Back in 1975, the debut of Contax RTS was like a dream came true for many photographers. It combined the optics from Carl Zeiss, the electronics from Yashica and the body design and engineering from Porche.

The Contax RTS I own is less than a perfect one. I bought it a few years ago without coupling with a most-wanted Carl Zeiss T* lens, yet the vinyl skin became dirty and sticky as time went by and I decided to reskin it with PU leather not soon later.

I’m still looking for a nice Carl Zeiss T* lens that won’t cost me an arm and a leg, yet I’m also quite happy with the Yashica ML 50mm lens the camera came with. The film speed / EV dial is a bit confusing but you won’t get lost after a quick look to the manual. Other than that the metering system, the mechanical and everything else work perfectly fine.

Thanks to the digital evolution which makes many analogue treasures greatly undervalued. This top-of-the-line film camera costed just a fraction of a mid-range DSLR nowadays. I always wonder if scientists will come up with a “compatible” digital replacement for 35mm film in the future, such that all fine analogue cameras can gracefully enter the digital age again. Good or bad? God knows.