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Is the Contax N just a big screw up

J

joachim

Member
Hi,

anyone seen the below?

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fiapf.physik.tu-berlin.de%2Fjbohs%2FHKO%2FTUBerlin%2FWWVergleich%2FW W1Dsvergl.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

To me this confirms my long hold believe that the N was the biggest mistake Kyocera made. The old MM lenses apear to work well on Canon digital bodies. Why not ditch the whole N-stuff and revive the MM system. If Kyocera can't build a decent digital, they might be able to buy one.
 
When I clicked on the link in the e-mail notification the link did not work.

However, when I went to the discussion and clicked on the link, it did work.

The google translation is not great. The link compares a zeiss N lens with two Canon lens. Says that Canon has better contrast and focus.

Conclusion states "No question, the Zeiss is regarding CA correction in own class. The fun is not cheap, list price around 2200 € (with B&H 1500 $), in addition the adapter of Zoerk with again 200 €. the missing AF is however undoubtedly a problem, the accurate attitude is not schweirig. In addition rest screen and only AV and/or m-mode possible."

Not sure what the author intended to say here.
 
sorry Mark to correct you, the articel talks about the manual Focus Distagon 21/2.8 vs. the Canon Canon 2.8/20 mm and Canon 4.0/17-40L. No N-lens is mentioned there. I would prefer to see the original text. But in this translation the Zeiss wins over the Canon lens. But this is not a surprise since the Zeiss 21 was especially designed to minimize CA. It is in its own league and not comparable with other Zeiss manual focus FFL in this regard.

But this has nothing to do with the N-system.
 
I would expect the Zeiss to outperform the Canons also. One is a Zoom and the other is not an L lens.
 
Perhaps I should have more clear. I understand one of the key reasons for Contax to abandon the Y/C MM mount and move onto the N was the then sensor technology.

Looking at these results, the Zeiss lens blows the Canon lenses to pieces (surprise surprise). I understand the results origninate from a full frame Canon DSLR.

It seems to me, the entire N story turns out to be a desaster in every respect. It p...ed their existing customer base (YCMM users) and never really got off the ground (to little, to late and to expensive). When Contax came up with the AX, I read a magazin-review with the comment, that Contax could not dare to change its lens mount. Hence the different solution in the AX. Looking what happened he was absolutely right in 1996. The N-system destroyed their existing customer base.

From the above link (in my original post) it seems to me that YCMM lenses are perfectly capable to be used with full-frame digital sensors. So from today's view it seems to me, that they should have spend their R&D money on a digital body for YCMM lenses instead of blowing it on the N-system. Even with a decent APS-C sized sensor in a body for YCMM (and not a single N body and or lens) they would be in a better position than they are now.

Judging from their success in the digital market (this includes the digicams) I doubt that Kyocera at present is even capable of building a decent digital camera. To get them out of the mess they should get Canon to build an EOS with YCMM mount. I think there is a market for a manual focus digital SLR. Not sure what to do about the N-system. If they ditch it they will annoy even more people, but at present they are annoying everyone.

In this context I find it interesting that Bob Shell (who is a diehard Zeiss fan himself) markets his own YCMM->EOS adapter. http://www.bobshell.com/adapter.html On a different Contax email list he wrote recently that he sold his RTSIII.

Your mileage on the topic might vary.
 
Joachim,

Here again, I repeat myself ... but need to since this thread started with misinformation and now continues with your misinformation.

I have an AX (remarkable camera), and RX, an RTS II, etc. I also have the N1 and the ND.

Kyocera (Contax) plainly continues their evolution of good cameras and lenses with the N series. The YCMM line had their place and are still very good cameras. The N-mount cameras are even better. Auto focusing ... auto bracketing (f-stop and focusing), handling, etc.

The N cameras can also use the 645 lenses via the N-mount.

The N camera line includes the ND which is a very good, and very solid digital camera solution. First full frame CCCD. Great tones. Great camera.

Could their entire N-line be better? Sure. And I look forward to new releases. Just like when I had the RTS, I looked for an RTS II, knowing it would be better. The greatest enemy that Kycoera has are folks like you who continue to spread mis-information on their product line.

Michael.
 

The greatest enemy that Kycoera has are folks like you who continue to spread mis-information on their product line.

Amen
 
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