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New strategies

I am following this thread with some amusement and much sadness. I still have a couple of Zeiss C/Y lenses that I will keep for sentimental reasons.

But you are right, Dick. Until Kyocera can be more decisive and forthcoming with their 35mm Contax line, it's going down the toilet really fast.
 
Sorry Dirk. But now the horses are out of the barn and we are into lenses to preserve our love of the Contax look by any means available. So it is related to your original "New Strategies" post in a way. The difference is that we are taking matters into our own hands and formulating our own "New Strategies".

Salim, tell me more about the 35-70/3.4. I have one here that I'm testing now on a Canon 1DsMKII using an adapter. While it outperformed the Canon 16-35L with both lenses set at 35mm, the Canon 35/1.4 prime was way better in every way even at f/2.8. I can't decide whether to keep the Contax zoom.

I also have a Contax 28-85/3.3-4.5 on order. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this lens?

Albert, I had a Contax 35-135 and be warned that it is big and heavy ... and I am not kidding around. BIG. HEAVY.
 
Dirk said "no committment - no sales".
That's a pretty good summary of customer sentiment towards certain products. I believe if all customers were thinking that way about EVERY product out there, we would see a significant jump in quality in every category. In reality though, too many people are buying the "latest" stuff just because they want to have the latest stuff or because they believed the marketing c&aign of that product.

"Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them.
Alfred North Whitehead, Introduction to Mathematics (1911)"

Too many times this "no thinking" approach results in massive blunders though.

You know what would be funny? If Kyocera dumps all their film-based products to "focus" on digital cameras. They will bury themselves in probably less than a year - considering the competition and the overall market conditions. All the shutterbugs that are buying digital cameras now are already snapping up phones with digital cameras. And considering Kyocera's position in cellphone market also - they have no chance at all.
 
Hi Mike,

I am not sure I whether we meant the same interpretation. When I said committment, I meant the committment of Kyocera for the Contax product line developement and the marketing for it.

Over the last 3 years, we have not seen any life sign marketingwise, that Kyocera is at all interested in selling its products. Or do they expect that we all buy a ticket and look for information in Japan to buy it there?

Or do they think that it is possible to sell a product without saying anybody that it exists?

In Germany there is absolutely no marketing for the N-System or C/Y system. In fact if you look at the official website, you will not find any information about those systems - since years.

Just have the fun and check yourself, by looking at the product pictures:

http://www.yashica.de/start.php

This is nothing more then a website about P&S cameras. By accident, you will find a Contax ND between all the Kyocera finecam P&S.

And now try to understand, why Kyocera is surprised that nobody wants to buy their products.

Ähhh,, which products please? Do you also have others then P&S? Ohhh really...

This is what I mean with committment of the producer. But as always, it is of course the fault of the costumer
happy.gif
 
28-85mm is a great lens but prone to flare and yes it flares with the designated hood,,,why, just look at the hood design. My use at the time was strictly outdoors, general stock. The hassels of hoods needing expensive adapters to attach, removal for filter attachment and front elements rotating drove me to sell it and the 100-300mm, another great lens with similar problems.
 
Actually I did mean the same thing as you. I was simply also trying to say that Kyocera problems have been also compounded by the fact that market conditions have changed dramatically in the last several years. And even that wasn't enough for them to take notice. So, naturally I don't expect any good news from Kyocera. If there will be any news at all!
 
Marc,
I was comparing the lens to the excellent 24-70. It's an unfair comparison due to the extra range of canon. But the 35-70 has more contrast and it's sharper. The canon does well in 24-35 range. It's larger and more expensive. That being said, 24-70 is the best tool out there for weddings/event photography that I know of. So it comes down to what tool you need. If you want to travel light and do landscape photography 35-70 is a great tool. Light, sharp and give a decent macro range.
If you have mint version of the lens and decide not keep it let me know please.
 
The front element rotates on the 28-85 Dermot? Bummer. But I don't use a polarizer much with weddings, so no big deal.

Salim, I hate the Canon 24-70/2.8L. It flares, distorts, is too big and has a weak front mount collar which breaks off pretty easily.
If I keep the Contax 35-70, it'll be to use it on a D20 which is a nice combo ... but I have to check if I can swap focusing screens because it's all but impossible to focus at the wide end.

Dirk, the Contax sales reps are given nothing in the way of hope either. The one here is pretty sure they're soon to be history.
 
Marc,
To solve the issue of focusing on the wide I zoom in focus and zoom out.

Let me know if you were able to change focusing screen and if it helped or not.

Salim
 
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