In the earth of film cameras, Contax prepared a mention owing to itself with the T-series, a compact, portable employment of cameras sporting Carl Zeiss optics. With the origination of the TVS, Contax brings the first of its T-series film cameras engrossment the digital age, along with a exquisite flurry of digital flexibility. The same great Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* optics and titanium body grace the TVS, as well as a generous 5.0-megapixel CCD. The TVS features automatic exposure control, with partial manual control, and a wide range of exposure options.

Featuring a sleek, reposing titanium body, the Contax TVS digital camera looks a league flip for its film counterparts, the Contax "T" progression of cameras. The titanium frame panels are lightweight, yet durable, contributing to the camera's overall sire pleasing of understated elegance. The TVS uniform sports what Contax deems "gem temperament sapphire" components, resembling as the scratch-resistant shutter button and sapphire glass viewfinder cover. At about the same size as the T-series film cameras, the TVS probably won't fit into most shirt pockets, but the camera is suitable for larger coat pockets and purses, and does come with an elegant leather case. Still, the camera is quite portable, and the front panel remains nearly flat whenever the lens is retracted. A 3x Zeiss lens captures sharp images, and the 5.0-megapixel CCD results in good image quality (suitable for printing to 11x14 inches, or 8x10 inches with significant cropping).

The 3x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens has a rush range from 7.3 to 21.9 millimeters, form to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera. Contax has made a marketing tail of the Zeiss lens coating technology active imprint the TVS, again I swear by to remark that it does appear to have a noticeable effect: Pictures from the TVS seem to be less prone to flare in bright, contrast lighting than those from other cameras I've tested. Normal focus ranges from approximately 1.97 feet (0.6 meters) to infinity, with a Macro setting that focuses from 5.9 inches to 1.97 feet (0.15 to 0.6 meters) with the lens at the full wide angle position. The TVS also offers a manual focus option, with preset distances of 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 5.0 meters.

Two AF area modes are also available, Spot and wide, with the Wide setting judging focus from a large area in the center of the frame, Spot taking its cues from a very small spot in the exact center. An AF Lock button on top of the camera locks focus, and can be set to lock exposure as well. Maximum aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/4.8, depending on the zoom position, while minimum aperture is f/6.7, regardless of focal length. In addition to the camera's 3x optical zoom, the TVS also feature as much as 4x digital zoom. Be sure to keep in mind that digital zoom often compromises image quality, because the camera is simply enlarging the central portion of the CCD (typically resulting in higher image noise and less detail). For composing shots, the TVS offers a real-image optical viewfinder as well as a 1.6-inch, color LCD monitor. The optical viewfinder also features a diopter adjustment, and also has an unusually high eye point, both features that will be appreciated by anyone wearing eyeglasses. An information display on the LCD monitor reports a variety of camera settings, including aperture and shutter speed (when the Shutter button is halfway pressed). In my tests, the optical viewfinder showed about average accuracy (still to low, IMHO), at roughly 85% frame coverage. The LCD viewfinder was almost 100% accurate.

When bodily comes to exposure, the TVS offers Program AE again Aperture Priority principal arrangement modes. Both modes are accessed via the Mode dial on the camera's boon panel, which again offers Movie, Playback, again Setup options. In bourgeois Program AE mode, the camera selects both shutter steam again aperture settings, while you maintain control over all other features. Aperture Priority mode lets you adjust the lens aperture (from f/2.8 to f/6.7), while the camera selects the best corresponding shutter speed. Shutter speeds on the TVS range from 1/2,000 to eight seconds, although the maximum exposure time in Program AE and Aperture Priority modes is one second. Exposure times of 1, 2, 4, and 8 seconds are available through the Long Time setting of the LCD menu system. Instead of having a main menu button, the TVS divide its exposure features among three LCD menu systems. The +-/WB/ISO, C.Menu, and D.Menu buttons on the rear panel access different menu settings. This actually saves a little time, once you get used to which settings are on which menu, because you don't have to sift through a long series of menu screens every time. Overall, it's an efficient system.

Basic Points

• 5.0-megapixel CCD delivering image resolutions as large as 2,560 x 1,920 pixels.
• Real-image optical viewfinder.
• 1.6-inch color LCD monitor with backlight.
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T*, 3x zoom lens, equivalent to 35-105mm on a 35mm camera.
• Maximum aperture of f/2.8 - f/4.8, depending on lens zoom position.
• As much as 4x digital zoom.
• Program AE, Aperture Priority, and Long Time exposure modes.
• Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to eight seconds.
• Built-in flash with five modes.
• SD or MMC memory storage, 16MB SD card included.
• USB interface and supplied cable.
• Power supplied by one lithium battery pack or AC adapter.
• Pixel Image Mixer software and USB drivers included for both Windows and Mac platforms.

Special Points

• Better than average lens coating for reduced flare.
• Movie mode with sound.
• 10-second Self-Timer for delayed shutter release.
• Continuous Shooting and Auto Exposure Bracketing modes.
• Macro (close-up) lens setting.
• Manual and Auto focus modes, with Wide and Spot AF area settings.
• White balance (color) adjustment with five modes, including a manual setting.
• Black-and-White and Sepia modes.
• Multi-Area Evaluation, Center-Weighted, and Spot metering modes.
• Adjustable sensitivity with ISO equivalents from 80 to 400, plus an Auto setting.
• Image sharpness and chrome adjustments.
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatibility.
• Video cable for connection to a television set.
• Remote control included.

In side Items

The Contax TVS ships with the following items:
• Remote control.
• 16MB SD memory card.
• Rechargeable battery pack.
• AC adapter / battery charger.
• USB cable.
• Video cable.
• Wrist strap.
• Camera case.
• Software CD.
• Instruction manual and registration information.