Contax has such a bad reputation for somewhat unreliable cameras due to all their electronic flaws and it’s really a shame, the build quality of their lenses was always superb but the cameras couldn’t quite keep up. The image above is a test card that would come in the original box of the older west German Contax Zeiss lenses, which is hand stamped and hand signed for each lens. The criteria from top to bottom reads: -Image quality -flange distance -aperture settings -aperture function -mechanical flange distance -cleanliness of optical components -cleanliness of mechanical components

These are all followed by a check stamp and a signature of the technician and I think it adds a nice touch to know that each one of these lenses was checked by hand to guarantee a high quality standard. I own 2 west German Zeiss lenses, a 85mm Sonnar f2.8 and a 25mm Distagon f2.8 in near mint condition and these lenses have been used a lot, they just don’t really wear down under good care. The finish is what impressed me most, you can tell on the mounts that they have been through a lot but the rest of the lens looks brand new. I own a 50mm f1.4 as well (which was only ever manufactured in Japan and never in Germany) and while the image quality is just as good the build quality feels a bit worse. The finish on the metal is worn, the text and the markings on the lens are fading and it just looks worse for wear, but it still works as it should. It’s not really the point of this post but I’d like to hear what you think about German and Japanese made Contax lenses? But please be civil about it, I’ve seen this debate go off the rails in a couple of forums before and while it’s always pretty funny to look at people arguing I don’t think it’s necessary 😂