contax (kyocera) aria review

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Picture courtesy of Alan Hayes.

Average Ratings
Photograph Quality9.5/10 Based on 2 ratings
Features8/10 Based on 3 ratings
Ease of Use10/10 Based on 2 ratings
Value for Money8.7/10
Reviewer Rating8.5/10
Overall Rating8.6/10 Based on 7 ratings
83% Recommended5 out of 6 Reviews

expert review of Contax (Kyocera) Aria 35mm SLR camera

By Alan. Rank: Lance Corporal on 9th Nov 2001

Alan.'s Ratings
Value for money10/10
Overall value9/10
yes Alan.'s recommendation

Good Points

Smooth handling. Permanent AE lock. Lightweight and bright viewfinder. Manual focus teaches you photography.

Bad Points

Larger Contax bodies ( RX, RTSIII ) balance better with heavier lenses. No autofocus ( buy a point and shoot ! )

General Comments

Ok, so you want to be a photographer right ? You go through all the "major" brands and buying guides, endlessly comparing features until you go stark crazy ! In the back of your mind you say to yourself, " Hey, if I am putting this much time and energy into this search, maybe I should think about getting some quality gear that will last !"
But all you run into are dim viewfinders, obscure controls, and cheap zoom lenses. So what's an aspiring Ansel Adams to do ? One day you are at your whits end when suddenly you see this little jewel on the front of a magazine. "What can this be ?" you ask. You finally get your hands on this "Aria", put the viewfinder up to your eye...and the battle is over. You have discovered the magic of a Contax. So what I am I talking about ? First, an ergonomic design so natural and sure footed that you can work it with your eyes closed. A viewfinder brightness that puts the others to shame. An exposure meter that is dead on...and one more thing, Carl Zeiss lenses. Here is where faith plays it's part. If you have been taken by the smoothness that the Aria moves with, and decide to bring her home, when you get those prints back from the store and show them to your friends, the color rendition, sharpness, detail and contrast will leave them breathless, and you smiling. "What's that camera called ? " , It's a Contax Aria, and if you want to make a serious start into 35mm photography at an entry level price, you will not be disappointed.

Respect given for Alan.'s review.
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5 9 4 4

Total Respect: -4

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3 Comments on Review by Alan. for Contax (Kyocera) Aria 35mm SLR camera

  1. Bill. on 13th Sep 2002

    What I am reading here is a sales pitch, not a review.

  2. Bob. on 9th Jun 2003

    People who are seriously considering this camera should also consider that they are buying a very expensive film camera body that might not be around much longer. Repair statistics are terrible:

    Nikon - 15.6% defects
    Yashica - (now discontinued) 16.6%
    Ricoh - ( now discontinued) 17.1%
    Canon - 19.6%
    Leica - 24.3%
    Pentax - 25.9%
    Minolta - 26%
    Contax 30.3% - (most number of repairs of any name brand)

  3. Rob Valine Rank: Corporal on 16th Mar 2007

    I have to agree. I've been using 2 Contax Aria bodies for 7 years. In response to Bob's comment, In 7 years I've had to make one repair to my Contax Aria bodies. It was a stripped tripod socket. That's after 7 years of hard professional use.



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