K-Pop Film Camera Highlight - Contax T2/3

Have you ever wondered what those small cameras you see your biases tote around were? If you didn’t know, they are a byproduct of the global analog resurgence - compact film cameras! Much easier to use and carry around than big, chunky DSLR cameras, the characteristically grainy images that they produce made them a big hit (heh) for the youth of today! In this series of posts, we delve into the film cameras most adored by your favourite K-Pop stars! 

When it was released, the Contax T2/3 was a high-end compact camera, aimed at the luxury and professional markets. It is now the camera of choice for the very biggest names in K-Pop, specifically G-Dragon, Dara, and Blackpink’s Lisa and Jennie! Armed with a super sharp Carl Zeiss lens and a sturdy metal body, it became the ideal travel companion for daily snapshots - with many backstage and on-set photos being taken with them.

The camera also received a huge boost of popularity after American model Kendall Jenner introduced her T2 to viewers of ‘The Tonight Show’ last year, and after the 2019 Met Galas, where R&B artist Frank Ocean photographed the red carpet for Vogue magazine, armed with his T3 camera. 

Because of this intense hype, the camera has also become a defining case of sticker shock with prices doubling and even tripling over the past few years. One can expect to find one in good condition for upwards of $800, with prices constantly in flux owing to its immense popularity.

Do you want a Contax T2/3? Think it’s a bit too expensive for your taste?

Click here to read about other cameras favoured by your favourite K-Pop stars at a MUCH CHEAPER price points!