>>3976023>why is pic related so expensive?Compared to other P&S cameras from the era, the Contax T2 was really a whole other beast of a camera. There's an aperture ring on the lens. You can control pre-flash. There's an exposure bias dial. There's actual manual focus.
Compared to what sister brand, Yashica put out there, and compared to the likes of Olympus, Minolta and so on also put out, the T2 was almost leagues ahead. The only way you'd be able to outdo the T2 was in buying one of the Canon EOS SLRs, later Nikon F SLRs or the Minolta Alpha SLRs. Or... buying a Leica, but at the sacrifice of being manual focus only, and possibly not even having autoexposure.
Of course, since then, while the likes of a an old EOS, F4/5 or Minolta Alpha have become bargains relative to their original prices, the Contax T2 has barely devalued, and is almost identical to their original price still, when adjusted for inflation. From a mix of celebrity attention to the fact that it's such an easy camera to use for a beginner, while maintaining solid capabilities and strong adjustability.
I think it's an overrated camera though. I actually own one, and it's actually kinda boring to use.
