Contax RTS II1982

History

The original Contax RTS launched in 1975 as the first body for the new C/Y mount system developed jointly by Yashica and Carl Zeiss. Its Porsche Design exterior and Zeiss glass access were central to the brand identity. By 1982, Yashica (which would be acquired by Kyocera in 1983) released the RTS II, designated "Quartz" in reference to the upgraded shutter timing circuit.

The key engineering addition was a quartz crystal oscillator governing shutter speed calibration — the same technology that had improved accuracy in quartz-timed watches of the period. In a film camera, more precise shutter timing means exposures land closer to their marked values across the speed range, particularly at intermediate speeds where mechanical variation is most apparent. Metering was also upgraded to a silicon photodiode cell, which responds faster and more consistently than the SPD sensors of some earlier camera generations.

The RTS II remained the flagship through the mid-1980s. The RTS III arrived in 1990 with substantially higher specifications (1/8000s shutter, vacuum film flattening, 1/250s sync), and the RTS II was subsequently discontinued.

Why It Matters

The RTS II occupies a historically significant position: it was the professional Contax body available during the peak editorial years of the early-to-mid 1980s, when the C/Y Zeiss lens system was at its most visible in commercial and editorial photography. Helmut Newton and other fashion photographers of the period worked extensively with Contax bodies; the RTS II was the current professional Contax body for a meaningful stretch of that era.

For contemporary shooters, the RTS II is typically the most affordable entry point to the professional RTS body line. It offers the same C/Y lens compatibility as the more expensive RTS III, identical lens access across the entire Zeiss T* catalog, at considerably lower used prices — a practical consideration given that bodies are often the secondary purchase after lenses in C/Y system acquisition.

The aperture-priority-only AE system (no shutter priority, no program) means it suits photographers comfortable with traditional aperture-first working style; exposure automation is present but minimal. The quartz shutter timing remains its meaningful technical distinction over the original RTS.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount compatibility:

• Carl Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.4 and f/1.7* - standard lens pairing
• Carl Zeiss Distagon T 35mm f/1.4 and f/2.8* - wide-angle options
• Carl Zeiss Sonnar T 85mm f/1.4 and f/2.8* - portrait range
• Carl Zeiss Sonnar T 135mm f/2.8* - telephoto
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 35-70mm f/3.4* - zoom option
• Yashica ML lenses are also C/Y compatible at lower cost

Motor Drive: the Contax Motor Drive MD-3 and winder W-5 are compatible. TLA series flashes (TLA200, TLA360) integrate with the TTL hot shoe.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Helmut Newton — documented use of Contax RTS-line bodies for fashion editorial work; the RTS II was the current professional body during key years of his 1980s output.
• Standard professional body in the Contax ecosystem through the early-to-mid 1980s, alongside Hasselblad medium format.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Contax RTS II
• Wikipedia: Contax - brand history, C/Y mount development, and Kyocera context