Contax AX – a quick, practical guide
The Contax AX is an iconic 35 mm SLR from 1996, still loved by many film shooters. What makes it special is how its features add up: a titanium body, autofocus that works with Carl Zeiss manual-focus C/Y lenses, a vertical focal-plane shutter up to 1/6000 s, a big bright finder, and a built-in motor drive up to 5 fps. Controls are direct and easy—from full auto to full manual—so the camera feels complete and leaves little to wish for.
Key specs at a glance
Body weight: just over 1 kg. The mass adds stability at slower speeds; the deep grip stays comfortable in long sessions.
Top shutter speed: 1/6000 s in auto, 1/4000 s in manual. Mode changes take one finger.
Drive: S (single), CL ≈ 3 fps, CH ≈ 5 fps.
AF: single and continuous. AF can be run from the shutter button or a dedicated thumb button; there’s an AF-assist lamp up front.
Metering: one-finger switch between spot and center-weighted.
Viewfinder: large, bright, with full info. Built-in diopter adjustment; focusing screens are user-swappable.
Typical lenses mentioned: Carl Zeiss 28–85 mm f/3.3–4 (robust, great quality). The 35–70 mm f/3.4 is a touch sharper, but the difference is small.
Power and basic operation
The AX is fully electronic and runs on one 6 V 2CR5 lithium battery. Open the bottom cover by twisting the dial and lifting off the safety pin; polarity is marked inside.
On/off is via the small power switch. A red dot aligns with “On” when ready. One click past “On” holds AE-lock even if you reframe.
The top LCD always shows the next frame number, even when switched off.
Viewfinder diopter
Built-in range: +0.5 to −2 D. Turn the dial until the central circle looks crisp.
Need more? FM-type diopter lenses are available.
Metering modes
Small lever on the left selects:
TTL center-weighted
Spot
Film speed (DX and manual ISO)
DX reading: ISO 25–5000 (you’ll see “DX” and the speed on the canister).
Non-DX defaults to ISO 100; you can set ISO manually.
Manual ISO procedure:
Power on. While holding the exposure-mode lock-release, rotate the mode selector to ISO (value shows on the LCD).
UP raises ISO in 1/3-stop steps; DOWN lowers it (hold to scroll).
UP+DOWN together resets to DX.
Manual ISO range: ISO 6–6400. If you set it manually, DX film follows your value.
To check ISO anytime, tap UP or DOWN; the display shows DX or your manual setting.
Exposure check & depth-of-field
Exposure check button: lights the finder data so you can confirm exposure and focus (does not lock exposure unless configured via custom function).
DOF preview: stops the lens down to your set f-stop. Metering isn’t accurate while held; disabled in Tv and P.
Mounting/removing lenses (C/Y bayonet)
Remove: hold the lens-release, turn the lens counter-clockwise to the stop, pull straight out; cap lens and body.
Mount: align the red dot with the index, insert, then turn clockwise until it clicks.
Custom Functions (CF)
There are eight CFs. The shipped default (“0”) is factory standard.
Change CFs: set the mode selector to CF (LCD shows “CF”). Use DOWN to scroll CF 1–8, then CLE, then back to 1. Use UP to select the item for that CF. Leave CF to store settings (the “CF” mark disappears).
Reset all: scroll to CLE, then leave CF; all eight return to default.
What you can tailor:
Exposure-check button behavior (display only vs. AE-lock).
Multiple-exposure setup (choose an exact count vs. use the drive dial).
Bracketing order (0 → + → −, or + first, or other provided sequence).
Stop-down button (momentary vs. toggle).
Rewind behavior (leader fully in vs. left out).
Rewind control (manual lever vs. fully automatic).
AF-assist lamp (enable/disable).
Focus-confirmation beep (enable/disable).
Flash and ports
Direct X-contact in the hot shoe and a PC-sync terminal for wired flash.
Adjacent release socket accepts Cable Switch L and Auto Bellows (electrical trigger). Do not use a mechanical cable release in this socket.
Under a rear cover: connector for Power Pack P-8 (four AA cells—1.5 V NiMH or 1.2 V NiCd) to keep power warm in the cold.
Standard 3/8" tripod socket.
Film handling
Early rewind and re-use
Useful for switching sensitivity or color/B&W mid-roll.
You can reload and keep shooting the rewound roll later—just remember how many frames you already exposed.
Reloading a partially used roll without double-exposing: mount the lens cap, set 1/4000 s, and fire blanks until the counter reaches previous frame number + 1 (add one extra blank to be safe). Example: if 19 were exposed, advance to 21.
Start rewind early: press the small button and slide the other switch left. With CF-6, the camera rewinds only when you do it manually (as described).
To keep reloading the same roll, set the camera so the leader remains out after rewind.
Loading film
Press the center lock-release, slide down the back lever, open the back.
Angle the cassette in with the protruding end down. Do not touch the delicate shutter curtain; don’t let the leader rest on it, and don’t fire the shutter if it does.
Avoid smudging the DX contacts and the data-back contact. Load/unload in subdued light.
Pull the leader to the orange mark, lay it flat on the take-up.
Close the back, power on, press the shutter once; it auto-advances to frame 01.
Correct load shows the film icon on the LCD. If 00 blinks and doesn’t advance, reopen and reload.
The exposure counter appears on the top LCD and in the viewfinder.
If not reprogrammed via CF, the camera automatically rewinds fully at the end of the roll. Leaving the leader out makes home developing easier.
Drive modes (transport)
Lift the drive dial, turn to the index.
S (single): one press = one frame; film advances.
CL: continuous ≈ 3 fps (speed depends on shutter speed, film, and battery).
CH: continuous ≈ 5 fps.
Self-timer: 2 s (anti-shake) or 10 s (for getting into the frame).
Multiple exposure: stacks several exposures on one frame.
Multiple exposure workflow
Lift the drive dial to the multiple-exposure symbol. The dial remains lifted; an orange warning mark shows underneath.
Set the number of exposures with UP/DOWN: …, 2, 3, … up to 9.
Press the shutter for shot #1. After each exposure the count decrements until done.
Autofocus system (Automatic Back Focusing)
The AX moves the AF body rearward up to 10 mm to focus closer than the lens’s set distance.
In the finder, the Back Focusing Scale shows the base mark with an underscored bar plus the travel scale (… 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 mm).
F-dial modes:
S-AF: half-press focuses and locks. Variant: AF only while holding F-button, then holds.
C-AF: half-press keeps focusing; press F-button to lock. Variant: AF runs only while holding F-button. With Moving-Subject Prediction, the camera positions the movable body so focus is correct at release.
MF: focus manually on the lens; hold F-button for temporary AF, release to return.
MACRO: manual focus only; the movable body sits at maximum 10 mm extension (acts like a 10 mm tube) so you can focus closer than the lens’s normal MFD. With zooms that have a macro position, finish zooming first, then focus.
Works with Contax-Yashica mount Zeiss and Yashica lenses, plus third-party C/Y glass; AF functions as described with those lenses.
Exposure modes
Av (Aperture Priority)
Set the lever to Av. Choose an f-stop on the lens; the camera sets the matching shutter speed.
The finder shows your aperture and the chosen shutter speed. The physical shutter-speed dial position doesn’t matter here.
Tv (Shutter Priority)
Works only with MM lenses (smallest f-stop is in green). Set the lens to its minimum aperture first.
Turn the speed dial (e.g., 1/500 s) and the camera sets the aperture.
If the speed you choose is outside the lens’s f-range, the camera shifts to maintain correct exposure (shifted speed displays). If a faster speed than set is required, the aperture indicator blinks—check the lens is at minimum aperture.
Tv range: 32 s to 1/6000 s. Great for freezing or blurring motion while letting the camera handle the rest.
P (Program)
With an MM lens at its minimum (green) aperture and the lever at P, the camera picks both shutter and aperture. The finder shows the pair it chose.
M (Manual) and B (Bulb)
M: set the dial to M (press the little button under the dial while turning). Pick a shutter speed on the command dial and an aperture on the lens. In the finder, arrows guide exposure: up = over, down = under, both = correct. Use multi-segment or spot metering—or transfer a handheld reading.
B: for exposures beyond the meter’s time limits. In Av/P the max is 16 s; in Tv it’s 4 s. Set the dial to B and choose an aperture for your intended time. A sensitive handheld meter helps. Use a remote release and a sturdy support to avoid shake.
Automatic Bracketing Control (ABC)
Fires three frames: standard → over → under.
Set amount: flip the ABC lever to ±0.5 EV or ±1 EV. If exposure compensation ≠ 0, bracketing is centered on that value.
Drive behavior:
CL/CH: hold the shutter; the AX shoots all three, then stops.
S: one bracketed frame per press.
Self-timer 2 s/10 s: fires the three after the delay.
Indicators:
Standard: left + right blink together.
Over: left blinks.
Under: right blinks.
Tip: if scene brightness is stable, use AE-Lock first so all three shots share the same base reading.
Remember to return the ABC lever to 0 when finished.
Take care and happy shooting!
