<s>
Made	O
between	O
1932	O
and	O
1936	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
Contax	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
I	I-Algorithm
after	O
later	O
models	O
were	O
introduced	O
,	O
was	O
markedly	O
different	O
from	O
the	O
corresponding	O
Leica	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	O
design	O
allowed	O
a	O
higher	O
maximum	O
shutter	O
speed	O
:	O
the	O
top	O
speed	O
was	O
1/1000s	O
,	O
then	O
increased	O
to	O
1/1250s	O
in	O
the	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
II	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1936	O
the	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
II	I-Algorithm
and	O
III	O
models	O
were	O
introduced	O
;	O
the	O
only	O
difference	O
between	O
them	O
was	O
the	O
integral	O
exposure	O
meter	O
on	O
the	O
latter	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
Second	O
World	O
War	O
,	O
a	O
few	O
Contax	O
cameras	O
were	O
produced	O
at	O
the	O
original	O
Dresden	O
factory	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
were	O
assembled	O
at	O
the	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
optical	O
works	O
at	O
Jena	B-Application
,	O
before	O
production	O
was	O
transferred	O
to	O
Kyiv	B-Algorithm
in	O
Ukraine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
war	O
years	O
,	O
the	O
chief	O
designer	O
,	O
Hubert	O
Nerwin	O
,	O
tried	O
to	O
convert	O
the	O
Contax	O
into	O
a	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
but	O
was	O
hindered	O
by	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
the	O
upper	O
roller	O
of	O
the	O
vertical	O
focal-plane	O
shutter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	O
S	O
can	O
be	O
said	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
camera	O
that	O
defined	O
the	O
configuration	O
of	O
the	O
modern	O
35mm	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
only	O
did	O
it	O
introduce	O
the	O
M42	B-Algorithm
lens	I-Algorithm
mount	I-Algorithm
which	O
became	O
an	O
industry	O
standard	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
horizontal	O
focal-plane	O
shutter	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
removed	O
a	O
major	O
objection	O
against	O
the	O
reflex	O
camera	O
by	O
offering	O
an	O
unreversed	O
,	O
eye-level	O
viewing	O
image	O
by	O
employing	O
a	O
pentaprism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Asahi	O
,	O
maker	O
of	O
the	O
Pentax	B-Application
,	O
was	O
engaged	O
first	O
;	O
and	O
it	O
went	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
Zeiss	O
designing	O
a	O
common	O
lens	O
mount	O
,	O
which	O
constituted	O
a	O
detour	O
from	O
Pentax	B-Application
's	O
adoption	O
of	O
the	O
East	O
German	O
M42	B-Algorithm
mount	I-Algorithm
,	O
named	O
for	O
many	O
years	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Pentax	B-Application
Mount	O
"	O
to	O
avoid	O
any	O
accreditation	O
to	O
the	O
Eastern	O
Bloc	O
,	O
and	O
which	O
became	O
the	O
Pentax	B-Application
K-mount	O
after	O
the	O
two	O
firms	O
parted	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
alliance	O
was	O
then	O
formed	O
with	O
Yashica	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
line	O
of	O
Contax	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
was	O
born	O
,	O
starting	O
from	O
the	O
RTS	O
of	O
1975	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
I	I-Algorithm
had	O
six	O
identifiable	O
variants	O
,	O
but	O
fundamentally	O
identical	O
;	O
every	O
aspect	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
better	O
than	O
the	O
Leica	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
its	O
operation	O
was	O
something	O
of	O
an	O
acquired	O
taste	O
,	O
which	O
explains	O
the	O
more	O
conventional	O
successors	O
,	O
the	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
II	I-Algorithm
and	O
III	O
models	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	O
IIa/IIIa	O
ceased	O
production	O
in	O
1960	O
and	O
was	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
company	O
catalog	O
in	O
1961	O
,	O
replaced	O
by	O
the	O
Contarex	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
camera	O
that	O
replaced	O
it	O
(	O
the	O
Contarex	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
)	O
was	O
a	O
fine	O
camera	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
cost	O
so	O
much	O
more	O
money	O
,	O
it	O
never	O
made	O
the	O
inroads	O
into	O
the	O
market	O
the	O
Contax	O
did	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
design	O
chief	O
Wilhelm	O
Winzenberg	O
was	O
not	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
camera	O
side	O
of	O
Zeiss-Ikon	O
,	O
this	O
also	O
allowed	O
a	O
brand-new	O
Contax	O
design	O
to	O
be	O
developed	O
,	O
to	O
follow	O
Hubert	O
Nerwin	O
's	O
wartime	O
plan	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
Contax	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
traditional	O
vertical-run	O
Contax	O
shutter	O
required	O
considerable	O
space	O
both	O
above	O
and	O
below	O
the	O
film	O
gate	O
for	O
the	O
drum	O
rollers	O
,	O
the	O
upper	O
roller	O
takes	O
up	O
the	O
critical	O
space	O
required	O
for	O
the	O
reflex	O
housing	O
mechanism	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
dimensionally	O
impossible	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
for	O
a	O
satisfactory	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
35mm	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
had	O
already	O
appeared	O
before	O
the	O
war	O
,	O
its	O
major	O
disadvantage	O
was	O
the	O
waist-level	O
finder	O
which	O
gave	O
a	O
laterally	O
reversed	O
image	O
,	O
taking	O
away	O
the	O
immediacy	O
between	O
the	O
photographer	O
and	O
his	O
subject	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
major	O
technical	O
advantage	O
was	O
critical	O
in	O
establishing	O
the	O
35mm	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
as	O
the	O
definitive	O
camera	O
type	O
for	O
the	O
decades	O
that	O
followed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
name	O
"	O
Pentax	B-Application
"	O
had	O
been	O
thought	O
of	O
before	O
but	O
,	O
as	O
with	O
Germany	O
's	O
capitulation	O
in	O
1945	O
all	O
German	O
patents	O
and	O
trademarks	O
were	O
declared	O
void	O
,	O
the	O
Japanese	O
seized	O
it	O
and	O
registered	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
first	O
attempt	O
at	O
forging	O
an	O
alliance	O
with	O
Pentax	B-Application
,	O
Zeiss	O
designed	O
a	O
new	O
common	O
lens	O
mount	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Contax/Yashica	O
mount	O
(	O
C/Y	O
)	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
on	O
cameras	O
bearing	O
both	O
marques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
model	O
,	O
the	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
RTS	I-Algorithm
(	O
short	O
for	O
"	O
Real	O
Time	O
System	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Prof	O
.	O
Dr.	O
Katsuiko	O
Sugaya	O
,	O
styled	O
by	O
the	O
Porsche	O
Design	O
studio	O
,	O
and	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Yashica	O
as	O
Top	O
Secret	O
Project	O
130	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Featuring	O
comprehensive	O
use	O
of	O
electronics	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
Contax	O
line	O
of	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
which	O
brought	O
13	O
different	O
models	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
exception	O
of	O
the	O
S2	O
and	O
S2b	O
(	O
named	O
as	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Dresden-built	O
camera	O
)	O
being	O
fully	O
mechanical	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contax	B-Algorithm
RTS	I-Algorithm
Fundus	O
–	O
usually	O
marked	O
'	O
Medical/Scientific	O
'	O
on	O
the	O
base	O
plate	O
it	O
featured	O
a	O
3mm	O
high	O
guard	O
around	O
the	O
shutter	O
release	O
and	O
a	O
lock	O
button	O
on	O
the	O
front	O
plate	O
for	O
the	O
shutter	O
speed	O
dial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yashica	O
Dental	O
Eye	O
III	O
-	O
a	O
fully	O
automatic	O
,	O
fixed	O
lens	O
single	B-Algorithm
lens	I-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
dental	O
camera	O
made	O
for	O
intraoral	O
photography	O
and	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Contax	O
RX	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
actual	O
AF	O
system	O
,	O
unlike	O
AF	O
for	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
,	O
used	O
a	O
twin-window	O
rangefinder	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
alignment	O
determination	O
was	O
electronic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
lenses	O
used	O
optical	O
formulae	O
not	O
often	O
used	O
by	O
Zeiss	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
specialized	O
in	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
photographic	O
lenses	O
for	O
many	O
decades	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
G	O
Series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
These	O
formulae	O
appear	O
to	O
be	O
repeated	O
in	O
the	O
later	O
Zeiss	O
Ikon	O
M-mount	B-Algorithm
rangefinder	O
cameras	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
Contax	B-Algorithm
i4R	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
smallest	O
compact	O
Contax	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
last	O
camera	O
from	O
the	O
Contax	O
marque	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
departure	O
from	O
the	O
35mm	O
format	O
,	O
the	O
Contax	O
645	O
was	O
an	O
autofocus	O
medium	O
format	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
system	O
introduced	O
in	O
1999	O
,	O
featuring	O
an	O
array	O
of	O
Zeiss	O
lenses	O
and	O
interchangeable	O
film	O
and	O
digital	O
backs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
its	O
unique	O
features	O
was	O
a	O
220	O
film	O
back	O
equipped	O
with	O
the	O
vacuum	O
system	O
originally	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
35mm	O
RTSIII	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
was	O
claimed	O
to	O
increase	O
sharpness	O
by	O
keeping	O
the	O
film	O
perfectly	O
flat	O
in	O
the	O
plane	O
of	O
focus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	O
N	O
series	O
was	O
an	O
autofocus	O
35mm	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
system	O
,	O
based	O
around	O
an	O
entirely	O
new	O
electronic	O
bayonet	O
mount	O
that	O
was	O
not	O
compatible	O
with	O
previous	O
Contax	O
C/Y	O
mount	O
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
models	O
were	O
made	O
:	O
the	O
N1	O
,	O
the	O
NX	O
and	O
the	O
N	B-Algorithm
Digital	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
first	O
full-frame	B-Algorithm
digital	I-Algorithm
SLR	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
N	B-Algorithm
Digital	I-Algorithm
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
digital	O
cameras	O
to	O
feature	O
a	O
full-frame	O
24×36mm	O
CCD	O
sensor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
essentially	O
three	O
groups	O
of	O
flash	O
guns	O
;	O
those	O
made	O
for	O
the	O
G	O
system	O
,	O
those	O
made	O
for	O
the	O
early	O
(	O
Yashica	O
made	O
)	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
and	O
those	O
for	O
the	O
later	O
(	O
Kyocera	O
made	O
)	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
SCA382	O
–	O
Worked	O
with	O
the	O
older	O
cameras	O
,	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
transmit	O
ASA	O
and	O
aperture	O
information	O
on	O
the	O
Contax	O
645	O
,	O
Aria	O
,	O
RX	O
,	O
AX	O
N1	O
,	O
NX	O
,	O
and	O
N	B-Algorithm
digital	I-Algorithm
cameras	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Therefore	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
lens	O
manufacture	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
Second	O
World	O
War	O
,	O
all	O
Zeiss	O
lenses	O
were	O
marked	O
"	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
Jena	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
new	O
Oberkochen-based	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
Optical	O
company	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
Jena	B-Application
,	O
its	O
products	O
are	O
simply	O
marked	O
"	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
original	O
factory	O
carried	O
on	O
using	O
the	O
"	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
Jena	B-Application
"	O
marking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Contax	O
I-III	O
lenses	O
were	O
initially	O
finished	O
in	O
black	O
(	O
for	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
I	I-Algorithm
)	O
,	O
but	O
later	O
in	O
chrome	O
(	O
for	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
II	I-Algorithm
and	O
III	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
offered	O
in	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
focal	O
lengths	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
important	O
lenses	O
for	O
the	O
Contax	B-Algorithm
II	I-Algorithm
and	O
Contax	O
III	O
was	O
the	O
180/2.8	O
Sonnar	O
,	O
designed	O
for	O
sports	O
photographers	O
covering	O
the	O
1936	O
Berlin	O
Olympics	O
allowing	O
fast	O
speed	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
longest	O
lenses	O
also	O
reached	O
a	O
focal	O
length	O
of	O
30cm	O
and	O
50cm	O
,	O
delivered	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
mirror	O
housing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Jena	B-Application
continued	O
to	O
make	O
some	O
lenses	O
for	O
the	O
pre-war	O
Contax	O
for	O
a	O
few	O
years	O
,	O
lenses	O
were	O
also	O
made	O
for	O
the	O
Stuttgart-built	O
post-war	O
models	O
,	O
some	O
were	O
of	O
new	O
designs	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Lenses	O
for	O
the	O
Dresden-built	O
Contax	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
used	O
the	O
M42X1mm	O
screw	O
mount	O
,	O
but	O
as	O
existing	O
designs	O
intruded	O
too	O
far	O
into	O
the	O
camera	O
body	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
swivelling	O
mirror	O
unable	O
to	O
clear	O
the	O
back	O
of	O
the	O
lenses	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
series	O
of	O
lenses	O
were	O
made	O
by	O
Carl	O
Zeiss	O
of	O
Jena	B-Application
,	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
,	O
Hugo	O
Meyer	O
of	O
Görlitz	O
was	O
also	O
engaged	O
as	O
the	O
second	O
official	O
supplier	O
of	O
original	O
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
cameras	O
used	O
the	O
"	O
C/Y	O
"	O
lens	O
mount	O
,	O
short	O
for	O
"	O
Contax/Yashica	O
"	O
:	O
Yashica	O
being	O
the	O
lower-end	O
consumer	O
brand	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
system	O
made	O
by	O
Yashica/Kyocera	O
that	O
shared	O
its	O
lens	O
mount	O
with	O
Contax	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
model	O
had	O
also	O
been	O
ordered	O
by	O
both	O
Leitz	O
and	O
Nikon	O
and	O
was	O
adapted	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
on	O
their	O
own	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
