Hi Robert,
we are sitting all in the same boat
I think we will know more after the questions are answered. If there is a "no" concerning an adapter for N-lenses or RTS lenses, then it is very unlikely that anything will come up at all in the future.
According to my phone call today, it is more likely that we have to bite the bullet and say good-by to our N-system and RTS system/DSLR dreams. But this is just an impressiona and everyone can make his/her own judgement in this specific area after the questions are answered.
But my 2 cents are: I do not see any manufacturer, who has the know-how to further develop any kind of N-system. Manual focus & analogue (RTS system) is basically dead in terms of sales numbers. If you can not surpass a critical sales volume, it is not worth it to try...
The only one I see is Kyocera or Sony. Sony decided to take the KM-route, Kyocera quit the business. So there is no interest at all of anybody except us, the users/costumers, to continue with one of both systems.
It is a shame and it hurts, but I think it is better to face reality, to take the pain early and move on than of having another painful 6 or 12 or 24 months...
Whether Sony is in the future an option for Contaxians will depend on the other 2 DSLRs which shall come still this year and the product line of Zeiss lenses to be announced. The current Minolta/Sony badged lenses or the Sony Alpha A100 alone will not be an argument to enter the Sony Alpha route right now. We had already experiences with a system that was only one DSLR and a few lenses.
What we need now is a stronger commitment and a clear indication, that this is more than just an "adventure" for this Photokina without a ticket for Photokina 2008
IMHO 3DSLRs this year and at least one next summer (a replaement of the Alpha A100 in 2007 to make it more "Contax like") and 8-10 Zeiss lenses (many FFL, many wideangles, a few zooms) might be for me a strong signal.
If not, there is also Nikon with a Zeiss option out there. Rumours are saying, there will be a Fullframe DSLR sooner or later...