The Contarex Professional is an analog SLR camera. It was manufactured by the Zeiss Ikon company in West Germany. The model is quite difficult to find today because the camera was only produced in small numbers. Its successor, the Contarex Super, is a little easier to find.
Lens
The Contarex Professional comes standard with the Carl Zeiss Planar 1:2/50mm lens.
The bayonet connection enables quick switching to a wide range of Zeiss lenses, from 21mm ultra-wide angle to 1000mm telephoto lenses.
The focus is set manually using the focusing ring. The camera offers a parallax-free viewfinder with interchangeable focusing screens. The standard focusing screen (20.1310) has a split image indicator and a microprism ring. Optional focusing screens for telephoto lenses, a pure focusing screen and a focusing screen with a split image indicator on the focusing screen are available.
The focus is therefore set manually, there is no autofocus. The distance setting can be read off the distance scale. Zone focus is possible by using the depth of field scale on the lens.
Exposure settings
The exposure is set manually. The shutter offers exposure times from 1/1000s to 1s and "B" for long exposures, adjustable via a ring.
The aperture is preselected via a separate setting wheel on the lens and closes automatically to the set value when the shutter is released. The depth of field scale on the lens is used to control the depth of field.
There is no light meter integrated into the camera. The use of an external light meter, such as the Zeiss Ikon Ikophot CD, is recommended for measuring the exposure.
Flash system
The Contarex Professional has a flash sync connection (X sync at 1/30s - 1s and B, M sync at 1/125s - 1/1000s) and a hot shoe. It supports both electronic flash units and flash bulbs.
The correct aperture is calculated based on the guide number of the flash and the distance to the subject and is set manually on the lens. Special lenses with automatic flash exposure control are also available.
Additional functions
The Contarex Professional offers a self-timer with a delay of around 12 seconds. The delay time can be shortened by an intermediate stage. A tripod thread is available. In addition, film magazines can be changed to quickly switch between color and black and white film.
Dimensions and weight
The Contarex Professional has the dimensions (W x H x D) 158 x 103 x 57 mm and a weight of approx. 900 g (without lens).
Film recommendations
The Contarex Professional uses 35mm film. The camera exposes a normal aspect ratio. The number of images per film roll depends on the film length; common 36 and 24 film rolls are supported.
The respective film type should be selected according to the desired area of application: For landscape photography, films with a low sensitivity (e.g. ISO 25/15°) are suitable for maximum sharpness and detail. For portrait photography, films with a medium sensitivity (e.g. ISO 100/21°) are well suited.
For sports photography and shots in poor lighting conditions, films with a higher sensitivity (e.g. ISO 400/27°) are recommended. There is no DX coding for automatic film sensitivity detection.
A good color film is the Kodak Gold 200*. This photo film delivers solid results with the SLR.
Quick guide to operation
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Insert the film and set the film counter.
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Attach the lens.
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Determine the exposure with an external light meter.
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Set the shutter speed.
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Preselect the aperture.
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Focus on the subject.
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Release the shutter.
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Operate the quick transport lever
