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 S2, introduced in 1992 alongside the automated ST, represented an explicit statement of intent from Kyocera: a return to the design philosophy of the original 1975 Contax RTS, prioritizing mechanical reliability and manual control over electronic automation. The S2 uses a mechanical titanium-foil vertical shutter rated to 1/4000s with 1/250s flash sync, a brass-heavy body with a titanium top plate, and strictly manual exposure with a center-weighted silicon meter for reference. Battery power drives only the meter; the shutter itself is mechanical and fires at all marked speeds regardless of battery state. The result is a camera built to perform predictably across temperature extremes and over decades, pairing with the complete Carl Zeiss T* C/Y lens catalog.
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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About this camera
Contax's 1992 mechanical-shutter C/Y SLR - manual exposure, 1/4000s, brass and titanium construction.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Contax/Yashica (C/Y) |
| Years | 1992 – ~2002 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/4000s + B, mechanical vertical titanium |
| Flash sync | 1/250s |
| Meter | Center-weighted silicon |
| EV range | ~EV 1 – EV 20 |
| Modes | Manual only |
| Weight | ~595 g |
| Battery | 2x SR44/LR44 (meter only) |
| Body | Brass / titanium top plate |
When Kyocera introduced the S2 in 1992, the dominant trend in camera design was toward increasing automation - autofocus, program modes, motorized everything. The S2 moved counter to this current, reviving the manual-focus, manual-exposure approach at a time when even Nikon's FM series was under threat. Kyocera positioned it as a complement to the automated ST released the same year, giving the Contax lineup a mechanically-oriented professional option alongside the RTS III.
A variant, the Contax S2b, was subsequently produced with a different viewfinder and minor specification changes; the two are closely related and share the same mechanical core. The S2 remained in production considerably longer than many Contax C/Y bodies, reflecting steady professional demand for mechanical bodies through the late 1990s and into the early 2000s.
The S2 is one of the very few mechanical-shutter bodies produced within the Contax/Zeiss ecosystem. Most Contax SLRs - the 139, 167MT, ST, RX, Aria - relied entirely on electronic shutters with no fallback. The S2 by contrast continues to function at all marked shutter speeds with a depleted battery; only the meter goes dark. This makes it meaningfully more reliable in cold weather and for photographers who demand predictability above convenience.
For contemporary film shooters, the S2 is the natural choice within the C/Y system for those who prefer the shooting discipline of manual exposure with a mechanical body. It occupies a similar philosophical position to the Nikon FM2 or Olympus OM-3 Ti in their respective mounts, offering the combination of high-quality construction, manual control, and fast mechanical shutter that those cameras provided. The 1/4000s ceiling and 1/250s flash sync are strong specifications even against modern standards.
Full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount compatibility. As a manual-exposure body, the S2 is particularly well-suited to slower, deliberate work:
The Contax Winder S2 was available for motordrive capability. Contax TLA flashes provided TTL metering. The 1/250s sync speed is notable for fill-flash photography.
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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