Contax RTS II

Overview

Contax RTS II

Japan / Germany

The Contax RTS II is the camera I recommend to people who want Zeiss glass on a 35mm SLR and don't want to pay Leica prices. The Contax/Yashica mount gives you access to Carl Zeiss lenses made in Japan under license. They're not the same as German Zeiss, but they're close enough that the difference rarely matters in practice.

I've had this one for four years. It came from a camera store in Orlando that was clearing out old stock. The meter was erratic -- turned out to be a cold solder joint on the meter circuit board. I reflowed it and the meter has been accurate ever since.

The RTS II has a real spot meter. Not center-weighted, not evaluative -- a genuine 3.5-degree spot. In Florida, where the contrast between bright sky and dark shadow can be extreme, a spot meter is genuinely useful.

History

The Contax RTS II was the second generation of the RTS series, introduced in 1982. The original RTS had been designed with input from industrial designer Ferdinand Porsche. The RTS II retained the design language and added improved metering and a brighter viewfinder.

The Contax/Yashica system was a collaboration between Yashica (which made the camera bodies) and Carl Zeiss (which designed and licensed the lenses). The lenses were manufactured in Japan by Yashica under Zeiss supervision. Quality control was high.

The system was discontinued in 2005 when Kyocera, which had acquired Yashica, exited the camera business. This makes the RTS II a closed system -- no new lenses are being made. But there are enough used lenses available that this is rarely a practical problem.

Worth owning?

The RTS II is worth owning if you want a serious 35mm SLR with access to Zeiss glass and you're not willing to pay Leica prices. The spot meter is genuinely useful. The viewfinder is bright. The build quality is excellent.

The main drawback is the closed system. When something breaks, you're dependent on used parts. The electronics are more complex than a Nikon FM2 or Olympus OM-1, which means more potential failure points.

Prices are reasonable because the camera is underappreciated. A clean RTS II body runs $100 to $250. The Zeiss lenses are the expensive part -- a Planar 50mm f/1.4 costs $200 to $400.

CLA notes

The RTS II CLA is more involved than a mechanical camera because of the electronics. I check the meter circuit board for cold solder joints before doing anything else. This is the most common failure point.

The shutter is a vertical metal design. The blades are cleaned with naphtha. The timing is checked with a shutter speed tester after reassembly.

The light seals and mirror damper are always replaced. In Florida, the humidity accelerates foam deterioration.

After a CLA, I verify shutter speeds, meter accuracy, and run a test roll. The RTS II is a reliable camera once serviced.