Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yes, I suppose I should have said that their RF line would have been non-profitable and would have gone belly-up. Jeffery Smith New Orleans, LA - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of sam Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 7:42 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Digital Bessa RF If you think past rangefinders, Cosina makes a pretty good living off making bodies for other camera makers and making zoom lenses for sale under different brands. They have a financial base that allows them to play with offbeat cameras. Those zooms are their bread and butter. Sam S Jeffery Smith wrote: > I have always assumed that Cosina would try to invade the already > neglected RF market for a few years, sputter, and then die. Pop Photog > said that the Bessa R was sure to become a cult classic, and that > usually means a very narrow audience. I was sure that they would have > folded by now, but they keep fooling me. Now Leica lays off a bunch of > people, and announces a digital M that is two years down the road. The > Bessa digital is a few months down the road. > > I figured that Panasonic would own the Leica trademark by 2005. Now I > don't know what is going on. > > Jeffery Smith > New Orleans, LA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of sam > Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 6:02 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: Re: [Leica] Digital Bessa RF > > Wow. At $6,000 for the Leica (in two years) and the Cosina at maybe > $2500-3500, the Cosina looks better and better. This may be Cosina's one > > big chance to become a world-class player. > > Sam S > > > > Jeffery Smith wrote: > > >>Here is Stephen Gandy's report from Photokina: >>================================================================== >>Holy Digital Batman, what a surprise! No one expected this. The new >>digital Bessa was probably the most photographed camera at PMA, photog >>after photog taking shots of it. I will have a page with pics up > > early > >>next week. It was amazing to see a early 1930's 50/2.5 Leitz Hektor >>mounted on a new digital RF. Don't think the people who put together >>the display did not understand the historical significance of the 70 >>year old lens being used with full compatibility on their new camera. >> >>it's for real, Epson and Cosina combined in a secret joint project to >>produce the first interchangeable lens digital rangefinder ever. I >>wondered why the film cameras I was told about at last year's PMA did >>not materialize when expected. Apparently they were put aside >>temporarily for the digital Bessa. This new camera is a really big >>deal, especially since RF users have been told for years such a camera >>was impossible due to technical limitations of the digital sensors. > > Only > >>last week Leica announced that with improvements in technology, a >>digital Leica M was about two years away. Privately Leica estimated > > a > >>retail body price of $6000. >> >>officially the details of the camera will not be officially released >>until March 11. my guesses and observations are: >> >>Leica M mount >>6 megapixel digital chip >>APS size sensor >>electronic Copal shutter, 1 to 1/2000th, 1/125th flash sync metered >>manual and aperture priority AE, counterweighted metering exposure > > lock > >>availability by summer 2004 the rear mounted LCD screen flips around > > to > >>store it out of the way, not only to save batteries, but also to make >>the shooting experience as much as possible like a traditional RF >>traditional PC outlet as well as hot shoe, no TTL flash traditional >>screw in remote shutter release --- Mr. K apparently does not like buy >>$75 remote electronic shutter releases either plus/minus 2 stops EV >>compensation traditional ISO film setting in shutter dial >> >>the digital Bessa is designed to make traditional RF users right at >>home, with a minimum of computer geekdom required. I think this was >>exactly the right move. >> >>I estimate the price much less than the Leica digital M's at $6000, > > but > >>much more than previous Voigtlander cameras. It is even possible the >>digital Bessa may be more expensive than Leica's M7 and MP. It would >>be interesting if Leica M owners had to endure kidding as the "bargain >>priced rangefinder" for the first time since the Leica / Contax >>competition of the 1930's. >> >>Let me make it clear I have not handled the digital Bessa. Epson had >>the only samples locked up on display. The mostly analog controls are > > a > >>welcomed site to me, compared to most camera computer's controls, but >>your guess is as good as mine so far as exactly what each control is >>for. >> >>Being the first digital interchangeable lens RF, and probably the only >>one for up to two years until the Leica Digital M arrives, this is a >>very important camera, not only to Cosina Voigtlander, but to all RF >>shooters. >> >>The Epson connection comes as big a surprise as the camera. Who would >>have thought Epson would be interested in making in a digital RF >>camera? It remains to be seen how this plays, we find out March 11. >> >>Stephen >> >> >>-- >>To unsubscribe, see > > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > >> > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html