New Konost Digital M mount Rangefinder Project

[Godfrey]

They are aware. I emailed them months ago.

No reply.

Stephen

How can you be sure they are aware of RFF unless they have replied to confirm that they received your email?

If the company is not responding to emails from interested parties, however, that's not a very encouraging sign.

G

 

[sevo]

How can you be sure they are aware of RFF unless they have replied to confirm that they received your email?

If the company is not responding to emails from interested parties, however, that's not a very encouraging sign.

Blame the universities - they frequently assign graduation projects around crowdfunding and VC funding campaigns. Personally I've given up supporting any crowdfunded projects where I am not friends with the originators. Most of the more fancy projects I was excited about turned out to be someone's MBA or design degree - as the primary intention is to get that degree, and the actually assigned project is to generate a campaign that appeals to VC or crowdfunding investors (and not to actually produce and market some weird niche product), these things vanish into thin air once the authors have their degree.

 

[rbelyell]

now THAT is interesting and something i had no idea about. thanks for the info.

 

[krötenblender]

now THAT is interesting and something i had no idea about. thanks for the info.

It is speculation, not information.

Although I also don't have a good feeling about the future of this camera, the post from sevo was speculation of a possible cause, but not an information based on knowledge of this specific project.

 

[Godfrey]

For every 100 startup ventures, only some small percentage achieve a product, and fewer still achieve profitability. Kickstarter and other crowdfunding efforts have achieved product with a bit higher percentage than otherwise, but achieving sustained profitability and a successful company remains a challenging goal.

G

 

[rbelyell]

It is speculation, not information.

Although I also don't have a good feeling about the future of this camera, the post from sevo was speculation of a possible cause, but not an information based on knowledge of this specific project.

no, i respectfully submit you are not correct. it is speculation only that the information is accurately applied to this specific circumstance. that is not what OP or i said. it is indeed 'information', in fact it is the first bit of actual information in this thread. whether or not it specifiaclly applies here, no one knows. but it certainly is information and is food for thought in analysing these types of situations.

 

[krötenblender]

no, i respectfully submit you are not correct. it is speculation only that the information is accurately applied to this specific circumstance. that is not what OP or i said.

Then it was off-topic and not a useful information in the context of this thread.

We can agree, that we disagree, I think.

Regards,

 

[rbelyell]

i am a person who enjoys learning--thats a big draw for me of forums like this. his point was not off topic because it added to my understanding of an aspect of the topic and provided something specific to consider in this instance. and he educated me, for which i am grateful. if we dismissed as 'off topic' every comment in this thread that could not be proven, there would be no thread at all!

 

[jsrockit]

Then it was off-topic and not a useful information in the context of this thread.

It is useful to me since I hadn't even thought that it could be a factor at all.

 

[dreilly]

Jeepers, people!

It's an interesting project. The design is not particularly lovely but that is taste. It kind of reminds me of Sloth from Goonies. But another M rangefinder? Sure, bring it on. I love the R-D1. It's a wonderful way to photograph and it shouldn't have to cost $2000 or more dollars. I'll be watching this.

 

[Ezzie]

I wouldn't be holding my breath, no updates on the site since February of this year.

 

[Dante_Stella]

Considering that Leica just got a patent on an electronic rangefinder, it seems a bit less likely that a startup is going to be doing this. Maybe Konost has a patent pending, but it is not the assignee of any patents to date.

http://leicarumors.com/2015/10/14/leicas-patents-for-optoelectronic-rangefinder.aspx/

Or perhaps Konost plans to use on-chip phase-detection, but I'm sure Sony has that one locked up.

But with no Twitter activity since Pi Day, I'll predict that Konost is the next "35mm digital film module."

Dante

 

[Jason Sprenger]

If patents are the problem, perhaps such projects should open source their plans.

With CNC machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting scaling to garage-sized operations these days, this may be the future path for niche enthusiasms. An individual could then commission the parts they need to assemble the camera that they desire.

I think "maker" communities should embrace the concept and the challenge.

Perhaps there might be "makers" here that could get ball the rolling. (It beats complaining to each other about what isn't being done.)

As things are now, folks spend $7k and more on this stuff. That much could commission a lot of custom parts.

 

[JPSuisse]

The thing is that as much as we here at RFF think this is a good idea I fail to see the demand amongst the general populace for such a tool. They generally want auto everything!

I agree with this opinion, but maybe I am just generally too negative. I wish them luck!

As for me, my M8 still works, even though it's not 100% what I want (but neither are any of the other digital Ms.) I would probably give it a try at around 3k.

I am starting to feel uncomfortable with the "luxury" approach from Leica. I don't consider myself a luxury person. (Even though I just bought a luxurious new 35mm 1,4 to back up the aging 35 cron...)

I like the simplicity no nonsense of this design.

 

[kram]

Remember when Sony purchased Minolta Konica, Ricoh went in with Pentax, Casio large electronics firm stopped making digital camera? Main reason is that it is sooo expensive to product a new digital camera. If you get it wrong, poor sales, money not recovered. Digital camera sales mainly require the product to be at the leading edge of digital imaging. To do that you need alot of resources, in all areas, technical people, money, advertising, marketing. Just my personal thoughts.

 

[willie_901]

Casio's digital camera market share was decimated by mobile devices.

 

[doubledan]

I have thought about this quite a bit, and here is my considered opinion. The Konost people will either produce a real camera, some time, or they will not. Meanwhile, this thread is turning out to be a safe, effective alternative to prescription sleep aids.

 

[raid]

sleeping ...........................................................................................................

 

[rfaspen]

I'm afraid the Konost has been comatose for some time now. If they haven't pulled the plug by now....perhaps its time. I'm rather certain the Konost people have moved on and forgot there was still an accessible website out there.

I have no expectation Konost will amount to anything but an interesting, albeit short, little blip in history. Lucky if we remember it in a years' time. Still, it was fun to consider while it was still a possibility in our minds.

Now, digital film; that's more likely. Seriously.

 

[jsrockit]

Updates:

http://leicarumors.com/2015/12/09/t...amera-project-is-still-alive.aspx/#more-38892

http://photorumors.com/2015/12/08/k...ull-frame-digital-rangefinder-camera-project/