Odd Cosina/Voigtlander developments?

Jamie Pillers

Jamie Pillers

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I find the recent product releases by Mr. K is bit odd. I suppose I can see where the 25/.98 lens fills a niche, although are there THAT many 4/3 owners looking around for a $900 lens? I can understand the interest here on RFF... home of the Noctilux cognoscenti. But how many can he expect to sell here? :rolleyes:

The 75/1.8 M-mount is also a bit odd, don't you think? I mean, the 75/2.5 ltm is a VERY nice little lens. What the...??

Anyone have similar thoughts? Or am I missing something (which I often do here)? :confused:

Given that the K-ster has put these products out there, do you think this portends some new direction for CV? Or are they just trying to fill whatever niche happens along?
 
I think Mr. K being odd is a good and "normal" thing. I mean, Cosina has been odd from the very beginning every since they released whole bunch of film LTM/M compatible film cameras, including odd balls like non-RF, 1:1VF, wide-angle VF, etc with crazy numbers of M/LTM lenses for this digital age.

So I'd say please stay being odd and feed our GAS. :D
 
These lenses are just part of past, present and future lines of lenses with lots of interesting, all around and dedicated lenses. I guess the .95 is just a special starting point for a new line, and other lenses will come during the next two years maybe... And who knows if cameras too...

Cheers,

Juan
 
u4/3 users have been buying the C-Mount 25/0.95 at a price greater than what the new Cosina lens will be offered.

I'm glad to see it being offered.
 
It is interesting to see a company like CV going out on a limb and releasing so many new niche products. Definitely a good thing, I can't help wondering where this will lead to, though.
 
One thing for sure: if you were a photographer and a gearnuts, Mr. K's position is just fantastic. They are the hard rock star of today's photo gear industry, don't you think? :)
 
What would be perfect nowadays is a new Micro 4/3 digital camera by Cosina with an innovative live viewfinder rangefinder focusing system LOL :D
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
I totally agree. Their lines of RF lenses and cameras are amazing.

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

Particularly in the light of the timeframe. It has only been 11 years since he released the Snap Shot Skopar and the Bessa L!!!!!
As for the Micro 4/3 - it is selling very well and accounts for a huge proportion of digital cameras sold (not counting I-Phones etc).
Just about everybody I know who is using Leica/Nikon?Canon DRf or Dslr's - also carry an Oly/Lumix as a back-up or "portable" kit.
Cosina has a huge advantage when it comes to lenses - they make their own glass, they make multiple other optical products, including sophisticated surveillance lenses, beam-splitters etc. They have technology for coating, design etc that can be applied to the consumer cameras, without having to go through an expensive and tedious process.
They also have some truly bright and educated staff - whose ideas are listened too.
Brain storming sessions are fun - ideas for lenses,cameras and accessories are written down or sketched on big whiteboards and then everybody gets to disseminate it. Often stuff is shot down, but just as often it is "Oh, thats sounds interesting. Maybe we should should do a prototype and see if it works!"
 
My guess is that Cosina can get a new niche product out on the market much faster and cheaper than the "big boys" in the industry. We are all benefited by this unique capability.
 
Jamie Pillers said:
I find the recent product releases by Mr. K is bit odd. I suppose I can see where the 25/.98 lens fills a niche, although are there THAT many 4/3 owners looking around for a $900 lens? I can understand the interest here on RFF... home of the Noctilux cognoscenti. But how many can he expect to sell here? :rolleyes:

The 75/1.8 M-mount is also a bit odd, don't you think? I mean, the 75/2.5 ltm is a VERY nice little lens. What the...??

Anyone have similar thoughts? Or am I missing something (which I often do here)? :confused:

Given that the K-ster has put these products out there, do you think this portends some new direction for CV? Or are they just trying to fill whatever niche happens along?
Click to expand...

Not odd at all.

Mr. Kobayashi loves to produce unique lenses. There are just two more examples.

One the first Leica M mount soft focus lens (so far as I am aware) since the the famous Thambar of the 1930's.

The other the first quality 25/.95 lens for M43 format. I hope more more fast M43 lenses will follow. Time will tell.

Stephen
 
Mr. K. & friends designed, in just a decade, a line of RF equipment that's up there with Leica, and even offer -more than any other brand- dedicated cameras and lenses in the most intelligent, tasteful and purely photographic way...

I think if the same chairman, designers and experienced workers remain together, they will make it just as well with any other format or system... I can easily imagine myself using wonderful small digital gear in a near future... Gear for photographers, for people who prefer quality, beauty, small size and functionality... Honestly I can't wait... If new small digital gear comes from CV, I have no doubt we'll enjoy the best digital equipment ever... With their own glass they are in the best position to experiment and design lots of lenses for different sensors and come to us with unexpected quality gear... I wouldn't be surprised if they end up offering a camera as good as the M9, but smaller and with similar image quality for a decent price. I'd be there -at least for color- instantly.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Maybe I've been under a rock, but I missed that M mount soft focus lens. (Guess I'll go check your website, Stephen!) I am still thrilled that they came out with the Bessa III, because I remember that was the sort of thing I was really hoping for. I feel guilty that I haven't bought one yet! But hopefully there will be more innovative-throwback cameras coming.

My question -- and this may show my ignorance again -- these days, what is Cosina's bread and butter business that funds the cool stuff we all like? Do they make digital cameras? Or are they OEM suppliers of lenses and other components for other makers?
 
They're experienced photographers, they're successful, and they're free. They can do anything. My proof is they already did it...

Cheers,

Juan
 
My how things have changed here!

My how things have changed here!

How far our conversations here have come in the few years I've been around. When I started lurking here a few years ago, any mention of Cosina having anything to do with digital was stamped out faster than you could say pixel peeper. And the ground upon which those opinions stood was often simply that there was no money to be made there by such a small niche player like Cosina. Boy... has the 4/3--m4/3--mirrorless paradigm shift changed things (at least as far as voices here are concerned)! :rolleyes:
 
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