New CV cameras at Photokina?

[alan davus]

I've been trolling through the new posts here looking for info about new CV products at Photokina. Nothing was mentioned so I switched to an Aussie site Mainlinephoto sort of a Downunder Cameraquest company. One of their headlines is that 2 new Voigtlander cameras the R4a and R4m have been announced both to be available in black and more info will follow. Can anyone confirm or deny this as I'd expect something like this to appear here first. Or is everyone just so distracted by the new M8?

 

[Chris Lynch]

whoaaaaaaaa Stephen please give us the lowdown!

 

[Andrew Sowerby]

New bodies? That is pretty shocking . . . any word on the features of these alleged new'uns?

 

[Chris Lynch]

what could Mr. K have up his sleeve?!? what hasn't been done before? hybrid shutter, a-la FM3A? 🙂

 

[goo0h]

This was posted on the CVUG list:

From: Stephen <photokina@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: CVUG <cvug@cameraquest.org>
To: cvug@cameraquest.org
Date: Sep 28, 2006 7:21 AM
Subject: [CVUG] Tom's Bessa Wides

Five years ago Tom Abrahammsson of Rapidwinder fame asked Mr. K for the impossible, a revolutionary rangefinder M camera with 21, 25, 28, 35, and 50 framelines.

Mr. K showed that camera to myself and Tom behind the scenes at Photokina, but it is not on public display. Two versions, mechanical shutter with the display of the R3M, or aperture priority electronic shutter with the display of the R3A. The RF/VF is super bright and easy to see.

The finder is HIGH EYEPOINT! I can easily see the 21 frameline even wearing glasses! These are unique revolutionary RF cameras, the only such RF cameras ever made.

Finder magnification .52x. Manually selected 3 position frameline selector. The R4M will be made in classic black paint, the same as the 250 R3M sets. The R4A will be made in a new smooth black matt paint finish.

Price not set, but slightly higher than the R3A due to the added complexity of the new wide angle finder. Expected delivery April 2007.

Mr. K continues to amaze. The M8 is getting all the press, but it was 2nd. These cameras are unique in the RF world. Bessa wide / R3 set will cover all the framelines from 21 to 90 without auxiliary viewfinders -- not a bad idea at all! Pics and more details once I am back in Los Angeles.

Please feel free to post this info on other photo forums.

Stephen Gandy

 

[Goodyear]

Ooh.

Sounds nice, and fun.

But very niche - it's nice to get the hint that CV are making the money they need to do fun things like this.

 

[Abbazz]

I am just curious about the effective rangefinder length. could it be possible that these new cameras have a longer rangefinder (beware, Zeiss)? If not, the rangefinder would be pretty useless for focusing a fast 50mm lens...

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[sevres_babylone]

And one can dream that some of these features will find their way into a successor toe the R-D1 that someone will pick up on.

 

[ghost]

frikkin' a.

 

[Goodyear]

Not niche at all, IMO. RFs are best at 21-28, and external viewfinders suck !
Very cool.

Roland.

Well... RFs at all are pretty niche these days.

 

[bressoniac]

Cat's out of the bag...I might as well post these now...

Cat's out of the bag...I might as well post these now...

From the folks at Cosina...these PDF's about their new bodies...

 

[ghost]

nice! the 28mm frames aren't paired with anything else.

 

[2REP]

great! no more external viewfinder with my CV 21/4!

 

[anabasis]

Sounds like a nice street camera to me. I'd bite for my 21mm with AE. I love that lens, but the external finder is a bit annoying on my R2m. Nice camera and well under a grand to boot.

JCA

 

[KoNickon]

Now we're talking! And presumably there'll be that rangefinder-coupled 25 coming along soon.

I'm particularly glad these have "garireo" finders (sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[Terao]

Now we're talking! And presumably there'll be that rangefinder-coupled 25 coming along soon.

I'm particularly glad these have "garireo" finders (sorry, couldn't resist).

lol, that has to be a deliberate typo from them!

Looking forward to trying these cameras out in the spring...

 

[Foto-factotum]

Excuse my ignorance, what is a CV camera?

 

[rxmd]

CV = Cosina/Voigtländer (made by Cosina, with the Voigtländer name on them). The camera in question is the Bessa R/R2/R3/R4 brand.

Philipp

 

[ZeissFan]

I would hope that Cosina would use a wider base rangefinder.

If it uses the standard Cosina rangefinder, the viewfinder mag of just 0.52x would give it an effective base of 19.2 mm, which is simply too small (my opinion) to give you adequate accuracy. Any misalignment would be a real problem. And I wouldn't want to use it with any lens longer than 50mm.

Even if it used the Zeiss Ikon rangefinder (75mm), the effective base would still be just 39mm or 2mm more than that in the current R3A.

And remember that 0.52x is quite severe.

Of course, specs are one thing and in use, the camera viewfinder and rangefinder could prove to be fine.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Why 'Cosina Voigtlander' but not 'Cosina Zeiss'?