Kyocera's Contax N1 system is a beautifully made combination of
ultrasophisticated 35mm camera engineering and heavy results-oriented Zeiss lens
designs. As in the Canon EOS system, all communication between body and lens is
electronic. Each lens contains an ultrasonic focusing motor. If you can live with
the limited range of lenses and accessories available, the newest Contax system
is a viable and pleasant alternative to the standard professional brands.
Basics
The N1 was designed from the start for simultaneous Auto/Manual focus. The AF
mode selector is on the back of the camera where it belongs and offers the
following choices: Manual, Single, Continuous. If you have the selector set to
Manual, pressing the button in the middle will give you a burst of autofocus.
This is a perfect design and much less confusing than the festival of buttons and
custom functions required to set up simultaneous AF/MF on Canon and Nikon
bodies.
A bright and clear viewfinder provides good eye relief for eyeglass wearers
and 95 percent image coverage. A dedicated depth-of-field preview button on lens
mount makes it simple to check how your selected aperture will affect the image
that you're about to record on film.
Power is from a 2CR5 lithium battery, good for between 20 and 50 rolls of 36
exposure film. If you add the P-9 battery holder, which includes a vertical
shutter release, you can use AA batteries.
The N1 body lacks a built-in flash (the lower-priced Contax NX has a built-in
flash). X sync speed is 1/250th, competitive with Canon, Minolta, and Nikon. The
camera includes a PC terminal. Contax offers a full line of dedicated flashes to
go with the N-series cameras.
For tripod use when you've forgotten the cable release, the self-timer can be
set to a 2-second interval.
Innovations
The optional D-10 data back will print exposure data in between frames. That's
not an innovation, though it is a welcome relief from data backs that violate the
visible portion of the frame. What is innovative about the D-10 is that it can
store up exposure data and finally, as the film is rewound, record those data on
the first two frames of the roll.
For selecting among the five autofocus points, the N1 has a really nice
joystick on the rear of the body. It is hard to describe or explain why this is
better than equivalent controls on Canon or Nikon bodies that I've used but it
really is a lot more intuitive.
An innovation whose utility is unproven is the N1's automatic focus bracketing
function. You focus manually and the camera takes three exposures. One is where
you focussed. One is a bit nearer and one is a bit farther. A lot of
professionals do bracket focus, especially when they are too rushed to check
depth of field critically, but whether the automatic system is really worth the
user interface trouble is unclear.
The most interesting accessories for the N1 are an LCD viewfinder for remote
camera operation and the ability to mount lenses from
the delicious Contax 645 system.
Warts
The amount of applied exposure compensation is not displayed in the viewfinder
exposure bargraph. A flashing +/- symbol reminds you that exposure comp is in
place but you have to refer to the top-deck LCD or knob to verify the amount.
The body does not appear to be water-sealed. If you're planning to be working
in heavy rain, the top-end Canon and Nikon bodies would appear to be better
choices.
Setting custom functions is just as confusing as with Canon and Nikon bodies.
You need to have the manual with you. It is a shame that Contax did not copy the
Minolta Maxxum 7's self-explanatory multi-lingual rear LCD panel.
As of January 2002, Contax offers only a 24-85/3.5-4.5, a 70-300/4-5.6, a
50/1.4, and a 100/2.8 macro. Despite their slowness the zoom lenses are large
heavy high quality tools. And the 50 and 100 (not tested) should be excellent.
But if you are doing a project that requires extreme wide angles, perspective
correction, or long telephotos you'll be renting some Nikon or Canon gear.
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