kodak Portra 800 film wide open.Weight and Handling of the Contax 645 Film Camera at WeddingsAs I mentioned, above, the camera is quite light making it very usable for an entire wedding day. This image was also shot at F2 on Kodak Portra 400 film.If you use the incredible bokeh and shallow depth of field of the Contax 80mm F2 lens as an artistic tool instead of a crutch it can produce some otherwordly images that are just the sort of beauty you want to be adding to a wedding gallery. This camera/lens has completely defined the look of what people think "film photography" to be in the wedding world.it's that popular.See how the bride seems to exist, softly, against the blended backdrop.
There are other cameras that I enjoy shooting more that require a bit more time and concentration that I can afford outside of a wedding day. I have slowed down on my useage of the Contax for my portrait work for a few reasons. I used it for nearly everything.
This portrait shot in Asheville, NC at F2.Strangely, this is the reason I most use the camera anymore. There is no reason this couldn't be your do-it-all camera system.The shallow depth of field still can be a nice artistic tool in everyday portrait work. All that being said, it's still a wonderful portrait camera and a joy to use. I am also less concerned about dreamy bokeh when shooting my portrait work. There is something about the slow, methodical process of those cameras that I feel makes me a better photographer.
The Contax is easy to use and I can alternate between the 80mm F2 lens and Macro Planar 120mm F4 lens depending on what I am photographing. That's hard to do with a film camera system that is slow or has a very dim viewfinder. Oftentimes studio portraiture is all about capturing that exact moment in between breaths when you the subject's expression is just right.
Most often, I shoot this camera with strobes, but the below two images were shot handheld using an LED light and softbox.I use the camera for anything from bridal portraiture, branding portraiture and headshots, fashion portraiture to boudoir.
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