The Contarex was Zeiss Ikon’s last-ditch effort to capture the SLR market. After their Contax rangefinders were overtaken by the Leica M cameras, Zeiss Ikon switched their attention to SLRs. The result was the Contaxrex I, known affectionally as the “Bullseye” or “Cyclops” due to its large metering sensor directly above the lens.

Released in 1960, the Contarex was largely a commercial failure. It was bulky and difficult to use compared to the Nikon F that came out one year before it. Its price ($499 with the 50mm lens, the equivalent of ~ 4700 Euros in 2023) certainly didn’t do much to help its cause, either.