Contax's mechanical SLR — the S2b, centre-weighted metering, manual-only, C/Y mount, 1994.
The Contax S2b was a mechanical 35mm film SLR in the Contax/Yashica system, made by Kyocera as a variant of the S2. It kept the mechanical shutter and manual operation of the S2 but changed the metering pattern, and was offered with a black finish. It was aimed at photographers who wanted a durable manual Contax body for Zeiss T* lenses with centre-weighted rather than spot metering.
It is a 35mm single-lens-reflex camera on the Contax/Yashica mount. Its focal-plane shutter is mechanically timed, so the camera fires without a battery, with power needed only for the meter. Metering is TTL centre-weighted, which is the main difference from the spot-metering S2, and the exposure mode is manual only, with the user setting shutter speed and aperture. The viewfinder shows metering information for exposure setting. As the shutter is mechanical, the body keeps working for exposures even when the meter battery is dead.
This body suits general, landscape and deliberate professional or enthusiast work for those who prefer a simple manual camera with Zeiss lenses and a broader centre-weighted meter reading. Like the S2 it appeals to photographers who want reduced electronic dependence and a considered shooting method, trading automation for mechanical reliability.
On the used market, check the mechanical shutter across all speeds for accuracy and capping as the priority. Test the centre-weighted meter and its battery, and inspect foam light seals and mirror-damper foam for perishing with age. Inspect the finder for prism haze, test film advance and rewind, and confirm the body is free of impact damage. Because the shutter is mechanical the camera still fires with a flat meter battery, though the meter needs power to function.