The Contax name has covered pre-war Zeiss Ikon rangefinders, manual-focus C/Y SLRs, the autofocus G-series and the medium-format 645. Each is assessed differently, so the first thing we do is identify which system you actually have — then value the body, lenses and accessories on their condition.
Bodies, lenses and outfits, working or not. Written valuation. Free insured postage. Paid in 72 hours.
Few camera names span as much ground as Contax. It began at Zeiss Ikon in Germany in the 1930s as a premium 35mm rangefinder, was licensed decades later to a Japanese partnership that built a modern SLR system carrying Carl Zeiss lenses, then returned as an autofocus rangefinder and finally as a medium-format camera. These are not variations on one design — they are four separate systems with different mounts, mechanisms and service considerations.
Because four different cameras share the name, prices you find for "a Contax" can be misleading — a Zeiss Ikon rangefinder, an RTS-era SLR, a G2 and a 645 are entirely different things. Please don't assume a value from the badge alone. Tell us the model number and lens, or send a photo of the top plate and mount, and we'll identify the exact system before we say anything about worth.
The original Contax — a metal 35mm rangefinder from Zeiss Ikon, including the pre-war models and the post-war IIa and IIIa. All-mechanical, with their own bayonet and Zeiss lenses such as the Sonnar.
After the name was licensed to Yashica, bodies such as the RTS, 139, 137 and later 159 and Aria used the C/Y bayonet and carried Carl Zeiss lenses. Later production passed to Kyocera.
The autofocus G1 and G2 revived the interchangeable-lens rangefinder in a titanium body, with their own dedicated Zeiss G lenses — a distinct mount from the SLRs.
A modular autofocus medium-format system — body, film back, prism or waist-level finder and Zeiss lenses — assessed as an outfit rather than a single item.
The lens mount is the surest way to place a Contax, because each family uses a different one. This also decides which of your lenses fit which body — a point worth knowing before you sell.
| Family | Mount | Lenses |
|---|---|---|
| Zeiss Ikon rangefinder | Contax rangefinder bayonet | Carl Zeiss (Sonnar, Biogon and others) |
| C/Y SLR | C/Y bayonet (shared with Yashica) | Carl Zeiss on Contax bodies; Yashica offered its own |
| G-series | Contax G bayonet (autofocus) | Dedicated Carl Zeiss G lenses |
| Contax 645 | Contax 645 mount | Carl Zeiss medium-format lenses |
We do not describe any particular model as automatically rare or valuable — that depends on the specific example. What we can say is that identifying the system, the version and the condition precisely is the only honest basis for a figure.
Haze, fungus, cleaning marks, scratches and internal dust in Zeiss lenses all affect the result. We describe the glass precisely and assess each lens whether it arrives on a body or on its own.
Many Contax cameras are electronic, so a working meter, shutter and display matter. Electronic faults can be harder to remedy than mechanical ones; we test what we can and record what the camera actually does.
For the G-series and the 645, backs, finders, adapters and dedicated lenses are part of the value. We note what is present and what is missing rather than assuming a complete outfit.
Finish, covering, viewfinder clarity and battery-door condition, plus caps, cases, straps, boxes and papers. Honest wear is simply described accurately alongside what is included.
Please note that photographs can help identify the system and condition, but a physical inspection may be needed before a final valuation or offer — internal haze and electronic function are hard to judge from images alone. And please do not attempt invasive cleaning or repair before valuation; original condition can be useful to assess.
If your main interest is standalone Carl Zeiss glass rather than a Contax body, our Carl Zeiss camera lenses page covers Zeiss optics specifically. For another classic 35mm rangefinder system, see sell Leica cameras, and the broader sell vintage cameras & lenses guide explains how we handle mixed outfits.
Fair Vintage is an independent vintage and collectables buyer and is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Carl Zeiss AG, Kyocera or any current holder of the Contax trademark. Names are used here only to describe the cameras and lenses we buy.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a Contax RTS with a couple of Zeiss lenses" is plenty. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Wrap each body and lens separately, include backs, finders, caps, cases and papers, and use a sturdy box. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the first courier scan.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist identifies each item.
Each body, lens and accessory itemised — system, condition and figure, in pounds. Accept what you want to sell; the rest comes back free. Payment within 72 hours, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →The Contax name has been used across four quite different systems, so the model number and the lens mount are what matter. A pre-war or early post-war Zeiss Ikon Contax is a metal rangefinder; a body such as the RTS or 139 with a bayonet mount is a manual-focus C/Y-mount SLR; a G1 or G2 is an autofocus rangefinder with its own lens mount; and the 645 is a modular medium-format camera. You do not need to work this out yourself — photograph the top plate, model number and lens mount and we will place it.
For the manual-focus SLR era, yes. From the 1970s the Contax and Yashica manual-focus 35mm SLRs shared a common bayonet, usually called the C/Y mount, so their lenses can be fitted across both — Contax bodies carried Carl Zeiss lenses while Yashica offered its own range. The Zeiss Ikon rangefinders, the G-series and the 645 each use different mounts, which is one more reason we identify the exact system before valuing anything.
Yes. We buy across all four Contax families — the Zeiss Ikon rangefinders, the C/Y-mount SLRs, the autofocus G1 and G2 rangefinders, and the Contax 645 medium-format system with its backs, finders and lenses. Please list the bodies, lenses and accessories you have; for a modular camera like the 645, the backs, finders and prisms are worth noting as they are assessed as part of the outfit.
Yes, we assess non-working Contax bodies and lenses on their merits. Electronic Contax cameras can develop faults that are harder to remedy than a mechanical camera's, and we take that into account rather than pretending it away — but a fault does not automatically mean we turn a camera down. We describe what we find in writing and reflect it in the figure. Please do not attempt invasive cleaning or repair before valuation; original condition can be useful to assess.
Yes. Carl Zeiss lenses in C/Y, G or 645 fit can carry value in their own right, and lenses without a body are still very much worth sending. If your main interest is standalone Zeiss glass rather than a Contax body, our dedicated Carl Zeiss camera lenses page covers Planar, Sonnar, Distagon and the rest specifically, and explains how we assess optical condition.
Request your free label today. The system identified first, then each body and lens assessed on optics, electronics and completeness. Written valuation. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Vintage cameras & lenses · Sell Carl Zeiss lenses · Sell Leica cameras