Contax Bites The Dust

[ijonas]

Sorry if this is should be in the Contax forum, but I thought it was big enough news. Looks like Kyocera is killing off Contax, lock stock & barrell.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05030301kyocera.asp

Sigh,
Ijonas.

 

[captainslack]

This is really sad. ): First Leica and now Contax. Two of the great names in cameras possibly gone forever. According to dpreview there's a possiblity Sony might buy the Contax name. We can only hope.

 

[ddimaria]

Hey! Leica's still around! And Johnny Cash isn't dead either... He's immortal!

 

[Huck Finn]

Here's another article with some more detail on the same sad news:

http://db.riskwaters.com/public/showPage.html?page=210204

 

[oftheherd]

I've always had a liking for the Yashica/Contax brand. Never had any RF's, but several of the SLR's.

Now how am I going to get my Yashica TL Super fixed if it ever goes bad? :bang:

Hope for whatever reason they change their mind or sell of the brand names to another manufacturer that will continue the production at quality.

 

[Doug]

I do admire Yashica for rising to the challenge of producing the quality needed for a premium-name brand like Contax. They'd always seemed an "also ran" before that, so, good for them! And sad to see their new corporate owners pouring it all down the drain! 🙁

 

[Socke]

IMHO this is not unexpected and the Zeiss-Ikon may be Carl Zeiss early answer to that

 

[aizan]

i don't suppose carl zeiss could get the contax name, do you?

 

[yossarian]

Will this never end..?

Will this never end..?

As if the Leica and Contax news wasn't depressing enough, several days ago a friend informed me that Krispy Kreme has filed Chapter 11.
Nikon and Dunkin' Doughnuts as exemplars?
"That dog don't hunt'.
yossarian

 

[Double Vision]

Any chance for one last round of Contax rebates or have they already sold out of their remaining inventory?

 

[Pherdinand]

Seeing how many working thirties-fifties contax rf's are still around, i think we don't have to be sad for some more time. This does not mean that all the contax cameras (rf, G, MF etc)produced so far will suddenly disappear.

 

[Richard Black]

Anybody interested in creating a pool to speculate when the name Contax is ressurected? It is too important of a brand name to remain off the market. Think about Voigtlander! Out of the market over 30 years and it is back and doing well.

 

[gabrielelopez]

Friends...let's shoot like there is no tomorrow, gone a RF camera comes another..
Themarket war shouldn't bother us, life is full of many more interesting stuff to think about...I'll keep using my g1 until I can, then, I'll see what comes..

Friendly,

 

[richiedcruz]

The name will go on

The name will go on

From what I understand Kyocera does not own the rights to the name Contax. Apparently the Carl Zeiss foundation owns the name and brand rights. Personally I hope that Cosina uses the name on the next Zeiss Ikon.

Richie

 

[Honu-Hugger]

In some ways Contax has already been dead, since 1972. And yet Yashica did a tremendous job with the modern cameras (I used the SLR's and loved them); I hope that this is just another chapter in their evolution as I would like to see the legacy continue.

 

[gabrielelopez]

Well' I've been to the show and talked with the Contax Guys...for repairs and parts there is no problem, for law reasons the y MUST provide at least ten years of service..
About Contax...the Ikon is the following of the Contax G, and then again will be build for a determinate number and then stopped, like the Hexar RF, to see if there's a market request again...believe me, the Zeiss Ikon BODY is a waste of money, is built like a Bessa R2 at the triple price, in my opinion...you must try to advance the fim....the lever is that of a 200$ camera!!!

The reasons for the stop anyway are logically a too strong used market and loss in production costs..Kyocera was loosing with the Contax serie, and dropped it..surely the brand will continue, and then again the esisting stocks are impressive..but the future is making some RD-1 kind of cameras, ore just OEM P&Shoots, like Contax was doing recently.
If that sells enough, film cameras are not a problem in production, like Canon and Nikon teach..

'bye to everyone!

 

[Azinko]

Contax MF production will continue as there are no plans to end production at the moment.

Kyocera_Yashica UK announced this yesterday and a press release will follow today. The problem was coused by European branch getting ahead of itself!

 

[djon]

Calumet's trying to move the Kyocera digitals as if they had a future...and not cheaply.

 

[oftheherd]

For the latest on this issue, I found this thread on PP&I where PP&I editor Mason Resnick answered with information from Kyocera.

 

[djon]

I think some are missing a key point: Kyocera's out of the Kyocera-branded DIGITAL business too. NOT just Contax 35.