Logic be damned I bought an ND

[dirk]

Hey Marc,

what do you think about a "costumer buy out"?

Why not buying the old machines of some of the Contax cameras (i.e. Contax RTS II, S2, Aria, N1), all the stock of the N-system and try to find a street price which is realistic and gives enough margin to develop and produce new bodies? This would be very exciting.

A marketing platform on the internet is already in place

Even in 5 different languages! We have already over 32.000 registered members, not counting the unknown daily visitors to our non-forum-related subpages of Camera-info.

So what would be missing is above all money to buy all that stuff (who cares about that little problem...

), some personel and the implementation of an online shop. We could finally order at Zeiss lenses that users really would buy.

We would have to focus on only few bodies (1-2) or none at the beginning and only on FFL for the N-system and/or some new designs for the C/Y system. I guess we would have to decide for one of both SLR systems, which will hurt one way or the other...

Maybe also G-lenses with apertures of 1.4, 645 Medium Format with a "retail-digital back" and a TVSD II with only 5MP and a good sensor & software so it makes really nice photos...

If Leica does not recover soon, we might have even more interest in Contax products. And I am sure Zeiss would support us wherever they can. Oh Lord, there are plenty opportunities out there, once you focus on costumer demand outside of Japan

Europe and US together are a market of around 450-500 million people. A huge potential market to focus on...

Dreams... how wonderfuld it is to forget reality for a few minutes...

 

[ulisse2000]

Hi,
I am Italian, so sorry for my bad english.
It is my first post heren (really is the 2nd, but the first received no answers), but this proposal it is too interesting to leave alone.

This is what I think :
1) An adpter to use MF zeiss lenses on N-system exactly like Yashica made in the past, as a bridge between AF and MF systems. This will increment dramatically the potential market of N-system. All the people today are buying C/Y-EOS adapters are the thermometer.

2) At the same time shoud exit an ND-x, low cost (~1000 US$), basic functions, as competitor to EOS 350.

3) An ND-2, the upgrade of old ND, could came later, after the resurrection of the now panting CONTAX brand.

4) RTS-4. Nothing to invent here, could be similar to Nikon F6. There is still market for high level film cameras.

Kind regards,
Ulisse

 

[jsmisc]

You have some lovely thoughts there Dirk. Might some Kyocera staff be persuaded? or how about Zeiss taking it on? a new Zeiss Ikon with genuine Contax? although I think that Cosina are going to become involved more with Zeiss and new developments - just guessing from the new rangefinder + lenses indications.

 

[jsmisc]

Well there's a thought Ulisse, an adapter to use C/Y manual focus lenses on the N system as per the old Yashica adapter which I vaguely remember. I can visualise it but cannot remember the details.Did you lose any facilities? The lenses would then work on the ND as well or any future ND - ever hopeful -

. I wonder if it is technically possible. It would certainly keep us C/Y people with loads of C/Y lenses happy.
John

 

[fotografz]

If I had that kind of money Dirk, I sure wouldn't invest it in any camera company ( except maybe Canon). I love Contax, but have invested enough of my hard earned money in them already ; -)

CY lenses on an N system ... hmmm. The 21mm and 35/1.4 would be nice. They'd be stop down metered lenses, but that would be okay.

 

[stephanie]

> [Would the ND be suitable for wedding work? I am specifically > concerned about ISO rating and power. I've heard (and seen) that the > images

> are beautiful from these cameras, but maybe only in a studio or > bright light situation. I shoot all film now with my 645 and N1. I > shoot color 800 ISO

> rated at 400 but like to have the extra stop available when needed. > I'm at the crossroads and would like to make my existing system work > for me.]

 

[coyot]

>Dirk,

I'd be intetested in doing a "customer buyout". We would first have to get somebody to really study the sales numbers vs available camera/lens stock to really figure out what the company/ division is worth. Don't Kycoera's financials come out in March? Do they release detailed sales information? Maybe we need to first purchase some Kycocera stock to be able to see all the data?

Michael.

 

[fotografz]

Stephanie, the ND is a little difficult to use for wedding work. I've used mine from time to time, but the AF is a tad slow or won't lock on in the low light of a church interior or reception (similar to the N1)

Plus, the power situation has to be monitored carefully (that's gotten better with more powerful batteries now available).

The LCD readout is a poor indication of the actual image compared to other digital cameras better suited for such work... and there is no LCD read out for the RAW file format which I think is very important on a digital wedding camera. I use the 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 most when using the ND at a wedding ... which eases the lower ISO situation.

In short, I honestly wouldn't consider the camera as a prime candidate for a wedding shoot. That said, I have gotten some beautiful wedding shots with it... backed up by a Canon 1DMKII ... which has no power issues, focuses lightening fast in near dark, and shoots RAW files with a full LCD image and histogram readout.

 

[dirk]

Hi John,

this is the official answer from Zeiss:

Are there adapters to use lenses of the manual Contax system (RTS) with Contax N cameras?

Lenses of the manual Contax system (Contax RTS) don't fit to Contax N cameras. It cannot either be connected by some adapter. That's because the Contax N system uses a much greater flange distance (48mm), related to the Contax RTS system with its 45.5mm. The developers of the Contax N system choose a new kind of bajonett with a bigger diameter to be able to also use high speed lenses for digital sensors (telecentric lenses). The bajonett has, like the Contax 645 system, an electronic interface to the camera. The Contax 645 lenses can be connected to Contax N cameras without any restrictions, by using the lens-adapter "NAM-1".

 

[djg]

Marc,

I was never happy with ISO 400 in my ND, but love 200 and less. My biggest problem is that even with beefy batteries, unless they have just been fully discharged and recharged, they seem to get "ignored" is the best I can put it.

If I leave them trickle charging for several days then load them in the ND holder, I get maybe 20-30 shots from 2300ma sets before it tells me they're gone, which they're not, really. I turn the danged camera off and on a couple of times, maybe remove the battery holder and quickly put it back on, and gee, it has power again! For about 10-15 shots, then I need to go through the same song and dance to get another 10-15 shots, and eventually I may get 50-70 shots!

If I go through a full discharge-recharge cycle the night before, or have just recharged them after a full load's use, I then can usually off the bat get at least 100 shots, and maybe do the song and dance and get another 40-50.

So go figure, I have no idea how their power monitoring circuit works, other than it doesn't. Fix that, and it shouldn't be that hard, seeing as most every other cell-operated device does a much better job, be they Canon cameras or iPAQ PDAs, and you're in the game again, so to speak.

No, the terminals are not dirty - I've tried cleaning them over & over, and I have three battery holders, two brand new - they all do it. Hence, sadly, my 1DsII. And hence also why I'm still hugging my ND and those two wonderful Zeiss zooms (the 85 and the 300). Yes, I'm a sentimental fool

.

DJ