DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. Whether it is Medium Format, fullframe, APS-C, MFT or smaller formats. Digital or film. DPRF is a forum for everybody and for every format.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

Future of the Contax N

Mike..."Know everything" ???? "His Majesty"????

I will speak to what I have experience with, and do know a little about weddings, which was related to the subject of the discussion...a thread stemming from the notion of professional needs when it comes to gear.

BTW, you brought up the limo shot as being invalid, I included it among others as just part of the conditions that pros face, and it was merely an ex&le of shooting situations, not a rule for every wedding.

"...last post to it". Hmmm, lets see if that's true.
 
Guys, please cool down.

As a reminder: This thread is about your opinion regarding the future of the N-System
happy.gif
 
The future of the N system is linked to 3 issues IMO.
1) Production of a digital camera that maintains image quality in the Contax/Zeiss tradition. 2) some faster, basic primes, especially a 35/1.4. 3) an improved flash system, including a better off camera cord.

If cheaper, less performance oriented products become the focus, then there is no reason to own and use Contax branded gear. Other makers like Canon have progressed to such a degree that the edge
provided by Zeiss is becoming less each year.

My N system has been religated to personal use only, and is used less and less these days. I do still like the look and feel of the gear, as well as the images it makes. But maintaining a Canon system for pro work plus some personal use...and a N system...is an expensive luxury. I keep it in hopes that a ND2 will arrive while I am still alive. In the meantime, I use the ND, and still believe they should've just addressed some of the power and software issues. The current battery issue is still the biggest problem for me because the batteries lose power quickly even when not used. This forces me to pre-plan any time I wish to use the ND, eliminating spontanious photography. How hard could it have been to make a contained battery like Canon and Nikon provide for their DSLRs?
 
Contax should add high-speed flash synchronistaion (shutter speed >1/250)feature to their flash system. This is essential for fill-in flash for outdoor portrait using fast lens at large aperture. Canon and Minolta have much better flashguns compared with the TLA-380. Even Leica R-9 has got this feature now.

Also a spot pre-flash metering like the one in RTS-III would be nice for the future N2(?).

I guess Contax will probably launch a N Mutar x1.4 for their Apo 400 f4, a few N primes like
25 f2.8, 28 f2.8, 60 f2.8 Macro, 180 f2.8 and 300 f4 with more extensive use of LD glasses and aspherical elements in the next few years. But this is pure speculation really; no one knows whats up in their sleeves.
 
I agree with Marc and with Sing Hon Lo about the needs of the N system.

As I said before, I think that they need to add a quality/fast 70-200 2.8 zoom for sports (I'm personally thinking of equestrian sports, but really any sports). Or if that isn't possible, a 135/2.0 would be helpful, since a possible pairing of the 85/1.4 and 135/2.0 might be workable for indoor arena sports, but the long throw of the focus ring on some of these ultra fast lenses sometimes makes them ever so slightly slower to re-focus in quick changing situations, and that depth of field might just a bit too shallow for the subjects I'm thinking of (horse and rider, or horses driving carriages etc), but that is neither here nor there for this discussion.

The tracking and focus speed of the N series bodies needs to be flawless and fast.

That 400mm lens is one I have wanted to try out since it came out - but since I don't feel the N system can fill all my requests right now, I guess I'll not get to try it.

For my needs, I couldn't care less if they come up with another digital body or not - but I know it is important to many other people here. Just my thoughts. Right now Canon produces everything I need, at prices that aren't too bad in most cases, and their L glass is nothing to laugh at. Even though I like Canon, I wish I could buy all these things from the N system instead. -Lynn L.
 
The slow focus speed is an issue at times, I have lost shots, but with that said,the end results are just great, thats why I am considering a Canon EOS with a couple of L lenses,,for when I need speed and use the N1 for mostly everything else.
Rick
 
> Mike,

I did want to respond to your snip about the G2 shots versus the N1. The bulk of the photographs were taken by the N1, followed by the 645, and finally followed by the G2, and at the back of the pack was the ND. The ND took some great shots, but I had already decided to shoot the wedding in film, to make it easier for me to get prints, etc,

You also asked how many shots went into the album. 350 shots were in the album 4x6 album, with another subset of 25 hand printed enlargements (5 x 7) making it to the "Special Album".

Michael.
 
Micheal,

For the "bride with the red brick wall" pictures, what lens did you used? It seens there were strong light fall off. My N24-85mm never have this problem, but my 35mm C645 lens seems to have to same issue when wide open.

Albert
 
I agree about the focus. I took my N1 to an airshow a couple of weeks ago. I missed several shots due to the slow autofocus, but the ones I managed to get (70-300 lens)were incredible in their sharpness. Next time I'll take the N1 and my Canon EOS.
Jeff in Texas
 
Back
Top