Where have all the G2s gone?

[huwevans]

Some of you might remember that I used to have a G2 system (Clive's, to be precise), but sold it to help fund a D2H. But with loads of G-system kit on the used market I've always assumed that at some point I would get another one, when funds permitted.

Only now I notice that at all the used dealers I check on from time to time the G2 seems to have dropped off the map. There used to be zillions of them around, but now whilst there are still plenty of lenses and a handful of G1s, the G2 seems to have disappeared. There's the occasional Millennium kit and that's about all.

So, does anyone know what has happened to all the G2s? Have Japanese collectors suddenly got the G2 bug or something? I couldn't even find very many on eBay. It's all rather perplexing to me, and deeply disappointing - I loved those lenses and was really hoping to use them again some day. The camera, despite its total reliance on an electronic system for focusing, was really a fine piece of engineering, and excellent VFM. I might have to settle for a G1, and if that's what it has to be then so be it (unless that disappears too, and maybe I should now expect that), but the G2 was better.

[Malcolm_Stewart]

I had my eye on a G2 plus 45 f2 for a period, but thought that paying out around £450 was a bit steep even it it was the cheapest way of getting a Zeiss lens with modern coatings. I do think Aperture are rubbing it in somewhat with their web page showing SOLD on entry after entry.

[OneTen]

Classic Camera Exchange have a few listed. A dealer I used to use when they were based in St Annes and then Clitheroe, Lancs. Very knowledgeable and honest.

[huwevans]

Yes, that's one thing that annoys me about the Aperture site too - I don't understand why they don't just delete the listing, rather than leave it there but with a 'sold' label. Very frustrating.

[huwevans]

Ah - thanks for that find, Richard, I've not seen their site before. I've bookmarked it now. Anyway, although I don't have the spare funds right now it does at least encourage me to think that maybe the dearth isn't as widespread as I feared. could be I'll get my G2 system back after all. :-)

[Fen]

Nick hasn't been buying them all has he?

You know what he's like for collecting cameras!

[huwevans]

Yeah, but I don't think he's a G-system fan. That focusing system is definitely an acquired taste. Nevertheless, it could be that the sheer mass of his extensive Rollei collection is creating a gravitational singularity just outside Kenilworth and sucking in all the G2s in the east midlands - that could have distorted the market just enough to create the shortages I've been seeing. :-)

[Benchista]

No, I've not got a G2. That's not to say I've not considered it a few times, but I just can't justify it to myself. I'm not a fan of the focusing system, but I could live with it - I just don't really need a(nother) camera of a broadly rangefinder type, and the price is still too high for an impulse buy.

[nimbus]

Certainly there seem to be fewer around than there were, but they are still obtainable with a little searching. I own one and in truth actually prefer the G1, which is smaller and lighter, also I prefer the scaled focusing dial on the top plate of the G1, finding it better than the wheel on the front of the G2. I am from time to time tempted to sell it, but likely never will. These cameras, although a bit quirky, ooze quality, and the 45mm f2 is an outstanding lens. The main advantage of the G2 over the G1, to me anyway, is the faster drive.

[huwevans]

Actually the drive is probably the thing that I'm least concerned about. I haven't tried a G1, so my knowledge of it is just gleaned from reviews and such like, but I gather the AF is rather improved on the G2 (it certainly worked flawlessly for me, though I could get it to play up if I really tried - it never did so in actual use), and there's the firmware issue for using the 21mm lens. I know later G1s were updated to work with the 21mm, but I don't know whether there's still any possibility of upgrading an older G1, so I'd have to be careful when buying.

OTOH my own favourite lenses were the 28mm and the 45mm - I could live without the 21mm if I had to, though it was rather peachy. :-)

[nimbus]

There can be focus issues with the 90mm f2.8 lens on the G2, I certainly am careful when using mine, the problem, luckily seems to be with af and infinity, so manual focus is not really a problem in this case, as long as the user is aware.

It is easy to spot the later version of the G1, the label in the film chamber is green, on older variants it is silver.

[parisian]

I agree Huw, a 'drive' on a rangefinder is rather pointless, noisy and obtrusive.
It is the one annoyance on the XPan which is a superb rangefinder (certainly easier to focus than an M2).

[huwevans]

I would admit the powered rewind is useful though, Peter. I just wish cameras like this at least had an intentionally slow 'silent' mode, or perhaps a delayed wind on mode, so that perhaps I could shoot, and then trigger the film advance and shutter re-cocking while I'm looking for my next shot.

It was things like that that made the G2 a frustrating camera - everything electronic and motorised, and thus noisy and obtrusive. Granted it did what it did in a very well-built package, but it was only the optics that really made it special for me.

[parisian]

Sorry Huw I still cannot see a use for the 'wind' other than to shout out loud that you are taking photographs.
A dextrous right thumb is just as quick as most of them and 'machine gunning' is not the usual method with RF unless I have missed something.

[Benchista]

Ah, but the G2 isn't a rangefinder, is it? I don't mean in the literal sense, but it really is a category of its own with the spec it has.

Anyway, motorised windon/rewind doesn't have to be loud. I've two Canons, the EOS 100 and 30V that are particularly quiet (and the 5 isn't that noisy), and the Konica Hexar AF also had pretty close to silent wind, so it can be done.

[huwevans]

Sorry Huw I still cannot see a use for the 'wind' other than to shout out loud that you are taking photographs.

Well, basically I agree with you - on this kind of camera it's not really something I'd want either, given the choice. But that's the thing about the G cameras - they are very well made and specified AF compacts. What elevates them above normal AF compacts is the fact that they have absolutely superlative interchangeable Zeiss lenses, which cost next to nothing even in near mint condition. So, for the sake of those lenses I learned to put up with the things I didn't want and couldn't turn off - swings and roundabouts. :-)

[chromatin]

Oooh, this is making me all gooey.

I used my G2 kit (I had absolutely everything except for the 16mm f/8) to fund a D300 a few weeks back. It went to Bradford Camera Exchange if anyone's interested - I don't know if they've still got it.

[TimF]

Interesting thread, but now I think about it - quite true.

A similar thing seems to have happened to all the pre-Asph Leitz/Leica 35mm Summiluxes. They weren't ever as common as the Contax G2 was in dealer listings, but it wasn't hard to find one somewhere. Now, zilch.

Must be all the die-hards have bought them up I guess.

[Ian_A]

I don't have a clue where all the G2's have gone, but feel compelled to reply because no matter how many times I read this post it shows up as unread the next time I log on.

Bless this less-than-perfect forum software ...

[Malcolm_Stewart]

So it's not just my imperfectly managed cookies then!