Contax 167MT Quartz1988

History

Kyocera introduced the quartz-timed variant of the 167MT approximately two years after the original 1986 launch. The timing follows a pattern visible across the Contax line: a base model establishes the market position, then a quartz-regulated variant extends the range with improved precision without altering the fundamental specification. The 137MA Quartz (1981) and 137MD Quartz (1982) had followed the same pattern earlier in the decade.

The 167MT Quartz ran concurrently with the standard 167MT rather than replacing it outright, giving buyers a choice between the lower-priced base model and the precision-regulated variant. Both shared the same lens mount and external dimensions, simplifying inventory for dealers. Production of the 167MT line as a whole wound down as the Aria (1998) assumed the entry/mid-range role in the shrinking C/Y-mount system.

Kyocera's Contax operation ceased manufacturing new bodies in 2005, ending the C/Y-mount SLR line. The 167MT Quartz represents one of the last significant specification upgrades to a production body before the line's contraction into the Aria and RTS III as final products.

Why It Matters

The practical significance of quartz regulation is modest in everyday shooting but measurable in critical applications. RC-circuit shutter timers are susceptible to drift with temperature and battery voltage variation; quartz regulation holds timing to a far tighter tolerance. For photographers using slide film with narrow exposure latitude in variable ambient temperatures - a common scenario for the landscape and travel shooters who gravitated toward the Zeiss system - the Quartz variant's consistency is a genuine advantage.

For contemporary film shooters, the 167MT Quartz offers the same core proposition as the standard 167MT - an affordable C/Y body with full four-mode automation and access to Carl Zeiss T* glass - with the added assurance of better shutter calibration on an aging camera. Used examples are slightly more expensive than the base 167MT but still significantly cheaper than the RTS II or RTS III. The 1/250s flash sync is also useful for fill-flash work in the field, comfortably above the 1/125s common on cameras of this tier.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount compatibility. The Carl Zeiss T* SLR lineup is the natural pairing:

• Carl Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.4* - the most common and versatile pairing
• Carl Zeiss Planar T 85mm f/1.4* - the definitive portrait lens in the system
• Carl Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/2.8* - compact wide-angle
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 35-70mm f/3.4* - practical standard zoom
• Yashica ML series - affordable first-party alternatives in the same mount; optically capable, significantly cheaper than Zeiss

Motor drive: the 167MT Quartz has a built-in film advance motor and auto-rewind; no external winder is available or needed. The TLA flash system (Contax TTL automatic) is compatible. The CAM DB100 data back fits for date/time imprinting and benefits from the quartz shutter's timing accuracy.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Used by European and Japanese photographers in the late 1980s and 1990s who wanted full AE automation in the Contax/Zeiss system at a sub-RTS price.
• Attractive to contemporary film shooters as a cost-effective route into C/Y-mount Zeiss glass, particularly those who prefer confirmed shutter accuracy on older electronics.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Contax 167MT - base model documentation; Quartz variant is a refinement of the same platform.
• Wikipedia: Contax - brand history, Kyocera production context, and C/Y mount system overview.