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Contax ND

I wonder how many of the NDs were made so far? Did anyone ask if one can be ordered from Contax?

The question that has to be answered (if they did stop production) is the level of commitment to service in the coming years. The warranty is only for a year. Then what?

It's a curious thing to watch the feeding frenzy
surrounding the $8,000. Canon 1Ds, not to mention that every Canon 10D made is spoken for before it even gets to the dealers' shelf.

I think every ND owner should prepare themselves for a period of plummeting values.
I've seen used ones in 9+ condition for under $3.000. But in all fairness, I just bought a mint Canon D60 for under $775! It was a $2,200. kit less than a year ago. And my 1 year old Kodak ProBack is now selling for $6,000. less than I paid.

In essence, one has to adjust how they view digital gear because "The future ain't what it use to be" It use to be you could buy a good pro SLR or MF camera and it would retain its' value pretty well. In contrast, digital gear is more like computer equipment...low resale value in months.

However, that is true only if you buy early, and what you buy is less than what you really needed for the job at hand. The gear loses value only if you sell it. If you use the gear to great effect, and are pleased with the creative output it helps foster, then the real value is retained. After finally learning how to use this camera, and adjusting my expectations to a more deliberate type of photography, the "personal" value of the ND has increased for me. And this is an opinion from a Canon 1Ds and 10D owner using the best Canon L lenses.
 
> It's a curious thing to watch the feeding frenzy surrounding > the $8,000. Canon 1Ds, not to mention that every Canon 10D > made is spoken for before it even gets to the dealers' shelf.

With respect to the 10D, I guess that's what happens when a company puts out a product that is reasonable value for money. Decent digital imaging performance, judging by the response, for a bit more than the price of an Nikon F100 or a Canon EOS3. Other cameras are just too far out of reach of many people.

I'm just hoping that Nikon will come out with something that can compete, both in price, quality, and performance.

> I just bought a mint Canon D60 for under $775! It was a > $2,200. kit less than a year ago.

That seems to be very good value as well.
 
At B&H home page the ND is not even listed. This to me is strange, since:

1) B&H is among the biggest specialised photo/videodealer in US

2) B&H has all other current Contax products - including all N-lenses for this camera as well - on their shelves including a load of used gear

3) A lot of listed products at B&H are socalled special order - meaning that these products are not actually in store, but B&H will order them from the manufacturer on request

4) If a product is currently not deliverable - as with the TVS D right now - it is labeled 'out of stock' - not removed from the home page

Can anyone come up with any plausible explanation why the ND is not registered at B&H - if the product is working properly amd is still continued?

Can it be that B&H sells their goods with their own warranty - and not the manufaturer's? And that they are uncertain of possible problems with the ND? I don't know, but any explanation will be highly appreciated.

Regards, Jakob
 
Wolf Camera? You must be joking huh? I have been shopping at B&H for 20+ years and if they are not carrying it, it's over baby. There is a delicate balance of factors to introduce a new product. Annouce it too early, wait too long to ship, and customers will lose faith; discontinue a product, sell it with no advance notice of the next latest and greatest, and you alienate the customer. I feel sorry for the poor bastard who just bought his, unless Contax offers some great trade-in with their new camera. Unless of course they pull another fast one like they did the first time- announce and wait over a year to ship. Obvoiusly, I am one of the burnouts- from the camera, and the countless individuals who pontificate in this forum trying to find some way to like this camera. Actually I do not blame them as they have also spent 10K+ for an advertised digital camera system that Contax should be ashamed of, right down to their business practices. I wouldn't be surprised if Contax waited for the resale value to plummet, bought them all up from the used market, painted them, and sell them again with a new model number. As Bruuuuce has said, keep your windows down in a car wash, and they do the interiors for free. Two last things- you guys will preobably buy another one, and finally, the main reason to stay within this forum is to track how fast the ND value drops to zero. I guess you can call me a masochist.
 
> David,

While you were apparantly unable to figure out how to use the ND, many users have been able to get some great shots out of the camera. As mentioned earlier, somebody just bought a used D60 for 750.00 (listed for over 2,100 over a year ago!). Why are you surprised that a DIGITAL camera body drops in value?

Remember: The ND was the FIRST full frame CCCD camera. It works. It has some minor issues. But it is a remarkable piece of equipment. Sorry, you could not figure out how to work yours.

Michael.
 
> Unless of course they pull another > fast one like they did the first time- announce and wait over a year > to ship.

That's really unfair. Every manufacturer has announced early and delivered late with these new high end DSLRs. I hardly believe it was a "fast one" as you claim, but an optimistic projection.

Austin
 
To Michael Hahn's point about the users having much success with this camera, I am in total agreement. I have absolutely no regrets about purchasing this camera, have figured out some very simple color adjustments in photoshop that I appear to be able to use for all color shots, have had excellent B&W success and finally as of last night, I have amazing 11x17 prints off of an Epson 2200 that are crystal clear and fully saturated with color. I have made very minor adjustments to my images to get there (although it took me quite a while to figure out exactly what adjustments to make and how to make them). I know that the price will drop over time. That is the reality of the technology age. As for the future, I think this camera will hold me over for a long time as I can't even imagine having better results with anything else.

Diane
 
I fully second Michael here - the ND is a remarkable camera that produces excellent results. The purpose of a discussion forum like this is - as I understand it - an exchange of experience to improve what an individual reader can or can't do with the camera. And it is a platform to discuss, how the current product can be improved.

I went through a certain learning curve with the camera and this forum gave great food for thought on it.

And one humble remark to David, if I may: The United States are not the only relevant market for photographic equipment, 34th Street/ 9th Ave. New York City is not the center of the photographic world, B&H is not the only good place to buy a camera - just like Contax is not the only manufacturer of digital gear.

What I want to say is, that I don't have to 'pontificate... to find some way to like this camera' and I am largely not interested in wild guessing, blaming, and shouting what a piece of crap the ND is. It has its problems, sure. But overall it's a fine camera to me. I like it and I'll keep it. Period. If you don't, feel free and get yourself a Canon or whatever.

By the way: has any of the pundits bemourning the decay of western civilisation here picked up the phone and called B&H? From the US they even offer a toll free number and instead of guessing, you could verify in a snap, why they no longer list the ND.

Cheers,
Christian
 
Christian, Thanks for the workflow information, I have managed to work it out but your method is helpful.

OK! I called Contax and they told me MUCH and NOTHING at the same time. The person that I spoke with was unable to state or confirm what is going on with the Contax digital cameras but he did say that it is not discontinued. He went further to say: New York stores are doing their own thing possibly in anticipation of new releases. Contax still sells the N Digital, it is still available and will continue to be. He noted what other digital camera manufactures are offering and said Contax would logically go in the same direction (high megapixel cameras). He all but came out and said directly that a new camera is coming! I told him that a new digital release would have to be rather spectacular for current ND owners to upgrade, he remarked, "rest assured".

The raw developer may not be upgraded in the near future but any new digital SLR software should be backward compatible. He does not know if Contax will offer any special discounts for current ND owners.

It seems to me strange that Contax would release a new DSLR without the "media build-up" over weeks and months, but I guess anything is possible in contaxland.
 
Marc - I am interested in a Kodak digital back for my 645. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks.

John
 
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