Contax's high-spec SLR — the ST, four exposure modes, built-in drive, C/Y mount, 1992.
The Contax ST was an electronic 35mm film SLR in the Contax/Yashica system, made by Kyocera and positioned as a high-specification body below the RTS III flagship. It took Carl Zeiss T* lenses and offered many of the features of the top model in a slightly more compact form. It was aimed at professionals and serious enthusiasts wanting a full-featured Zeiss body.
It is a 35mm single-lens-reflex camera on the Contax/Yashica mount, with an electronically timed vertical focal-plane shutter that requires battery power to fire and reaches a fast top speed. Metering is TTL centre-weighted and spot, and exposure modes cover program, aperture-priority automatic, shutter-priority automatic and manual. It has a built-in motor drive and an LCD display. Because timing is electronic, correct power is essential for operation.
This body suits professional, portrait, landscape and general work for photographers who want a comprehensive Zeiss system body without the size and weight of the RTS III. Its full set of exposure modes and integrated drive make it flexible across studio and location work, and its metering options handle varied lighting.
For a used purchase, test the electronics and the LCD, confirming the meter patterns, all exposure modes and the motor drive work correctly. Inspect foam light seals and mirror-damper foam for perishing, verify shutter accuracy across the speed range without capping, and test rewind. Look through the finder for prism haze, confirm the battery type and reliable power-up, and remember that an electronic Contax body will not shoot with dead cells.