Zeiss Ikon's post-war Contax rangefinder — the IIa, metal focal-plane shutter, Contax RF, 1950.
The Contax IIa is a 35mm rangefinder from Zeiss Ikon, introduced in 1950 as a post-war redesign of the Contax II built in Stuttgart. It is smaller and refined compared with the pre-war body, and together with the metered IIIa represents the final development of the Contax rangefinder line before Zeiss Ikon turned to SLRs.
It is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera using the Contax RF bayonet mount, with a combined long-base rangefinder-viewfinder. It uses a vertically travelling metal focal-plane shutter with a wide speed range and fires without a battery. There is no built-in meter on the IIa (the sibling IIIa carried a selenium meter); exposure is set manually.
The IIa is regarded as the most usable of the Contax rangefinders, combining the long-base focusing and Zeiss lens system with post-war refinement and a more compact body. It suits documentary and street photographers who want a precise manual rangefinder, and pairs with the well-regarded Zeiss Contax-mount optics.
Check the long-base rangefinder patch for contrast and correct vertical and horizontal alignment, and inspect the combined finder for haze. Test the metal focal-plane shutter across all speeds for capping and reliability, noting that servicing these shutters is specialised. Confirm the bayonet, focusing wheel and film transport operate smoothly; the IIa itself has no meter or battery to assess.