Contax 139 Quartz

At 135mm wide, it slips into a jacket pocket like a secret — but one that costs $650 new and demands Zeiss glass

Overview

The Contax 139 Quartz isn’t a camera that shouts. It doesn’t have the heft of a Nikon F3 or the cult mystique of a Leica M4, but it carries a quiet authority — the kind that comes from being engineered in West Germany, built in Japan, and priced like a minor appliance. Released in 1979 and , this 35mm SLR was Yashica’s compact answer to the growing demand for electronics-laden yet manageable cameras, all under the respected Contax banner. It weighed 445 grams — though some field units tip the scales closer to 502 grams — making it a genuine contender for one of the smallest full-featured SLRs of its generation. With a production run estimated at just over 200,000 units, it wasn’t rare, but it wasn’t common either: a middle child in a lineup that leaned toward professional aspirations.

It arrived during a shift — when quartz timing was still a selling point, not a given. The “Quartz” in its name wasn’t marketing fluff. It meant the shutter timing was locked to a crystal oscillator, a feature advertised to deliver consistent exposure accuracy across temperature and time. That precision came wrapped in a body that felt dense for its size, with a three-position power switch (Off, On, Self-Timer) that required deliberate action. No half-measures. It ran on either two SR44 silver-oxide cells or a single CR-1/3N lithium battery, a flexibility appreciated by travelers who couldn’t always find obscure button cells. But the real story was the lens mount: Contax/Yashica (C/Y), a gateway to Carl Zeiss optics. That alone elevated it from gadget to tool.

Specifications

Key Features

Quartz-Locked Shutter Timing

This wasn’t just another electronic shutter. The Contax 139 Quartz used a crystal oscillator to regulate timing, a feature that reportedly held speeds within tight tolerances regardless of battery voltage drop or ambient temperature. In an era when many electronic shutters could drift by 20% as batteries weakened, this mattered. It meant that a 1/500th second exposure stayed a 1/500th — critical for studio shooters and anyone using flash. The stability extended to long exposures too, where quartz control reduced the risk of timing creep during multi-second shots. It was a subtle but meaningful upgrade over earlier electronic designs, and one that justified the “Quartz” badge on the front.

Compact Contax/Yashica (C/Y) Mount Body

At 135 x 85.5 x 50 mm, the 139 Quartz was built to disappear — two millimeters narrower than the Olympus OM-1, a camera often praised for its compactness. Yet it still housed a full suite of electronics, a metal shutter, and a viewfinder with 0.86x magnification and 95% coverage. That tight footprint came with trade-offs: the grip was shallow, and the body lacked the heft that some associate with durability. But the engineering was sound. The C/Y mount opened access to the full range of Zeiss T* lenses and those optics transformed the camera. Paired with a fast prime lens, the 139Q became a stealthy street shooter, its size working in its favor.

TTL Center-Weighted Metering with Memory Lock

The metering system was TTL (through-the-lens), center-weighted averaging — standard for the era but well implemented. That low end meant it could function in near-darkness, useful for night work or dimly lit interiors. The memory lock feature allowed users to meter a scene, lock the reading, and reframe — essential for high-contrast subjects. Exposure compensation was available in precise 1/3-stop increments across a ±2 EV range, giving fine control without stepping outside the body’s clean layout. The system didn’t offer spot metering or matrix patterns, but it didn’t need to; it was predictable, repeatable, and fast.

Interchangeable Focusing Screens

Despite its compact size, the 139 Quartz didn’t sacrifice serviceability. The focusing screen was user-replaceable, a feature typically reserved for pro-grade bodies. This allowed photographers to swap in grid screens, split-image prisms, or high-brightness types depending on the task. It was a nod to serious users, a reminder that this wasn’t a point-and-shoot with an SLR body.

Historical Context

The Contax 139 Quartz was positioned as a technologically advanced yet accessible option in the Contax lineup — a step below the RTS in size and complexity, but not in capability. It arrived in 1979, a time when Japanese electronics were rapidly overtaking German mechanical dominance in the SLR market. Yashica, in partnership with Carl Zeiss, was leveraging Japanese manufacturing to deliver German optical quality at competitive prices. The 139Q was aimed more at the amateur enthusiast than the working pro, offering automation without sacrificing manual control. It had a “brother” in the Yashica line, released two years later, suggesting a shared platform strategy. The Contax 159 MM succeeded the Contax 139 Quartz.

Collectibility & Value

There is no documented original collectibility trajectory for the Contax 139 Quartz, and current market data is sparse. One owner reported acquiring a body with grip and lens for the equivalent of $45, while another listed a unit “for Parts” on eBay — suggesting that non-working examples are not uncommon. The camera’s leatherette is reportedly prone to rapid deterioration, a known weak point in long-term preservation. Functional issues such as “shutter not firing” have been documented in repair videos, and there are anecdotal questions about aperture reading inconsistencies when paired with certain Zeiss Planar lenses. These issues, combined with its electronic nature and battery dependency, mean that working examples are not guaranteed. Spare parts availability is undocumented, and

eBay Listings

Vintage Contax 139 Quartz Camera + Lenses, Flashes, Filters,

$200

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