Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Contax camera is currently being produced by Kyocera. This company also produces the Yashica. Yashica does not produce the Contax. This is an interesting relationship because, based on comments received on the Contax mailing list, it appears that Zeiss has a significant influence on Kyocera's camera designs. For example, the AX was designed so that a user could have AF without having to have motors or servos in the lens. It was argued that Zeiss felt that the current state of AF adversely affected lens performance. My impression from the Contax list is that Kyocera recognizes that the major reason that people buy Contax is because of the Zeiss lens. If you look at the bodies, relative to Nikon or Canon, they are not up to the same level of bells and whistles. Steven A. Melnyk Michigan State University Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management melnyk@msu.edu - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Richards" <dprichards@qwest.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2001 9:27 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] Comparison of Leica SLR and Contax SLR Systems > >an R system body with a 3 lenses or so. On the other hand if you are equally > >serious and want/need the benefits of a system camera > >made by a company with ENORMOUS technological resources that can give you > >autofocus, focus assist, > >built in quiet motorization, a superb viewfinder and far more sophisticated > >exposure modes at a lower price with the option > >of using lenses which are optically almost as good as Leitz or in some cases > >even as good or yikes even better*, > >then take an RTS 3 with a few lenses and use the money you save to buy an > AX, RX > > Who makes Contax? I owned one a few years ago, a 137, and at the time I > believe the Contax name had been purchased by Yashica. A number of Yashica > cameras were virtually duplicates of Contax models. The attraction for me > at the time was price and the fact that the 137 had a Zeiss T* lens. > > > Dave Richards > dprichards@qwest.net > -------------------------------------------- > Note: If you have emailed me at: > > dprichards@uswest.net > > Please change your address book entry to my new address: > > dprichards@qwest.net