[Leica] Contax 645 (Off Topic)

["Tim Atherton" <timphoto@hotmail.com>]

Check out News at www.contaxcameras.com for details and photos of the 
new Contax 645 - look kind of interesting

From the site: 
The photographer’s demand for high quality tools is always met by 
CONTAX. As a result,
    CONTAX introduces the world’s finest Auto Focus 645 format SLR 
camera system. The
    CONTAX 645 is a complete auto focus medium format system that has 
been designed to
    deliver the highest quality photographic results. As one would 
expect, the same attention to
    detail and high quality that is applied to the 35mm CONTAX products 
is extended into this
    new medium format camera system. 

    The CONTAX 645 lens system is composed of six outstanding Carl Zeiss 
T* Auto Focus
    lenses including the Distagon T* 35mm f3.5 (21mm lens in 35mm), 
Distagon T* 45mm f2.8
    (28mm lens in 35mm), Planar T* 80mm f2 (50mm lens in 35mm), 
Apo-Makro Planar T*
    120mm f4 (75mm lens in 35mm), Sonnar T* 140mm f2.8 (87mm in 35mm), 
Sonnar T*
    210mm f4 (131mm lens in 35mm). Each lens is an extremely fast 
focusing design due to an
    integrated Ultra-Sonic motor. 

    Auto focusing on the CONTAX 645 is a phase difference detection 
(passive) system. The 645
    incorporates an Ultra-sonic motor in each lens to provide the 
fastest auto focusing possible.
    The user can select either Single Auto Focus or Continuous Auto 
Focus according to the
    needs of the photographer. A seamless transition from AF to manual 
focus is accomplished
    by the photographer simply taking control of the lens. When the 
photographer takes over the
    focusing system by beginning to focus, the AF system releases 
immediately transferring
    control to the user. There is no AF/MF switch required on the CONTAX 
645. The CONTAX
    645 is the most advanced medium format body ever developed to match 
the high quality of
    Carl Zeiss T* optics. 

    A new concept in internal camera control has been implemented in the 
CONTAX 645. There
    is a micro-processor on-board each major system component for 
solid-state internal
    communication over a distributed computer network. No mechanical 
linkages are present.
    This allows accurate and precisely adjustable communication between 
all system
    components at the speed of an electron. 

    The CONTAX 645 incorporates a motor drive which offers the fastest 
film advance system
    available in the medium format industry. The 2.5 frames per second 
drive is built-in and is
    standard equipment on the CONTAX 645. The camera also provides 
interchangeable backs
    with 16 exposures on each roll of 120 film and 33 frames on a roll 
of 220. Auto advance to
    the first frame is standard, as is mid-roll advance to end of roll. 
CONTAX has also applied its
    industry leading technology to integrate a Real Time Vacuum system 
that pulls the film
    down to the pressure plate before every exposure. This is a system 
pioneered and proven
    effective in the CONTAX RTS III. This system can operate because 
there is no paper backing
    interfering on 220 film. 

    Data Back imprinting is incorporated into both the 120 and 220 film 
backs. This system
    offers imprinting of f-stop, shutter speed, exposure compensation, 
exposure mode and lens
    information. 

    Also included as standard equipment is a detachable eye-level AE 
Prism that provides bright
    and even illumination over the entire screen. The AE functions 
include Aperture Priority (AV),
    Shutter priority (TV) and Manual metering. These AE functions are 
also extended to use on
    the optional waist-level finder, since the SPD exposure sensor is 
located in the camera
    body. The AE Prism also includes spot metering, center-weighted 
average metering and the
    famous TTL Pre-Flash Metering system that was originally introduced 
on the CONTAX RTS
    III. Automatic Bracketing Control (A.B.C.) is included with a choice 
of 0.5 or 1.0 EV
    selection. The user can select from three bright, interchangeable 
focusing screens. The
    standard screen supplied with the CONTAX 645 is an unencumbered 
matte type screen.
    Also available is the microprism collar surrounding a split image 
screen as well as a grid
    screen. Each finder provides a 95% field of view. A built-in diopter 
selector offers viewfinder
    diopters from -2d to +1d, and this system is extendible with use of 
the FM diopters found in
    the 35mm camera accessories. 

    Viewfinder information is complete in the CONTAX 645. Aperture 
display, f-stop, exposure
    warning, flash indication (including pre-flash TTL metering), 
exposure compensation (+/- 2
    EV), exposure counter and AF confirmation are all visible in the 
viewfinder. 

    Shutters are key to the success of any medium format camera. They 
are necessarily large
    and often slow. CONTAX changes all that by offering the fastest 
medium format focal plane
    shutter in the world at 1/4000 second top shutter speed and the 
fastest X sync at 1/125
    second. This shutter out-performs many 35mm cameras. The CONTAX 645 
is also
    lens/shutter capable. The photographer can look forward to 
introductions soon of several
    lens/shutter lenses for the CONTAX 645. 

    The TTL flash system is the same as the Extended TLA Flash system as 
used on the
    CONTAX RX, AX and Aria. That is, the CONTAX 645 offers the five-pin 
flash connection that
    mates with the CONTAX TLA360 flash. This system allows flash ratios 
to be set from the
    flash and it also displays the set f-stop on the flash LCD. 

    The design and execution of the CONTAX 645 represents a landmark 
step in the evolution of
    medium format cameras. As we learned with our 35mm camera system, 
the best approach
    to leading the pack in camera design is to combine state-of-the-art 
lensmaking with space
    age electronics. 

    The CONTAX 645 and Carl Zeiss T* lenses come supplied with a USA 
Limited Three Year
    Warranty. This camera and the system will be available from January, 
1999. The price is as
    yet, undetermined. For retail locations, consumers can call CONTAX 
North America at
    1-800-526-0266. CONTAX North America, is a division of Kyocera 
Electronics, Inc., which
    manufactures and markets a wide array of photographic equipment 
including SLR’s,
    sophisticated point and shoot cameras and accessories. 

etc etc...

Tim A
                             

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