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A question about Contax Digital

skimmel

Member
This relates to N lenses somewhat loosely but I wasn't sure where else to post so I apologize if it seems out of place. I'm also sorry if this is old news, but I am new to this forum (and Contax) and am very confused.

I saw a string of notes that the Contax digital was discontinued. However, they have a whole press release, etc. on the Contax manufacturers website.

This is important to me because I am considering investing in a Contax lenses, but want to be able to use my lenses to move to digital as well.

Thanks.
 
The Contax web site is VERY behind so don't pay much attention to it, unfortunately. The Contax ND has been discontinued but the film N1 (and NX) are still very much alive with 9 dedicated lenses of outstanding quality.

It is my hope and strong belief that Contax will develop new digiSLRs, because they will have to. What chip they will use is anyones guess. Fortunately, film is still an excellent viable medium for years to come (e.g, see new Velvia 100) so I am a happy (fairly new) Contax shooter who had to make a similar decision like you. If you want digital right now, just buy Canon or Nikon.
 
The Contax N digital has in fact been discontinued. No need to fret though. It's a simple fact of economics. The N digital platform was not competitive enough price wise despite being first on the market with a full frame CCD. Contax has no choice but to put out a new digital SLR. If we like it or not, it is the future. If Contax does not keep pace Contax will cease to exist, sad but true. Don't hold your breath but expect a new digital SLR around the first of the year. Gavin
 
The Contax N digital has in fact been discontinued. No need to fret though. It's a simple fact of economics. The N digital platform was not competitive enough price wise despite being first on the market with a full frame CCD. Contax has no choice but to put out a new digital SLR. If we like it or not, it is the future. If Contax does not keep pace Contax will cease to exist, sad but true. Don't hold your breath but expect a new digital SLR around the first of the year. Gavin
 
now that contax has obsolete the ND, the Profit and lost for this product will be obsolete soon after the finacial year, since they have already got the technology, to develope a new NDX? will be relative fast and cheap. If I were contax, once the stock for ND became relatively low, or if there is evident that the ND stock became dead stock, will put a new product to the market with a much higher defination (10-15M) and compete with other product! and since the develope cost is relatively low, I truely believe it will be very competitive, and will be out soon! or am I too naive. Ben
 
The more I use the ND, the more I think that Contax is in serious need of marketing communications assistance. The expectations of the camera were set by competitors and Contax did nothing to alter consumer expectations to their way of designing the camera. While it has some serious flaws none of them need have been fatal. I hope they learned a thing or two for the next attempt.
 
Marc,

it seems that Kyocera does not care about the Contax costumers anymore. Kyocera P&S is the only thing they are interested at the moment.

We try hard to find a way to explain them that this is not the way how to treat costumers who are paying their salary, but til now no reaction so far...
 
Dirk,

I hope your last posting is not from inside knowledge, but based primarily on Kyocera's recent product releases. If it is latter there is still some hope that not all of Contax - Kyocera's future new camera releases will be P&S digitals but will include some higher end digitals.

Howard
 
Howard,

there will be sooner or later always a new product - also for the Contax line.

But there is a difference how serious you try to push your products as a producer and how much respect you have for your costumers. This is easily shown in your marketing approach, in your service level, the products you offer etc. Basically in every point which the costumer can see once interested in Contax products.

Of course we know sometimes more than a normal Contax costumers. But it is obvious that not all can be published in this forum.

If you compare for ex&le Zeiss (who are designing the lenses for the Contax cameras and for other brandnames too) with Kyocera, these are 2 different planets. Zeiss is very responsive, it cares about its costumers, it tries to offer the products the costumers want to have (not what an engineer with no photo-experience thinks is good for the world).

Kyocera instead is currently sitting on an island and thinks it knows better what the costumer wants to have than the costumer itself.

After several meetings on the highest level within the last 12 months with Kyocera, this is not just a personal impression, it is clearly visible even for people outside of Contaxinfo.com. This is something you can not hide over the long run. So I would not call this "insider knowledge". I would call it more the sad reality.

But bear in mind that we all use Kyocera/Contax products because of the Zeiss lenses, not because of Kyocera's name.

So if there is also within the next 12 months no serious committment from Kyocera for the Contax line and its costumers, there are many different options in the future to use still Zeiss lenses, but maybe with different bodies behind it
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And I do understand as "serious committment" not only the offering of one or two bodies over the next 12 months. Serious committment means for us

1) A lot more lenses (please not again a supertele which nobody can afford and/or carry)

2) Significant improvements on the service level

3) Realistic prices outside of Japan (especially UK and Europe)

4) Digital cameras which can compete with the newest versions of the competition. More in technical details & usability than in prices.

It is always the same. You get what you asked for. If Kyocera is not changing fast its attitude, they can not complain that loyal Contax users of the past turn to other alternatives with Zeiss lenses on it.

Contax sales numbers are around 60% in Japan. Only 40% for the rest of the world. All decisions are made in Japan. And all marketing efforts/product developments are for the Japanese costumers, not for the different needs of different countries.

These decisions are made by people who are not hobbyphotographers, which means they have no clou what the costumer wants to have.

I do not have the exact numbers here, but Japan has around 120 million people, Europe around 240, US around 240. That means Kyocera is not paying attention to almost 3/4 of the worldwide market.

To say it in nice words: This is "unique" in the camera industry - and we are talking with all major manufacturers a lot
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As everybody knows, we have been big fans of Contax and Zeiss in the past. But at the end of the day I am a fan of Zeiss lenses, no matter which body is behind it. That is the reason I bought years ago my first Contax. So if I get better possibilities with Zeiss lenses and another body behind it and Kyocera is still not moving towards its costumers, I will not hesitate to follow Zeiss to better cooperation partners.

Just my 2 cents
 
Dirk, Howard, all we can do is hope. Contax may be focused on P&S gear right now to recover profits lost on the ND.

Dirk, while I love photography and am an avid shooter, my real experience base is in advertising and marketing communications. As an Executive Creative Director I've led creative teams in many successful major ad c&aigns. I launched Unysis back in the 80s; also helped Ford Motor Company do a turn around in that decade; ran all of the Lincoln-Mercury advertising into the 90's and now do major national advertising for Unilever/Best Foods.

I would now like to help the Contax brand using that experience. Do you know someone I can contact in the USA to begin a dialog with? I'm sure the account would be small in terms of billings, but I like this brand and helping them would be a labor of love.

BTW, I've posted some new ND work in the Contax Gallery. It's mostly vacation type shots, but it shows my faith in the Contax product to deliver excellent results. I could have taken my Canon 10D or 1Ds and excellent L lenses, but chose the ND and Zeiss N glass instead. Using is proof of preference and loyality.
 
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