Was RE: [Leica] DSLR choice - now Zeiss-Ikon

[Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)]

It is still marketing b*llocks.
Magnesium is not a good material for this purpose.
Aluminium, brass, stainless steel, even zinc and polycarbonate are OK  
- magnesium will corrode. Even unplated aluminium cameras such as  
FOCAs don't look too good nowadays compared to their painted brass or  
chrome plated aluminium contemporaries. If anybody has a magnesium  
camera and chips the paint off it in the way that is commonly seen as  
"cool" on brass shelled Leicas it will be a mess of white powder and  
blisters in no time.
Magnesium is of course much used in aerospace and motor sport but  
ONLY where its weight is a benefit. It is NOT used because it is  
strong - IT IS WEAK, it is not used for its resilience IT IS BRITTLE,  
it is not used where corrosion could happen unless a robust coating  
has been applied.
Magnesium is weak, brittle and prone to corrosion. Its only benefit  
in cameras is a few grams weight saving and its cheapness to cast. It  
has replaced titanium as the latest buzz word camera body material.  
It is in no way as good as titanium for this purpose but many times  
cheaper to manufacture for such an application.
Magnesium has been almost entirely replaced by composites in high  
tech engineering nowadays.
If you must fall for the magnesium fashion take great care not to  
scratch the paint down to the metal!
BTW it seems that the Zeiss Ikon camera is actually the latest in the  
line of Cosina collaborations, after Voigtlander. Cosina changed  
their plastic shelled "Voigtlanders" for metal shells which I am sure  
feel heavier. In functionality there will be no gain even if they  
feel a bit nicer.
Your quoting from the manufacturers propaganda - they would say that  
wouldn't they?
Frank

On 20 Jan, 2006, at 22:45, Bill Marshall wrote:

> This issue of magnesium alloy as the material of choice for the  
> outer cladding of the Zeiss Ikon has been treated as if it's some  
> kind of a scam by Zeiss & Cosina to substitute a cheap, corosive  
> material for the real thing or as if it's some kind of fashion  
> statement to sell cameras with a new glitzy "look" aimed at high  
> consumer appeal.
>
> The fact is that the top-of-the-line professional film SLRs made by  
> Leica, Nikon, & Canon all use magnesium alloys in their body  
> cladding - companies that pride themselves on the build quality of  
> their cameras & with reputations based on past results in doing so.  
> These are not disposable cameras, or digital wonders designed to be  
> replaced in 18 months, or point & shoots made to look sleek in  
> someone's purse. These are professional cameras for rugged use in  
> any environment. So at the very least, it can be fairly said that  
> the Zeiss Ikon is adhering to the highest level of state of the art  
> in its choice of materals.
>
> Any search of the internet for applications of magnesium alloys is  
> replete with the wide range of its applications & with technical  
> reports of how corrosion issues have been solved. Its uses range  
> form aeronautics to aerospace to missile technology to automotive  
> applications as well as cameras, computers, watches, & appliances -  
> in other words, in the most harsh & demanding environments as well  
> as in applications very similar to the uses for a camera. The  
> engineers in all of these arenas must know a thing or two.
>
> Zeiss Ikon reports on its website the envrionmental testing it did  
> to subject the camera to extremes of humidity, temperature, shock,  
> & vibration. But don't believe them. Here is what Nikon says about  
> the F6:
>
> "As you'd expect, the F6 satisfies the uncompromising standards of  
> reliability that professionals command. An aluminum-alloy die-cast  
> chasis, magnesium-alloy front body and covers (top, bottom)
> . . ." (This is identical to the construction of the body of the  
> Zeiss Ikon.)
>
> "Harsh environmental testing: To ensure the camera could withstand  
> the most severe conditions and environments, the F6 has been  
> subjected to rigorous testing. The F6's . . . reliability is a  
> function of . . (the) right materials for the right place . . . Our  
> engineers considered countless situations for camera use, then  
> submitted the F6 to real life testing to virtually guarantee  
> exceptional dependability wherever and whenever photographers shoot."
>
> Bill
>
>
>
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