1938 Zeiss-Ikon Contax III

This is the world famous Contax III. It was introduced in 1936 and  produced in Germany by Zeiss-Ikon. Production ceased in 1942 after the factory suffered massive damage from allied bombers. It was the big brother of the Contax II and featured a finely constructed built-in light meter. During its reign it was the most advanced, most expensive 35mm camera on the planet. It was so widely regarded that the Kriegsmarine, the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945, issued the Contax III for use on ships and submarines as standard equipment.

 The photos here were produced with a Contax III which we had the pleasure of having in our shop. It was built in late 1938 / early 1939. The owner hails from New York and he was kind enough to share his photos with us.  These photos are courtesy of Ray Vickers. Copyright 2017 Ray Vickers. All rights reserved.

 These photos were taken in France with the standard 2.0/50mm Zeiss Sonnar lens on grainy Foma B&W film.