The Contax G2 first emerged in 1996 as the successor to the already popular G1, a titanium bodied rangefinder camera which was released to compete with the Leica M7. The Contax systems had always been more technically capable than their Leica counterparts, owing to their titanium shutters which allowed for significantly higher shutter speeds. This additional flexibility made the bodies quite popular among professional photographers working in sports and fashion over the slower Leica system, which would be used more for reportage where shutter-speeds were often less critically important. The G1 would feature a shutter producing speeds of 1/2000th of a second (nothing particularly unusual for the time), but still double what the equivalent Leica could produce. The gap between the two competitors became significant by the time the G2 was released, which would produce up to 1/6000th of a second, something only the top SLR cameras of the time could exceed; and not by much. The G system also benefitted from an auto-focus that, by the time the G2 was released, was considered rapid.

This compact, Apple adjacent design comes from the Porsche Design Group, who first collaborated with Contax in the 1970s on the RTS. The design collaboration produced some of the most iconic point-and-shoot cameras, including the T2 and the T3 which are still highly regarded and sought after today. Perhaps the most significantly appealing feature of the G series cameras were the lenses, produced by Carl Zeiss, which displayed a character and sharpness that are actively still used among fashion photographers today. Juergen Teller’s most famous work in the late ‘90s and 2000s were shot using a Contax G2 with the TLA200 flash, which was preferred for its closeness to the lens, creating less unseemly shadows on and behind subjects.

Lens mount: Contax G mount
Shutter: Vertical titanium multi-blade
Speeds: Up to 1/6000th 
ISO Range: DX 25 - 5,000 / 6 - 6,400 Manual
Flash Sync: 1/200th or lower / TTL
Viewfinder Coverage: 90% magnification 0.57x 
Shutter Count: Digital display
Multiple Exposure: Yes
Battery: 2 x CR2 
Weight: 605g

This mint Contax G2 is offered in serial matching boxed condition, with very little signs of use. It comes with the original guarantee papers, booklets and neck-strap. It includes the most desirable lens, the Carl Zeiss 35mm f2 Planar T*, also boxed, mint with matching serials, lens caps and paperwork. Finally, it also has the dedicated TLA200 flash, again in boxed and mint condition with paperwork and its Contax branded leather pouch.

Shipping costs determined based on location, import fees are the responsibility of the buyer and will not be covered by Select / co. Shipping from the UK / EU possible.