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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The Contax RX II (2002) is the second iteration of the RX-series multi-mode SLR, refined from the original Contax RX with updated metering, electronic controls, and an in-finder focus-confirmation LED system that assists manual focus with Carl Zeiss T* lenses. It accepts the full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount lens catalog and offers aperture-priority, shutter-priority, program, and manual exposure modes. The RX II was one of the final Contax-branded film bodies produced before Kyocera ceased camera production in 2005.
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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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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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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Before you buy used
About this camera
The refined Contax RX: focus-confirm LED, full AE modes, C/Y mount in Kyocera's penultimate film SLR.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Contax/Yashica (C/Y) |
| Years | ~2002 - 2005 |
| Shutter | 120s - 1/4000s + B, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/200s |
| Meter | Multi-pattern silicon |
| EV range | ~EV 0 - EV 21 |
| Modes | Manual, Aperture, Shutter, Program |
| Weight | ~620 g |
| Battery | 4x AAA |
| Focus aid | In-finder focus-confirm LED |
The original Contax RX launched in the mid-1990s as a mid-range multi-mode SLR slotted between the entry-level Aria and the flagship RTS III. It introduced in-finder focus confirmation to the Contax SLR line, addressing the practical difficulty of manual focusing with fast Zeiss primes in real-world shooting conditions. The RX II refined the original's specification — updated electronics, revised metering, and detail changes — and was released in 2002 as one of the last major new Contax film body introductions. Production ended in 2005 with Kyocera's exit from camera manufacturing, making the RX II one of the rarest C/Y-mount SLR bodies by production volume.
The RX II's focus-confirm system is its defining feature in the C/Y ecosystem. Manual focus is the norm for Contax/Yashica-mount lenses — the mount never gained autofocus capability — and the in-finder LED confirmation reduces missed focus when working quickly. This makes the RX II particularly practical with fast Zeiss primes (Planar 50/1.4, Sonnar 85/1.4) where critical focus at wide apertures demands precision.
Among C/Y-mount bodies available to contemporary film photographers, the RX II sits between the Aria (lighter, compact, no focus confirm) and the RTS III (flagship, larger, no focus confirm either). For shooters prioritizing focus accuracy alongside full AE automation, the RX II is the natural choice. Its relative rarity compared to the Aria makes it harder to find in good condition but not significantly more expensive in practice.
Full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount compatibility:
BW
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 Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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