What is the cheapest used Contax IIIa in the UK?

The cheapest used Contax IIIa currently listed is £42.55 at eBay, based on 5 listings compared across 2 UK retailers.

How many used Contax IIIa are for sale in the UK?

There are currently 5 used Contax IIIa listings available across 2 UK retailers on UsedLens, updated daily.

What sensor format does the Contax IIIa use?

The Contax IIIa features a Full Frame sensor.

Used Contax IIIa for Sale — From £43

£42.55 Low price

£308.45 High price

5 Listings

2 Retailers

1 New this week

Great for: street travel general

Post-war Zeiss Ikon rangefinder from 1951 with improved meter and flash sync, the refined finale of the Contax line.

The Contax IIIa is a post-war evolution of the Contax III, produced by Zeiss Ikon in Stuttgart from 1951 following the division of Germany. The IIIa features an improved selenium light meter and flash synchronisation capability not present on the pre-war model, bringing the design up to date for post-war photographic practice.

The camera retains the Contax system's signature vertical metal focal-plane shutter with speeds up to 1/1250 second and the same rangefinder lens mount accepting Carl Zeiss lenses. The flash sync terminals enable use with both electronic flash and bulb flash units, a crucial addition for the growing flash photography market of the 1950s.

Build quality matches the pre-war standard of Zeiss Ikon precision engineering, with a beautifully machined chrome metal body that exemplifies post-war German manufacturing quality. The rangefinder mechanism provides smooth, accurate focusing, and the overall handling demonstrates why the Contax system was considered technically superior to Leica in several respects.

The Contax IIIa is highly sought after by collectors, particularly those who prefer the post-war Stuttgart production over pre-war Jena or Dresden manufacture. It represents the final flowering of the original Contax rangefinder design before Zeiss Ikon shifted focus to SLR cameras, making it a fitting capstone for Contax rangefinder collections.