Contax G

The Contax G1 and Contax G2 are interchangeable-lens cameras sold by Kyocera under the Contax brand in competition with the Leica M7, Cosina Voigtländer Bessa-R, and Konica Hexar RF. The G1 was introduced in 1994 with the G2 joining it in 1996. In 2005, Kyocera announced it would cease all activity related to the manufacture of Contax cameras at the end of the year, effectively spelling the end of the G system.

The titanium-bodied G-series cameras do not use the traditional Leica M-mount seen on many rangefinder cameras, but the Contax G-mount, an electronic autofocus mount. Critics were quick to accuse the camera of not being a "true" (mechanical) rangefinder, since it used autofocus and electronically linked mechanisms. But the AF mechanism in the G-series does indeed use a twin-window system much like that of the older mechanical rangefinders — only in electronic form.

The lenses designed by Carl Zeiss for the G-series quickly established it as a camera of worth: the original 45 mm f/2 Planar was joined by a 28 mm f/2.8 Biogon and a 90 mm f/2.8 Sonnar; a 21 mm f/2.8 Biogon, 16 mm f/8 Hologon, 35 mm f/2 Planar and 35–70 mm f/3.5–5.6 Vario-Sonnar were added later. The 45 mm Zeiss Planar in particular gained renown as the second-sharpest 35 mm camera lens ever tested by the Swedish test site Photodo— outclassing the Leica 50 mm Summicron-M.