[Leica] Photo Expo in NY

[Akhil Lal <alal01@utopia.poly.edu>]

Hello Everyone,
               Just a short report on the Photo Expo which was held here
in NY. 
               This report is not intended to be comprehensive. Only items
of interest to me are covered here. 100 % accuracy is not claimed; as
always, additions, corrections and comments are welcomed. 

ALPA: 35mm camera production is unlikely to be revived. All of the
engineering drawings, moulds and jigs are missing and cannot be traced ! 
Spare parts are no longer available for most models and and cannot be
fabricated. Karl Heitz may have still have some parts available. The new
owner and his wife are themselves Alpa collectors and we spent an
enjoyable half-hour or so talking about these well made but idiosyncratic
cameras. Auto Contax to Alpa & Leica-R to Alpa lens adaptors are not in
stock at the factory. 


CONTAX: Pre-production samples of the 645 were on display. The auto-focus
was not up to par on the sample I tried. The finder was quite bright, even
with an f 4 lens mounted, and the whole assembly seemed well integrated,
unlike, say, a Hassy with meter prism and winder attached. The system
looks well made and when the bugs are ironed out should be a winner, not
just on performance, but also on price. The lenses have that Zeiss family
look: the WA's are long and narrow and look like scaled up 35mm lenses.
Price is expected to be ca. $ 3800 for a body w.  mag. back, AE finder &
80/2.0 lens. On another occasion I had queried their choice of a 6 x 4.5
system and was informed that Zeiss were not willing to supply lenses for
an AF Contax 66 as this might have adversely affected Hasselblad's sales -
a steady customer with whom they have had long term ties. 

The CONTAX 35mm SLR system is being "streamlined" - not a good sign. 
Certain excellent lenses such as the 18/4.0 & 28/2.0 Distagons are
discontinued. The superb 85/1.2 is not being revived. The 55/1.2 is not in
stock at the importer, but certain dealers may still have supplies. I have
been told by dealers in the NY area that this system is selling poorly -
one active Contax dealer stated he had not sold a single AX this year
and felt this system might not be viable for much longer.  In unit sales
they may be behind even Leica R.

The CONTAX G in Black finish will be sold as a set only with 28/45/90
lenses, flash, hoods, etc. but no case. The black finish on this is
different to that on Japanese market G 2's.


HASSELBLAD: The XPAN attracted a great deal of attention.  30mm & 180 mm
lenses will be released in due course. No high speed, eg 45/2.0 or1.4 or
85/2.0 lenses for the 24 x 36 mm format only are planned. It does not
appear to be a rival of the M series at this time. It is very well made
and has a good contrasty rangefinder. Price is ca $ 1700 w. 45mm lens.


MAMIYA: The Mamiya 6 has been discontinued. Stocks are limited and certain
items such as the close up lens for the 80 mm lens are already sold out. 
If you have an interest in this system, this is your last chance. The
Mamiya 7 is not much bigger but I prefer the 6 x 6 format. No new lenses
are expected for the 7. A 180 or 210 is not possible due to the
rangefinder baseline. 


PENTAX: The new 43mm/1.9 lens looked really sharp and contrasty through
the viewfinder of a ZX 5N. I also tried out the 85/1.4 and 100 macro
lenses and was impressed by the overall build quality (and size). This
would certainly make my short-list of AF bodies. Has anyone out there used
the 43mm/1.9 ? If so please respond. 


ROLLEI: The 6000 series has always intrigued me and it now offers a wide
selection of lenses. The 55mm PC lens is available, albeit at a price: I
was quoted $ 7,500. The mainstream lenses and backs have been reduced in
price to the point where it makes no economic sense whatsoever for a
newcomer to consider Hasselblad - assuming , of course, equal reliability
and service.  Whether the new, lower, pricing will be maintained is not
clear. The 6003 offers so much for the money that I don't understand
(neither does Rollei, I suspect) why it isn't more popular. The build
quality was fine, perhaps the feel was a bit poorer than that of the good
old SL 66, but that seems to be the trend: my 'flexes have a much nicer
feel than my R's. I see a 6000 series system w. lens and back advertised
for less than a Hassy 202 body alone. Any 600X users out there ?

The not so new 2.8 GX was a bitter disappointment. It has a plasticky
appearance and seems to be mechanically simplified compared to the old F
series.  I have never liked it and wonder how many have been sold. This
camera needs to be rethought and upgraded if Rollei wishes it to survive.
And why is a simple 2.8 GX more expensive than a 6000 outfit ?


LEICA: This well known German firm had an active booth. LUG'ers where were
you ? Only 5 or 6 showed up.  I counted 12 or 13 M bodies and a CLE at the
show, but not a single R. I wonder what this means ? More later.


                                           Regards,
                                           Akhil