Behold Oscar Isaac Holding a Contax T2

Behold Oscar Isaac Holding a Contax T2

https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/oscar-isaac-with-a-contax-t2.jpg?fit=2048%2C1535&ssl=1 2048 1535 James Tocchio James Tocchio https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/james-square.jpg?fit=96%2C96&ssl=1 April 11, 2022 April 10, 2022

It’s a slow day here at CP HQ. Not going to lie. While I wait for B&H to send me that new Fuji Instax camera and a Leica M11, and for my lab to deliver $201 worth of film scans for upcoming articles on the Olympus 35S, the Rollei SLX, and the Canon Sure Shot Super Zoom Extra Large Hamburger point and shoot, I thought I’d share this great snippet of film-camera-adjacent… news? Can I call this news? This really isn’t news. This may not be anything.

I noticed in Esquire the other day a very excellent piece written by Maaza Mengiste. The article, a lovely bio / interview / story focusing on the childhood, method, philosophy, casual drug use, and everything else of actor Oscar Isaac. I loved Isaac in Ex Machina, and as Poe Dameron in Star Wars Episode VII (specifically), and I guess everything else that I’ve ever seen him in. I’m also pretty jealous of him for his hair. It’s pretty great hair.

The excellent Esquire article is accompanied by equally fantastic photography by Guy Aroch. I’d never heard of Guy Aroch before this piece. Probably because I’m just a dork sitting in my basement office typing articles about liking cameras and being okay at photography. But he takes great photos and I’m now a fan, for what that’s worth (literally nothing to Guy Aroch).

I noticed a few things about Aroch’s photography in this article. I won’t list them all. But some things that I did notice were, first, that Guy Aroch owns a Contax T2; that Guy Aroch made some of the photos in this article with (I’m guessing) the same Contax T2; that Guy Aroch had Oscar Isaac hold his T2 for a few moments to take photos of him holding it; and finally, that Oscar Isaac thinks the Contax T2’s self-timer button is the shutter release button. And isn’t it weird that they clone-stamped the Contax branding off of the camera? That’s funny.

I love all of this. If only because it gives the “STOP HYPING FILM CAMERAS” crowd a target that’s not me and my writers.

See you the next time I write a real article!

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7 comments

eric April 11, 2022 at 2:18 am

Esquire is good.
I have never own a Contax T2, because it is too expensive. But I have the Contax T that I consider better than the Contax T2.
How to say ? I miss “Single Shot Stories No. 011 – Matthew Morse, This is Normal”
By the way an excellent photographer: Contax photographers must be good to choose the best gear! 😉

Matthew Morse April 11, 2022 at 9:14 am

I’ve never heard of Guy Aroch before today, but I looked at his work and it’s good. Earth-shattering? Not really. But it’s good. He’s got a style. Or almost a lack thereof. His work feels inconsistent and a little bit careless. Imagine being so well-respected that you could show up to shoot for Vogue or Esquire with a Contax T2 and they just accept it — welcome it, even. Even more, imagine being confident enough in your work and others’ feelings of you that you show up with a Contax T2 and expect them to accept it. Or not have a care in the world as to whether or not they even would.

There are few photographers with enough clout and ego to shoot this way. I’m certainly not one of them. I wish I were.

Interesting take on this piece James. I love that the photos are a little bit gritty. Imperfect. Flawed. That some are blurry. That some feel impromptu or like a snapshot on a disposable camera shot during a drunken night downtown with friends whose names we don’t remember anymore and dates we can’t quite place. It’s how editorial photography should feel, in my opinion. But I’ll never have the guts to try it.

Looking forward to your upcoming articles. I’ve got 18 rolls of film I need to send off. Yipes.

antoine31 April 11, 2022 at 7:28 pm

I had a Contax TVS. Loved it until it went crazy. I’d like another.

Jerker Andersson April 12, 2022 at 9:06 am

Owning props. That´s cool. And funny. The model didn´t know the right button from the wrong one, just like the photographer/camera owner. That´s really funny! Aah, never mind, who´ll notice any way?

- eric April 13, 2022 at 2:31 am
  
  😉
  No I did not.
  Thanks 😉
  By the way the Contax T2, never impressed me, the T3 yes but too expensive. I love my Contax T.
  
Lee April 12, 2022 at 10:17 am

Oof. Those Contax T2’s sell for crazy money these days and I’m not sure that I’d let someone who was clueless about its use to handle mine. I guess if Oscar Isaac broke my camera, he could just get me another one.

lasousa2015 April 14, 2022 at 8:31 am

I think he just picked up the camera quickly and the image captured his finger where it was. If anything, it is the photographer’s fault for not seeing this and publishing the image. For all we know the subject’s finger eventually ended up in the right place. Anyone who has ever touched a camera knows the difference between a shutter button and the tiny self timer button. A contrarian view….