MD is a fair bit cheaper but does not have full shutter speed control, only A, Flash Sync and B.This is what they had for sale at KEH.com.Why this model of all the Contax SLR models, RTS, RTS II, RTS III, 139Q, 137 MD Quartz, etc.?
A camera made by Yashica using the Contax name under license from Zeiss. I cut a small piece of the old covering and called it a day. Additionally what remained was mostly black metal that matched the rest of the camera. Some rubber cement remained and was removed with WD-40 and some elbow grease.
Additionally what if the body is an aesthetic disaster? Removing the covering over much of the body could expose gaps and opening. Electronics heavy SLRs are already not devices you want to expose to the elements. Near anyone who has tried any DIY on near anything has been there before. It does not come off cleanly causing me to fight with pleather remnants and stubborn adhesive.After briefly considering trying to polish the leather to smooth it out and bring it back from gray to black I decided to go another way… Ok, I could not find the polish case in the house but it worked out, fortunately. Ordered the leather, but the existing tattered leather bugged me. The ostrich print (pictured in the review) is a bit much for me, so I chose original black but a lizard pattern. They offer an original look option as well as many other colors and patterns. Courtesy an online review I found a site where you can purchase replacement leather for $18 shipping included. This camera was listed as Bargain grade on KEH.com for $53 and given the pristine state of the rest of the camera it points to the leather dragging the price down. But this brought some unexpected advantages. Looks like Contax (Yashica) went for a grippier than usual leather wrap on its SLRs that was prone to falling to pieces, unfortunately, no matter how well treated and maintained. From what I have read this is a common issue. And this camera delivered with one caveat. My experience with 35mm Contax cameras has set a high bar for feel, build quality and ergonomics. Well, not the name itself but what that name means to me. And this is one of the least expensive SLRs I have purchased. Photo samples here.), but I am calling the Contax 137 MA Quartz as my favorite SLR of all time at any price… And I have and have had quite a few SLRs. Have yet to even get through my first roll of film ( Went fine. May regret this later, but I am calling it early.