C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Contax G1 (1994) is a 35mm autofocus rangefinder camera co-developed by Kyocera (Japan) and Carl Zeiss (Germany). It introduced the Contax G-mount — a proprietary bayonet designed specifically for autofocus operation with Zeiss T*-coated optics. The body is constructed from titanium alloy, weighing just 370 g, and measures 137 × 76 × 43 mm — compact enough to carry all day. Autofocus is passive phase-detection with a narrow baseline rangefinder patch visible in the optical viewfinder; the camera also supports manual focus via a knurled front dial. Exposure is aperture-priority AE or manual.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The camera that put Zeiss T* glass and autofocus into a titanium body smaller than most SLRs — the G1 made rangefinder-style photography accessible to a new generation.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (36×24 mm) |
| Mount | Contax G-mount (autofocus bayonet) |
| Years | 1994–1999 |
| Shutter | 16s – 1/2000s + B, vertical-travel titanium blades |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL multi-segment, EV 1–19 |
| Modes | Aperture-priority, Manual |
| Viewfinder | Optical brightline, ~90%, 0.70× |
| Focus | Passive AF with manual override |
| Weight | 370 g (body only) |
Contax was a joint venture brand between Kyocera and Carl Zeiss, producing cameras under the Contax name from 1975. The G1 represented a bold departure: rather than extending the Contax RTS SLR system, Kyocera designed an entirely new autofocus rangefinder from scratch with a matched family of Zeiss optics. The G-mount lenses — designed by Carl Zeiss Jena and made in Japan to Zeiss specifications — include some of the sharpest 35mm lenses ever produced: the Biogon 21/2.8, Biogon 28/2.8, Planar 35/2, Planar 45/2, Sonnar 90/2.8, and the rare Hologon 16/8.
The G1 launched at a moment when no other manufacturer was offering AF with Zeiss glass in a compact body. Leica had no AF system. Canon and Nikon offered AF in SLRs only. The G1 filled that gap and attracted serious photographers who wanted Zeiss quality without the bulk of an SLR.
The Contax G1 is significant because it combined three attributes rarely found together: compact rangefinder form factor, autofocus convenience, and Carl Zeiss T* optics. The Biogon 28/2.8 and Planar 45/2 attached to a G1 produce images that benchmark favorably against almost any 35mm lens system. The AF system, while slower than contemporary SLRs, is adequate for all but fast-action work, and the compact body size makes it genuinely pocketable.
The G1's one weakness — shared with the G2 — is the narrow-baseline AF that struggles in low contrast and low light. Photographers who learn its AF tendencies work around this with zone focusing techniques. The titanium body, Zeiss glass, and relatively compact size have made used G1 prices resilient.
Contax G-mount. All lenses are Zeiss T*-coated:
Accessories: TLA140 dedicated flash (TTL), TLA200 flash, GD-1 data back, GAM auto-winder (motorizes film advance for ~2 fps), GF21 optical finder for 21mm framelines.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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