Contax N Digital

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera until I read the article ( http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII , Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Bill Propper said:

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera
until I read the article (
http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII ,
Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the
Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you
purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Click to expand...

I used Contax equipment for nearly a decade. Loved the optics. So I have no axe to grind in telling you this, but any company that releases a camera and then tries to act like that product doesn't even exist is something I don't think you want to get involved with.

In this forum there was quite the bun-fight over this camera before it was even released. The N-digital was delayed and delayed, and then it was finally released and it was like it fell off the face of the earth. Nothing. Never seen anything like it frankly.

I'd recomend you check out Canon, Nikon and Fuji's offerings instead. I switched from Contax to Canon a few years ago and think that lenses are reasonably comparable in quality. Zeiss optics will always have that special something else, but the Canon lenses are really quite good.
Doug B
Torontowide.com

Bill

It depends on what kind of photography you are into. It is not a camera for high speed sports work, because of the ISO 25-400 range, but it's absolutely superb for landscapes, especially with the wide angle lenses. The biggest prints I have seen produced from the camera were approx 60inches by 40inches - stunning quality.

There are one or two areas where it could be improved, in terms of handling, but the image quality is what is important in the end. I tried one on loan for a week, and there have been upgrades to hardware (battery life) and software since then, so last week I bought one at the new (lower) price, and I'm not disappointed at all.

Early reviews were generally poor, but the situation has improved markedly and the current cameras are as I say excellent. It is very much a camera which you have to find your way around to get the best out of - lots of photos, and experiment with settings.

Don't judge from only one review - ask if you can borrow one, then decide.
--
Andy Bennetts
http://www.cvscotland.com

Samples from the Contax N Digital were included on a CD that came with a new Digital Photography magazine in the UK. In Photoshop, they looked pretty good, with a subtle quality I found quite appealing.

However, I think my S2 can do significantly better at a third of the price or less. I used to be a Contax owner and fan, but I'd treat the N1 as an experiment that has not been entirely successful.

Wait for the N2, unless you can get a N1 ar a real end of the line price, and can accept its limitations.

RIL

Bill Propper said:

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera
until I read the article (
http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII ,
Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the
Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you
purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Click to expand...

I

Andy Bennetts said:

tried one on loan for a week, and there have been upgrades to
hardware (battery life) and software since then, so last week I
bought one at the new (lower) price, and I'm not disappointed at
all.

Early reviews were generally poor, but the situation has improved
markedly and the current cameras are as I say excellent. It is
very much a camera which you have to find your way around to get
the best out of - lots of photos, and experiment with settings.

Click to expand...

Andy,

That's good to hear they've made progress with the camera. Do you have any samples from the N Digital you could share with us? ( taking into account that you've only had the camera for a week)

There was so much interest when it first came out, it's a shame that Contax let it all dissipate away. Even now it's difficult to find samples of the N Digital's output.
Doug B
Torontowide.com

to this day I've seen (get this) TWO full-size Contax images, both of which had excuses attached to them as to why they were so bad (all external factors, of course).

I'd run, not walk, away. There's something up if you can't find full-size images floating around. Look at the Sony Talk forum for an example of a camera that people aren't ashamed to show images from.

cheers, D

Andy Bennetts said:

Bill

It depends on what kind of photography you are into. It is not a
camera for high speed sports work, because of the ISO 25-400 range,
but it's absolutely superb for landscapes, especially with the wide
angle lenses. The biggest prints I have seen produced from the
camera were approx 60inches by 40inches - stunning quality.

There are one or two areas where it could be improved, in terms of
handling, but the image quality is what is important in the end. I
tried one on loan for a week, and there have been upgrades to
hardware (battery life) and software since then, so last week I
bought one at the new (lower) price, and I'm not disappointed at
all.

Early reviews were generally poor, but the situation has improved
markedly and the current cameras are as I say excellent. It is
very much a camera which you have to find your way around to get
the best out of - lots of photos, and experiment with settings.

Don't judge from only one review - ask if you can borrow one, then
decide.
--
Andy Bennetts
http://www.cvscotland.com

Click to expand...

It's not that the Contax is so bad, it's that the compitition is better and MUCH cheaper. In your case you have an investment in lenses, even so, at least for this forum almost no one liked it. I'm referring to the people who actually went out and bought one.

They more or less reported the above.

Dave

ResIpsaLoquitur said:

However, I think my S2 can do significantly better at a third of
the price or less. I used to be a Contax owner and fan, but I'd
treat the N1 as an experiment that has not been entirely successful.

Wait for the N2, unless you can get a N1 ar a real end of the line
price, and can accept its limitations.

RIL

Bill Propper said:

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera
until I read the article (
http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII ,
Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the
Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you
purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

n.t. means no text...

Doug B wrote:
Do you

Doug Brown said:

have any samples from the N Digital you could share with us? (
taking into account that you've only had the camera for a week)
There was so much interest when it first came out, it's a shame
that Contax let it all dissipate away. Even now it's difficult to
find samples of the N Digital's output.

Click to expand...

The big problem is that to see the images properly, you need the full file, which is some 17Mb - a bit big for downloading on the forum.

Your local dealer should have some prints to view - or they should be able to get hold of them - the Kyocera rep in the UK has some examples & you can't fault the quality.

I have some smaller images on my website, and there are some examples on http://www.contaxinfo.com .
--
Andy Bennetts
http://www.cvscotland.com

Have to agree with George here. If you want to use Carl Zeiss lenses then buy a film scanner. The price of the Contax is to high, at this stage of digital technology you will be buying something that will be replaced buy something half the price at twice the quality in a few years time.

I can see that you enjoy using quality optics, and can understand the appeal of the Contax digital, but I don't think the N1 is going to live up to your expectations.

Good Luck with whatever you decide

Simon

Since your lenses won't fit the N digital anyway, you're starting again and might as well look at the competition.

Since Canon have now brought out a more expensive body in the EOS1Ds maybe you should look at that

Seriously, I have handled an N digital and it doesn't really compare with the professional SLRs from Canon and Nikon in ruggedness or all-round flexibility.

Then with the far more restricted lens range compared to any other manufacturer the benefits of the full frame sensor are pretty marginal, especially now the 1Ds exists.

Bill Propper said:

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera
until I read the article (
http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII ,
Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the
Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you
purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Click to expand...

--
Derek

Bill,

I recently attended a meeting with the LA area field manager for Contax. I own a Contax G2, and went to specifically talk to him about the G2. Anyway, we got to talking about the N, and he flat out said, without me even asking his opinion, "Don't buy the Contax N".

When I dug a little deeper, he mentioned that not a single field rep for Contax would recommend the N to anyone. He said that there have been heated arguements within Contax about the real issues with this camera.

The fact that it had been announced and delayed for such a long time is just an indication of the problems that Contax is hiding about this camera. The price/performace gap has been widened beyond the point that this camera is anything special anymore. If you wait a short amount of time, many more full frame D-SLR's will hit the street. In addition, he said that if he had to choose a D-SLR today, it would be the Fuji S2. Since it took so long to actually ship, all of the other camera vendors have leapfrogged Contax in the D-SLR market.

If you still decide to buy it, wait a short while, as he mentioned that they are seriously considering a very generous rebate to help clear the warehouse of the unsold bodies.

Just to be clear. I am a HUGE Contax fan. I think the G2 is a great camera and the lenses are well...Zeiss.

Erik.

Bill Propper said:

I need your help. I was about to purchase a Contax N digital camera
until I read the article (
http://luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/1n-non.shtml

I have been a Contax user for many a year, currently using RTSIII ,
Contax AX and a collection of CZ lenses. My question to all of the
Contax N Digital owners,"If you had it to do over again would you
purchase a Contax N Digital Camera as of this moment?"

Thank you for any amount of information.

Bill Propper
Dana Point, CA

Click to expand...