• Contax RTS II Quartz — back · view 2
  • Contax RTS II Quartz — back · view 3
  • Contax RTS II Quartz — top · view 4
  • Contax RTS II Quartz — bottom · view 5
  • 1975
  • 35mm SLR
  • Carl Zeiss C/Y

Contax RTS + Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7

The 1975 SLR that brought Zeiss glass back to 35mm, electronically.

The RTS was the camera that put Contax back on the map: a 1975 collaboration between Yashica's engineering, Carl Zeiss optics and the Porsche Design studio, built around an electronically-timed shutter when most of its rivals were still purely mechanical. The point of it, then and now, is the glass: this is the body that opens the Carl Zeiss T* C/Y system to you, and those lenses render in a way photographers still chase four decades on.

Aperture-priority automation with a clean match-LED readout down the side of the finder, a shutter that runs to 1/2000s, and a viewfinder bright enough to focus a fast Planar wide open. The 'Real Time System' name was about responsiveness: the electromagnetic release, the immediacy of the controls.

You buy it for what goes on the front. A 50mm f/1.4 Planar or an 85mm Sonnar on this body is the whole reason the C/Y system has the reputation it does.

Match

Who this is for

Good for

  • Carl Zeiss C/Y glass
  • Aperture-priority shooters
  • Portraits
  • Available light

Character

What it feels like to shoot

The shutter release is electromagnetic: a light, almost weightless touch rather than the mechanical break you feel on a contemporary Nikon, and it takes a roll to trust it. The match-LED meter sits vertically in the finder so you read exposure without leaving the frame. What you remember, though, is the rendering: the way a Zeiss Planar holds a highlight and falls into a smooth, slightly cool out-of-focus that's unmistakable once you've seen it. The body is dense and quiet; the advance stroke short and precise.

The glass

Paired with this glass

Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7 T*. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (placeholder until GPP shoot)

Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7 T*

Real Zeiss glass with the T* multi-coating that built the Contax/Yashica system's reputation. The 50mm f/1.7 is the sleeper of the C/Y Planars: nearly everything the f/1.4 does, with tidier behaviour wide open, the famous Zeiss micro-contrast and colour. Lenses like this are the reason people buy into C/Y bodies at all. Here it comes attached.

Born 1975

History of the Contax RTS

The RTS launched the modern Contax line in 1975, after Zeiss Ikon's own SLR programme had wound down. Carl Zeiss licensed the Contax name to Yashica, who built the bodies in Japan to Zeiss optical designs; F.A. Porsche's studio shaped the body. It ran until the RTS II of 1982, and the C/Y bayonet it introduced carried every Contax SLR through to the end of the film era.

Technical specifications

MFG. 1975 – 1982
01
Format
35mm SLR
02
Manufacturer
Contax · Japan
03
Production
1975 – 1982
04
Lens mount
Contax/Yashica (C/Y)
05
Metering
TTL centre-weighted, match-LED
06
Viewfinder
Fixed pentaprism, ~97% coverage, interchangeable screens
07
Shutter
4s – 1/2000s, electronically-timed horizontal cloth
08
ISO range
12–3200
09
Flash sync
1/60s
10
Exposure modes
Aperture priority, Manual
11
Power
One 6V 4LR44 (PX28) cell for the electronic shutter.

One 6V 4LR44 (PX28) cell for the electronic shutter.

Backed by GPP

Service & guarantees

Every analog camera ships through our bench

This unit has been fully serviced and CLA'd: cleaned, lubricated and adjusted, with shutter, meter and light seals checked, and it is in confirmed working order. Inspected at GPP; ask us about this exact body.

  • CLA'd by GPP: shutter speeds checked, light seals replaced where needed, meter calibrated against a known reference.
  • 7-day functional return: if it doesn't work as we declared on this listing, we exchange or refund. Wear-and-tear consistent with the listed condition isn't returnable.
  • UAE & worldwide shipping: Dubai same-day before 12 PM (AED 50), UAE-wide in 2–3 business days (AED 40), international tracked in 5–10 business days (calculated at checkout). Insurance can be added on request. Customs and import duties are the buyer's responsibility on international orders. Full shipping policy.
  • Walk in to inspect: Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. Mon–Sat, 10am–7pm. Bring a roll if you'd like to test-fire on the spot.

Questions

Things people ask

What film does it take?

Standard 35mm film. We carry the widest selection in the Middle East: colour, B&W, and slide across consumer, professional, and cinema stocks. Need a recommendation for this body? Just ask us.

Is the camera serviced before sale?

Yes. Every analog camera at GPP goes through our bench before it goes on the listing. Shutter speeds verified, light seals replaced where needed, meter calibrated against a reference.

What's your return policy?

7-day functional return. If anything we declared isn't working as described, contact us within 7 days of receipt for a full refund or exchange.

Can GPP develop and scan the photos I shoot with this?

Yes. Our in-house film lab handles colour, B&W, and slide development with scanning. 24-48 hour rush available. More on the film lab.

Can I see the camera before I buy?

Always welcome. Visit Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm.

Contax RTS
Dhs. 2,500.00
  • ✓ CLA'd by GPP
  • ✓ 7-day functional return