I’m so excited about my new camera.
It’s a point and shoot film camera, so it’s kind of old school. But there’s something special about it. It feels mythical.
Partly because it’s a beautiful object. Getting nerdy for a second it’s not just any point and shoot camera – it’s a deluxe compact. This range it belongs to, the Contax T series, defined a new genre of cameras that brought qualities previously only seen on SLRs to point and shoots. Things like top notch optics, some creative control and outstanding design and build quality. So it’s a delight to use and look at.
There’s something about the technology too. They were released just before digital cameras were launched. So the technology is in one way obsolete, but in another way at the top of its game. Like the last of the dinosaurs. Nifty features, but 35mm. I really like that paradox.
The brand adds to the unusual magic. Contax – it sounds precise, esoteric. Because they were never mainstream and closed up shop in 2005 they feel rare. Like they didn’t really exist. The website is just a page on the parent company’s website with no product info. We don’t see Contax marketed anywhere. All that is left is the cameras that were made, obsessives scouring eBay and Flickr groups sharing their photos.
