Is anyone bummed about the R3a/R2a?

[FrankS]

🙁

 

[Huck Finn]

The longer baseline finder in the (vaporous) Zeiss-Ikon camera also was engineered by Cosina.


I wonder if the idea didn't originate with Cosina... then, when they added up the costs of manufacturing a camera with a longer base length, they concluded that consumers wouldn't pay that much for a product sold under the C-V brand name. So, they negotiated with Zeiss to allow use of their more illustrious name on the new camera.


The only reason Cosina was able to successfully revive the moderate-price RF camera segment is that they already had a small all-mechanical SLR chassis on which to base their new cameras.

Jlw, your speculation that the idea for the ZI may have originated with Cosina had some support in the Japanese press last fall. However, I disagree with the idea that they simply approached Zeiss about using their name & there is no evidence that Cosina engineered the longer baseline finder.

I have great respect for what Cosina has done to revive interest in rangefinders. However, I have no illusions about them being an innovative company otherwise. I agree with your comment about their use of the SLR chasis already available to them. This is a good example of how they have developed their product line - like any good investor - by using OPM (other people's money), but in this case, other people's technology. Really, they don't have pockets deep enough for the R&D required for these projects.

By all reports, Cosina's introduction of AE was a by-product of a change in shutters that was forced on them by the industry - in this case, Copal.

My guess is that Cosina's introduction of the 1x magnification viewfinder was funded by Epson in developing the viewfinder for the RD-1 & that Cosina simply used the same viewfinder for the R3A.

Similarly, all of the evidence is that Zeiss paid for the R&D and engineering for the ZI, although the germ of the idea may well have started with Cosina & they may well have had input into decisions regarding use of materials & parts from their past experience once the design was set & the engineering decisions were made. I expect that somewhere down the line that Cosina will find a way to benefit from Zeiss's investment by using ideas for the ZI in their own future products. Those Kobayashis are smart business people.

In the end, I believe that the Zeiss name is on this camera because it is a Zeiss project, developed with Zeiss funds & manufactured in collaboration with Cosina. I also agree with Rover that the multiple layers of corporate infrastructure (Zeiss/Cosina/Hasselblad) must have impacted the price & that costs could have been reduced if one of these companies could have seen the project through from beginning to end.

Cheers

 

[g0tr00t]

Ah, I guess its the evolution that I am trying to avoid. I just think an option to purchase one without AE and electronic shutter should be available. That's all....

Why not keep the R2, R2a and R3a all going....Oh well, thanks for the good discussion. It was a good read.

 

[cjdmarcantel]

I was making a decision bout a year ago to sale my pentax lx system to buy a friends nikon F100 but then i read about a bessa R2 which seemed very interesting ,the more i read the more i liked what i read.Well i sold my Lx and got lucky on ebay for a R2 w/ a 35mm 1.7 ultron and its been like a dream come true .I had heard about the bright viewfinder untill i looked through it.honest it was like taking a sip of vintage wine .This is the most user frindley camera i've ever owned.

















it

 

[peter_n]

And joining this forum will be like a whole glass! 😉 Welcome to the forum cjdmarcante and that's a nice story... 🙂

 

[g0tr00t]

Welcome cjdmarcantel!

 

[ElrodCod]

Ah, I guess its the evolution that I am trying to avoid. I just think an option to purchase one without AE and electronic shutter should be available. That's all....

Why not keep the R2, R2a and R3a all going....Oh well, thanks for the good discussion. It was a good read.

I agree......IMO the R3 is a step in the wrong direction. What's next???Auto focus????