Is the Contax N just a big screw up

[coyot]

Joachim,

I notice that you own a G2. So do I ... and I think that it is a fine camera. You also shoot some digital w/ a Nikon 5700. What is your opinion of it? And have you ever shot any rolls through a 645, or an N1 (or NX?). And what about the ND? Have you used it or seen any output from the camera?

Thanks,

Michael.

 

[bobbl46]

Hi Joachin

As an avid CY AE MM (??) user, I can say that the N series does not P*** me off at all!

I have great faith in Zeiss that they will/have produced the best they can under commercial and market circumstances!

Was I forced to throw away all my gear when the N system appeared ..... come to that ...... all those Contaflex/Contarex fans ...... did thay build a camera mountain outside the gates of Jena in 1974 and set fire to their gear?

I happen to like the Contax CY bodies .... I happen to like the CY AE/MM lenses.

I understand that people like the older Contarex/Contaflex body/lens system; I do not think them strange because of this!

I even understand the appeal of the original RF system!

I do not think N1, NX or ND users are any stranger than I, because they have become fans of either the N series bodies or the N series lenses or ............ at the other end of the spectrum (!), were fans of the Pre-Yashica era systems!

I hope people do not think I am strange because I like a great lump of a camera body that makes my CY, AE, MM, Tamron, and Sigma etc, lenses behave like autofocus lenses. I like my AX!

I do not even disagree with those strange people who like Canon or Nikon!

If they produce great shots ....... doesn't even have to be technically perfect, they are welcome in my house!

Cheers, Kyocera Kid

p.s. The most burning question for me at the moment is WHEN DOES DIRK SLEEP? If I need to sneak a sarcastic/humourous comment in ..... when is the best time?

 

[bobbl46]

Joachim .... Michael ..... great passion!

Mis-information? Let's be more specific and prepare to debate!

Cheers, Kyocera Kid.

 

[jgban]

I don't know..I would like to see some actual data to decide how much of a "failure" the N system has been/is. Are the N1 and NX selling poorly?

What is the point of belittling the N system? They are very good cameras, and excellent lenses. And the lenses are reasonably priced, quite similar (or cheaper) than the MM (except the 50mm and 85mm, who knows why).

As others who have spent money on the N cameras, I hope they will come up with a digital answer. I am an amateur, I don't need digital now, I plan to keep using slide film for a long, long time and, as long as they come up with something, I don't mind waiting.

(And, if they don't come up with anything, I will still enjoy the NX and its lenses)

Kyocera has produced very remarkable cameras, quite up to the Zeiss lenses. Let's hope they continue their tradition.

Bob, I think Dirk has some kind of detector-- when someone unfairly criticizes Contax or Zeiss, he comes back from wherever he is to straighten things out...Shhouldn't you be in bed?

Cheers,

Juan

 

[fotografz]

Why would Canon build a camera for one of it's competitors?

It would be more likely that Kodak would do something with a Contax CY or N mount than Canon. However, the lack of potential volume would probably preclude Kodak from doing so.
Maybe the sensor could be designed by Kodak, but not the whole camera (unless they upgraded and re-fitted the current ND).

In other words, Contax must do as Leica is doing. Assemble experts to make components and make the cameras themselves. The fact is the ND was (and is) a damned fine camera, it just wasn't tweaked to its potential, and it was a text book marketing fiasco.

Since it's introduction and subsequent demise, the ND power issue has been resolved, the RAW developer problem is (or will be shortly) resolved.

So the only major flaws, in terms of digital capture, remain no RAW review on the LCD and an inadequate buffer. The buffer issue could have been resolved (if the camera was still being sold) with an upgrade like that offered by Nikon on the 1Dx last year. Maybe even the RAW review could've been fixed with new firmware or a factory upgrade.

If Contax simply upgraded the ND with a better battery solution like Nikon and Canon use; increased the buffer to at least 512 megs; upgraded the sensor to a 8-10 meg full frame CCD, included the RAW LCD review; and provided a Phase One or other top notch RAW developer (or make arraignments with Adobe to include it in theirs)... and finally, MARKET IT CORRECTLY!... they'd have a WINNER.

They didn't have to start over. Just fix this one!!!!! it's a less daunting task.

 

[bobbl46]

The Mouse Police never sleeps .... the Mouse Police never sleeps ..... sounds of flutes and rock music!! Hey! ..... Jethro Tull invented something .... didn't he? Sleep is for wimps .... KK thrives on DATA! Dirk drinks more caffeine than me!

OH! OH! Data! JGB has got me excited now .... he mentioned ...... Data! ....... opinion is fine and interesting, but Data rules OK.

Step back and ..... chill ......... let's assume(?) N series was a commercial gooseberry (who says so?) .........well, so what? .... did Kyocera design it that way? Did they design it and say ...... HEY! GUYS! It might fail, Lets not even bother to introduce it to our faithful C/Y fans?

Or .... did they just design what they thought was a technical improvement on AE/MM, and let loose to see what happened?

My God! Betamax should have wiped the floor with VHS ...... it didn't! Did it stop people using it effectively because it sold less than VHS? Or…. vice-versa, did VHS hold back creativity because it was technically inferior?

I am not saying that N series is the Betamax to AE/MM's VHS ..... just that things don't always seem to go the logical way!

JGB says “what is the point of belittling…..†etc. I would say ….. insert your own ending to this! I agree with him ….. and

Could Kyocera have done it better? ...... Apollo could have been done better with hindsight! , Tony Blair, could he have done better with hindsight! Mr President, could have ….OK let’s not go there

Even my hero .. Sir Isaac Newton …. could have done better with hindsight …. And, I do not belittle the gravity of this matter!

MY BOTTOM line is does any of this stop anyone producing first class images whether N is popular/commercially successful or not?

Cheers, Kyocera Kid.

 

[gjames52]

Bob:

It is getting late, Dirk is asleep, and you brought up betamax to my dismay. Yes, I have one and wish I could buy tape inexpensively. I also like my old Zeiss Ikon's as well and my G2. As before I have recommended keeping Zeiss equipment instead of selling it and getting something else. If I had an N camera I would keep it and use it.

Good Evening:

Gilbert

 

[rfranca]

I guess the N system's fault is that it came out way too late... When Contax finally delivered a 35mm AF camera, the world started craving for digital and that's where the money is and, unfortunately and unlike Leica's policy, Kyocera looks set to include marketing/saleability in their most recent models design.
What I mean is that Leica has profited from it's association with Panasonic to keep some of their customers happy but still follows their original goal of designing the best tools money can buy.
The N systems, on the other hand, shows signs of giving in to market pressures (even if the prices don't show this!!!).
An ex&le of this is the "wide focal lenght range story", which is to be bland pathetic (they assume that because it's a trend to use zooms, photographers will be happy with just 5/6 slow, heavy zoom lenses). If Olympus with their the 4/3 system has made the same reading, at least they're building up on their system every year with 4 or 5 new lenses...
I think that they'll have a though time maintaining their tiny share of the market unless they build up their N lens range...
The way things are now, and as soons as film doesn't do the thing for me, it looks like I'll have to go somewhere else... And that's very sad indeed.
Regards,
Ricardo

 

[rfranca]

P.S.: Ah, and though I haven't used either of the 3 cameras or lenses, I'm sure that they're better than their C/Y equivalents... My RX could sure do with a more silent film advance and a comand dial, and both AF and Evaluative Metering would have been usefull in more than one occasion.

 

[mcp]

Would you folks please stop the "why is Contax/Yashica not doing what we (marketing-) geniusses are discussing"-debate? It's going over and over and over. Nothing new, really! I'm tired of reading this again and again.