My tour of the Cosina Lens and Camera factory

I can't add to the exciting comments and feelings this report arises. And my joy for the success of this analog camera gear manufacturer. Thanks a lot.

I would like to comment about Cosina's way of survival in the market, which reminds me a lot (with all the differences in every aspect) of the small sized printshop I work in. Because there is something jumping to our eyes as a miracle, or a non accepted economic rational, that nevertheless works and works: A small sized manufacturer producing more and more in-house,

and if you allow me, I would guess, struggling to produce with the most advanced technologies.

This is not common, nor easy. You have to think deep about the balance between highest technological tools that will cut your production expenses and their own cost. I, e, you will be producing at lower expense at the same time you are paying back for the machines enabling you to cut your costs.

This requires a constant minimum revenue you build on an can maintain. Otherwise you sink.

Sometimes you will still combine older tools in the chain, since technology advances at unequal pace and some new manufacturing tools are either too expensive, or unperforming as expected, or not solving the problems. And you have to think it all successfully.

On the other hand if you loose your in-house tech tools update, you will end paying rent to those, like Cosina, who have them.

This, let's call it "how to move in the market", is not a ready formula according to size, but requires the central role of Mr Kobayashi and his staff.

What a privilege would it be to work there ! I raise my glass of champagne:

Cheers,
Ruben
 
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I simply love this company, they've proven they can make quality products for oter companies (ask Zeiss or Nikon) and come up for some superb products of their own that can compete with the competition for a very atractive price. They've also shown that they pay careful attention to the demands and requests of customers. They've even come out with products that Leica has been unable to match (the R4 with 21mm frames for instance.)
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I agree with samoksner. I love how Cosina has brought so many things to the table with their rangefinders. A 1:1 viewfinder in the R3's, the ultra-wide R4's, the 1.5x rangefinder in the Bessa-T and the viewfinder in the Bessa-R that apparently matches a Leica in brightness. I'm behind them all the way. I just ordered a R3M, my third Bessa.
 
Dan. like you, I have gone through the Cosina factories - in my case many times. It is always fun and there is a feeling that the people working there really like what they are doing.
My favorite is the glass plant - it is a mini version of Dante's hell. Roaring gas furnaces and big "melting pots" and the long cooling conveyor. It looks a bit like the flat loaf of bread coming out of the furnace. The glass is thick and slowly moving along and then cut into chunks.
If we consider that Cosina/Voigtlander has only been making Rf lenses and cameras for 10 years (in the LTM/M-mount) - they have certainly changed the field. The selection of glass available to us is nothing short of fantastic - 12/5.6!, the 15f4.5, the 35f1.2 - the list goes on. The Bessa/Zeiss bodies. the Zeiss lens line - and all of it reasonably priced too!
My feeling is that without an enthusiast like Mr Kobayashi - our choice of lenses and cameras would have been considerably poorer today. CV has forced companies like Leica and Zeiss to sharpen their skills just to keep up. All of which is good for us, the consumer and user.
I like the Voigtlander/Zeiss museum in Nakano. Saw it for the first time last month. Whenever i go to swap meets and find things that I think could be used there, i ship it to Mr Kobayashi ( I did find a "new in the box" Voigtlander 1756-1956 Vito Anniversary some time ago - and it is now in the museum. Nice blue box and gold print.
 
Thanks Tom for the stress on Kobayashi. I cannot but recall Maitani.

Cheers,
Ruben
 
What we have today in the form of affordable and some "cutting edge" glass (and camera bodies, R4M/A, R3A/M and the ZM and SW) is entirely due to Mr Kobayashi's interest in cameras and optics. He is a discerning collector and avid photographer on top of it.
What sets CV apart is that they actually listens to the end-user and will try to accomodate them when it is practical (and economically feasible).
He tends to use a small design team, 2-3 guys and ideas are bounced around until they are analyzed and the decision is made right then and there! It is not a one-way street either, anybody round the table can propose something and it is discussed, occasionally laughed at but never thrown out as "Oh, not feasible" usually only as "Oh, nobody would want it" - though even that is not final!
 
Tom A said:
What we have today in the form of affordable and some "cutting edge" glass (and camera bodies, R4M/A, R3A/M and the ZM and SW) is entirely due to Mr Kobayashi's interest in cameras and optics. He is a discerning collector and avid photographer on top of it.
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Yes - we traditional photo-hobbyists who love our traditional film equipment owe a debt to Kobayashi san. Great post, and great comment Tom A. Years ago, my first "real" camera was a "cheap" Vivitar 3000S, Pentax K-mount. Made by "Cosina" (I found out very much later), I always thought that camera had quality that belied its small price. It's called "value". It was then, and is now, my only SLR in faithful service since the late 80's. It's sitting on my end table with an M42 Super Takumar 1.4/50 (the radioactive one) and I finished up a roll with it today.

Nice to see they're doing well and have a thriving global OEM business. You posts - regarding the lens they were making, lifts the curtain on a lot of the brand mystique associated with gear.
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This is all very thought-provoking, especially regarding what is truly a "maverick" company where thinking outside the box is much more than a buzz-phrase. The comparison with Y. Maitani isn't off-base, either...I think Olympus would be in at least a slightly better position now if Mr. M. had a hand in design matters now. Mr. K is responsible for bringing the RF presence to bear on two fronts (Cosina/Voigtlander and Zeiss), and proving that, while the RF market is by no means huge, it's viable enough to support a line of reasonably-priced bodies and lenses that get better all the time. Mr. K is the most rare person, a shrewd businessman and a RF hero. In this biz, you next to never get both.


- Barrett
 
Speaking of Olympus, they are not far away from Nakano Japan, in Tatsuno. Nagano Prefecture is fertile ground for precision manufacturing and so much of what we all use daily in photography springs from this mountainous region. Perhaps there is something in the water!

Dan
 
I may buy my second CV lens one day. I am impressed.
Thanks.
 
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It sounds like as long as Kobayashi lives and prospers ... so will film!

Hats off to you ... I enjoyed reading that immensly and wished it was ten times longer. :p
 
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I agree to a point ... but would BMW's very successful little box on wheels have sold so well if they'd called it anything other than the 'Mini' ... which they also bought the rights to do of course?

I used to work on BMC products and that vehicle is so far removed from the original 'Mini' it's crazy ... but it sells the car IMO!
 
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Alright, there's more than one person on this board that's familiar with the A-series engines.

I always refer to my Nakamo gear as Cosina/Voigtlander or CV because I own and use a couple of Voigtlander cameras from the early 1950ies.
 
That was great. I'm glad someone still does it "the old fashioned way". As for Leica, it looks like there may be more elves in the CV factory than are left in the Black Forest of Wetzlar.

/T
 
Tom A said:
What sets CV apart is that they actually listens to the end-user and will try to accomodate them when it is practical (and economically feasible).
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What sets CV apart is that it is run by someone who both loves his products and knows the business inside and out. How different from "professional managers" who are brought in to run a company, know didly squat about the business, and care only for their own interests. And that, my friend, is the definition of "CEO" in today's public companies and what is wrong with most public companies and why they all blew up.

/T
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
The crazy thing is the cameras, at least the Bessa R2 that I have, has "Voigtlander GERMANY" written on the back of them. The bottom plate does say "Cosina Co. Japan"

We all know its made in Japan. Putting Germany on it seems dishonest
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I agree that it's weird to put Germany on the back, but they don't do this anymore.
 
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