Contax ST (1992–1993)

The Contax ST is a manual-focus 35mm SLR launched in 1992 and produced for just a single year, ending in 1993. It was the second attempt at Contax's "quattro" concept — a camera offering full automation without abandoning manual control — and it succeeded the Contax 167MT. Unlike the fully mechanical S2 and S2b that followed, the ST embraced electronics while keeping the direct manual-focus mechanism and the Contax C/Y mount for Zeiss glass.

What makes the ST interesting is its position: a fully-featured manual focus camera with aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual exposure modes, plus spot, center-weighted, and evaluative metering. The body is largely metal, weighing 600g, and houses a vertical-travel metal focal-plane shutter with a top speed of 1/4000s, automatic speeds down to 32 seconds in 1/3 steps, and X-sync at 1/125s. The viewfinder is bright and clear with 95% coverage, showing aperture via LEDs, and film speed range runs ISO 6–6400. A built-in motor drive handles automatic loading and winding, and TTL flash is supported with "ambient light correction."

Period commentary is scarce, though High Fidelity (September 1953, p.54) famously noted a spiritual kinship between photography enthusiasts and audiophiles — a sentiment that fits the ST's enthusiast-oriented design well. Contemporary user reports describe it as "a robust and quiet performer" with "smooth damped" controls, reliable and well built. One owner notes heavy use without a single failure. The ST was aimed at the budget-conscious photographer, and used examples now trade around $250–$350.

Known specifications:

Type: 35mm SLR, manual focus, C/Y mount
Shutter: vertical-travel metal focal-plane, 1/4000–32s auto, 1/3 steps, X-sync 1/125s
Metering: spot, center-weighted, evaluative; TTL
Exposure modes: aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual
ISO range: 6–6400
Body: largely metal, 600g
Viewfinder: 95% coverage, aperture LEDs

What isn't documented: battery type, original price, exposure compensation range, self-timer, and film advance speed all remain unrecorded in the available sources. The production run was brief, which keeps the ST a lesser-known but well-regarded entry in the Contax lineup.