Zeiss Ikon's long-base Contax rangefinder — the Contax II, metal focal-plane shutter, Contax RF, 1936.
The Contax II is a 35mm rangefinder from Zeiss Ikon, introduced in 1936 as a redesigned successor to the Contax I. It combined the rangefinder and viewfinder into a single window and added a long-base rangefinder, becoming the mature form of the pre-war Contax and the template for the later IIa and Nikon rangefinders.
It is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera using the Contax RF bayonet mount, with a combined rangefinder-viewfinder and a long rangefinder base for precise focusing. It uses a vertically travelling metal focal-plane shutter offering a wide speed range and fires without a battery. There is no built-in meter; exposure is set manually.
The Contax II earned a strong following for its long-base rangefinder and Zeiss lens system, and its layout influenced later rangefinders including Nikon's. It suits collectors and photographers who want a pre-war precision rangefinder with fine focusing capability, though the age of the metal shutter calls for care in everyday use.
Check the long-base rangefinder patch for contrast and correct vertical and horizontal alignment, since accuracy depends on it, and inspect the combined finder for haze. Have the metal focal-plane shutter assessed across all speeds for reliability and capping, as these mechanisms wear with age. Confirm the bayonet and film transport work; there is no meter or battery to test.