# Contax 137 MD Quartz



## henrycooke (Jul 6, 2009)

Hi. First up, i'm a total lens/film noob. So far pretty much all my stuff has been on digital with my kit lens, so bear with me. 
So, on entry to my high school photography course, i discovered the need for a film camera to go along my D40. My mum unearthed and ancient (well ancient looking) Contax 137 MD Quartz. No manual. A kit lens (Yashica MC Zoom 35-70mm 1: 2.5-45 52 mm A55467) A tiny little lens which says Yashica ML 50mm 1:2. And a big zoom/macro looking lens which says Tefnon H/D - MC Zoom 1:4:5~5.6 f=70~200mm 49 Macro. Also got a contax TLA 30 Flash.
My questions are:
1 . Is this quality Glass/ a good camera? I've taken a few rolls on ISO 400 B&W retro film (for school) and self devoloped, but i didnt really know about the other lenses, the photos turned out okay, but i probably hindered them alot with my own devoloping skills, bit of a noob.
2. (someone who knows camera well) Whats with the light meter? it tells me what shutter speed it's using not if the light is good. does it just not have a light meter? Currently im using AE lock to actually set the shutter speed ( theres no dial for it - another oddity ) and using my D40 for metering, but this is not ideal.
3. My lenses. Here are some photos. What's the small one for? Is the big on good for just macro or zoom as well? Is the kit lens all purpose or what?
Here are some ****ty photos of the lenses.
Camera itself with kit lens.





Tiny Lens. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Big/Macro Lens.




4. The flash. heres a photo.




Is it decent? Can i put it on my nikon D40? 

I guess my overall question is should i bother getting all these cleaned and serviced (theyre horrendously dusty) or are they not worth it. Also is there ANY WAY ( i doubt this ) i can get an adaptor for these lenses for my nikon. 

Thanks in advance.


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## henrycooke (Jul 11, 2009)

noone know a thing about this camera? Thanks for reading anyway.


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## Dwig (Jul 11, 2009)

The first place to start is reading the instruction manual:

Contax 137 MA Quartz instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals


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## henrycooke (Jul 14, 2009)

thats the MA model not the MD one. But thanks!


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## caux (Aug 11, 2009)

I own one of those, the reason you don't see a dial is because it's an aperture priority camera, that means you set the aperture and it'll set the shutter speed for you. 

Here, google is your friend:
Photoethnography.com - Classic Cameras

Now, about the lenses, that camera is a C-Y mount, that means all of those really awesome zeiss lenses work on it.. Too bad you don't actually own any.. On the other hand the yashica ML 50mm 1:2 is pretty good, some say even come close to the zeiss.. I'd clean it up if I were you and was planning on switching to film, it's a pretty decent camera.. And if you can afford the zeiss lenses then you're set.. (BTW you can use the zeiss lenses on canon SLRs if you use a mount adaptor that costs 20-40 bucks)


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