It's official! No Contax from Kyocera anymore

The first link run through babblefish:

Kyocera closes the camera production! The end for Contax
12.04.2005
Kyocera Japan announced today officially the production stop of Contax-cameras after already before short the attitude of the digital camera production became official.


How Kyocera Japan announces in an English press report, the firm decided itself to abandon the Contax-Kamerageschäft. As a reason, „Schwierigkeiten, the immediate fast market variations are named standzuhalten“. „Konsequenterweise“ Kyocera wants to adjust therefore the extradition of Contax-cameras and -lenses to the September 2005. Solely the Contax-645-System is supposed to be delivered yet until end December 2005 into some markets.


Planned production attitude:

• Contax N digitally: already end was adjusted fabrication of housing and accessories March 2005.
• Contax T3: already end was adjusted fabrication of housing and accessories March 2005.
• Contax G system: already end was adjusted fabrication of housing, lenses and accessories March 2005.
• Contax N system: already end was adjusted fabrication of housing, lenses and accessories March 2005.
• Contax / Yashica bayonet system, lenses and accessories: end is adjusted fabrication April 2005.
• Contax 645 systems: end is adjusted fabrication of housing, lenses and accessories April 2005.
• Contax digitally-Komapktkameras: end is adjusted fabrication of cameras and lenses June.

Spare parts and repairs are supposed to be secured for all cameras for ten years.
 
And the second, also run through Altavista Babelfish:

The news of completion of the production which accompanies CONTAX business end




Customer everyone

2005 April 12th

The Kyocera corporation
Optical instruments generalization division

Over long time, CONTAX regular use, thank you for truly.

Concerning the CONTAX business which it starts doing this time, with the cooperation with カールツァイス and Kyocera, as for Kyocera, to end the shipment in the country with this year September, because it came to the point of with ending the same business in our company, we guide. カールツァイス and Kyocera built cooperative relationship in regard to the development production sale "of the CONTAX brand" product, over long time, but it decided that it cannot correspond to the change of the sudden market Kyocera and ends the business. Attendant upon this CONTAX business end, as mentioned below you designate the CONTAX product as the production completion commodity.
Furthermore, longest 10 years it starts continuing with the time limit when sort we have decided until recently in every type in regard to the after-sales service. Also in the future the equipment and material which regular use we have received, feeling at rest in everyone, in order for you to be able to use, the place where it starts maintaining conservative repair system it is existence.
In addition, for the time being it starts continuing management concerning the Contax club, and the Contax salon. Also in the future it does not change and that utilization it receives, it asks.
Description

- Production completion timeType and series Object commodity Production completion time
CONTAX N Digital Camera body, accessory 2005 3 end of the month
Contax T3 Camera body, accessory 2005 3 end of the month
CONTAX G system Camera body, lens and accessory 2005 3 end of the month
CONTAX N system Camera body, lens and accessory 2005 3 end of the month
CONTAX/YASHICA mount system Lens and accessory 2005 4 end of the month
CONTAX 645 system Camera body, lens and accessory 2005 4 end of the month
CONTAX compact digital camera The camera body, the accessory (the private electric battery is excluded) 2005 6 end of the month
 
Well, very unfortunate, as that was a productive cooperation. But not unexpected.

This does not answer the question about the licensing of the Contax name. If Kyocera gives up the Contax name, that would seem to free Zeiss to use it for the new RF camera...
 
Remain calm, all is well.

Remain calm, all is well.

Ya know, as much as I have been diligent in posting the press releases of the Contax brand demise on this forum, as well as a couple of posts on ContaxG.com, I will say this...

Over the past few months, whenever I have been "nervous" about the longevity of the G1/G2, I jump over to ebay and search on "leica lens hood" and look at the $300 specimens (more than I paid for my G1/45 combo), and I feel much better....

Keep shooting till it comes apart in your hands.... :D
 
Issy said:
Keep shooting till it comes apart in your hands.... :D
Click to expand...
Indeed! I'm only a month or so into Contax G ownership, and I went into it knowing this was a discontinued system. No surprises, no anxiety, only enjoying the heck out of it! :cool:
 
Substantially the same info as above, in slightly better English, from Kyocera's website:

Press release, 12th of April 2005

Kyocera Corporation (President: Yasuo Nishiguchi, hereafter called "Kyocera") has decided to terminate CONTAX-branded camera business.

Although Carl Zeiss and Kyocera have entered into a long term co- operation regarding the development, production and sale of CONTAX- branded cameras, Kyocera has decided to terminate such business due to difficulties in catching up with the recent rapid market changes.

Consequently, Kyocera will terminate the shipment of CONTAX-branded cameras, and the exclusive lenses and accessories in September, 2005, except for the CONTAX 645 camera system, the shipment of which to some markets will come to an end in December, 2005.

Kyocera will continue to provide after-sales services to its customers for their CONTAX-branded cameras, and the exclusive lenses and accessories over the maximum period of ten years within the specified time of each model.

-------------------------------------------
P.S. I plan to continue to use and enjoy my G2 and assorted lenses.
 
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