Contax 139 Quartz

At 135mm wide, it slips into a jacket pocket, but it costs $650 new and takes Zeiss glass

Overview

The Contax 139 Quartz doesn't shout. It lacks the heft of a Nikon F3 and the cult following of a Leica M4. It was 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 demand for electronics-laden yet manageable cameras, all under the Contax name. It weighed 445 grams, though some field units tip the scales closer to 502 grams, which makes it one of the smallest full-featured SLRs of its generation. Production is estimated at just over 200,000 units. That isn't rare, but it isn't common either. It was a middle child in a lineup that leaned toward professional aspirations.

It arrived while 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. The body felt dense for its size, with a three-position power switch (Off, On, Self-Timer) that required deliberate action. It ran on either two SR44 silver-oxide cells or a single CR-1/3N lithium battery, which helped travelers who couldn't always find obscure button cells. The lens mount was Contax/Yashica (C/Y), the way into Carl Zeiss optics.

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, and it reportedly held speeds within tight tolerances regardless of battery voltage drop or ambient temperature. Many electronic shutters of the era could drift by 20% as batteries weakened. A 1/500th second exposure stayed a 1/500th, which counted 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 modest upgrade over earlier electronic designs, and it 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 small - two millimeters narrower than the Olympus OM-1, a camera often praised for its compactness. It still housed a full set of electronics, a metal shutter, and a viewfinder with 0.86x magnification and 95% coverage. The footprint came with trade-offs: the grip was shallow, and the body lacked the heft that some associate with durability. 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 made a stealthy street shooter, since its size worked in its favor.

TTL Center-Weighted Metering with Memory Lock

The metering system was TTL (through-the-lens), center-weighted averaging. That was 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 let users meter a scene, lock the reading, and reframe, which helps with high-contrast subjects. Exposure compensation came in 1/3-stop increments across a ±2 EV range. The system offered no spot metering or matrix patterns. It was predictable, repeatable, and fast.

Interchangeable Focusing Screens

Despite its compact size, the 139 Quartz stayed serviceable. The focusing screen was user-replaceable, a feature typically reserved for pro-grade bodies. Photographers could swap in grid screens, split-image prisms, or high-brightness types depending on the task.

Historical Context

The Contax 139 Quartz sat 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, when Japanese electronics were rapidly overtaking German mechanical dominance in the SLR market. Yashica, in partnership with Carl Zeiss, used 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 giving up 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, which suggests non-working examples are not uncommon. The camera's leatherette is reportedly prone to rapid deterioration, a known weak point. 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. With its electronic nature and battery dependency, working examples are not guaranteed. Spare parts availability is undocumented, and

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CONTAX 139                                                      Nov 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $305                                    Latest             $50 │
│ Median    $97                                     Trend                — │
│ Low       $23                                     Volume           ~6/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   $400 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                                                                 │
│        │                                          ..                     │
│   $229 ┤                                     .              .       .    │
│        │.                                   . .               .    .   . │
│        │                                   .     ..   .    . ..       .  │
│        │                                   .. ..   . .. .                │
│     $0 ┤                                     .    .  .   . .. . .   . ...│
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │▁                                  ▂▂▂▄▁ ▁▅▄ ▄▂ ▁▁ ▄▂▁▆ ▁  ▁▂ ▄█▁│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2025-11                      2026-03                      2026-08│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

eBay Listings

Recently sold on eBay: $40–$222 (median $97, based on 51 completed sales, past 12 months)

Vintage Contax 139 Quartz 35mm SLR Camera Collection 2 Lense

$219

New Red Leatherette [ NEAR MINT ] Contax 139 Quartz 35mm SLR

$140

Contax 139 Quartz 35mm Film SLR Camera Body [in black leathe

$130

Contax 139 Data Back

$19.99

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