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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slr-35mm
The Contax NX (2002) is the entry-level body of the Contax N autofocus SLR system. It shares the Contax N mount with the flagship N1 and the digital ND, accepting the same range of Zeiss N-mount AF lenses. Compared to the N1, the NX reduces cost by using a polycarbonate body shell and omitting some of the N1's higher-end metering options and build quality. It offers a full PASM exposure mode set, multi-zone metering, and phase-detect autofocus. The NX was produced for a short window -- the Contax N system itself was short-lived -- and was discontinued with the end of the brand's film SLR line around 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 affordable entry into the Contax N autofocus system, with full PASM and N-mount Zeiss AF glass.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Contax N |
| Years | 2002 - ~2005 |
| Shutter | 30s - 1/4000s + B, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | ~1/200s |
| Meter | TTL multi-pattern / center-weighted / spot |
| Modes | Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect multi-point |
| Battery | 2x CR2 |
| Mechanical fallback | No |
Kyocera launched the Contax N system in 2000 with the N1 as a clean-sheet AF platform to replace the aging C/Y manual-focus system. The N mount was designed specifically for autofocus and is not compatible with C/Y lenses without adapters. The NX followed in 2002 as a lower-priced companion body to expand the market for N-mount glass. The N system also produced the ND -- the only Contax digital SLR -- in 2002. By 2005 Kyocera had withdrawn from the camera business entirely, making the entire Contax N range very short-lived. The NX's production run was thus among the briefest of any major Japanese AF SLR system.
The NX is a minor historical footnote in the AF SLR era but carries significance for Zeiss lens collectors. The Contax N-mount Zeiss lenses -- notably the Vario-Sonnar 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5, the Planar 50mm f/1.4 N, and the Sonnar 85mm f/1.4 N -- are optically excellent but relatively rare. The NX is the least expensive way to use N-mount glass on film. The body itself offers nothing exceptional over contemporary Canon EOS or Nikon AF bodies; the attraction is purely the glass. N-mount lenses can also be adapted to Sony A-mount and Canon EF with varying degrees of AF functionality.
Contax N mount. Native N-mount Zeiss lenses:
C/Y lenses are NOT directly compatible with the N mount. Flash: Contax TLA series and compatible third-party units with N system TTL coupling.
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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