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[wlewisiii]

I can't think of any other reason anyone would ask for Cosina to make a digital RF. You like the "feel"? There's already an Epson with the same chassis as an R2 and same sensor as a Nikon D100. Why *exactly* do you think a company that doesn't have the slightest desire to produce a Voigtlander-badged digital RF should?

And again, don't say price.

Digital RF? Sure, they'd be silly to make one. OTOH, if they took that old SLR body that they built in damn near every manual focus mount for the respective manufacturers, and popped a RD-1 level sensor in it, I can just about guarantee them a couple of years of double their current sales level. There isn't any easy way to use FD mount lenses on a digital camera. A digital T-60 would solve that. But it's the _same_ camera as it was for many other manufacturers. Do that 10mp back once and you have a dedicated body for damn near every 35mm manual focus camera ever made in real quantity.

And if, major impossible if, Mr. K made a deal with Canon rather than Sony for the sensor, it might just hit a couple of economy of scale levels all of a sudden. And then the idea of using my FD 50/1.4 at full frame might not be quite so silly after all...

Nothing is ever as simple or as complex as those invested would have you believe.

William

 

[BillBingham2]

Mark's point (that has been echoed by several folks on the CVUG list) is that there is a market for manual DSLR that would be available in a wide range of mounts. Interesting that Cosina has built SLR cameras for a wide range of mounts (has the tooling and experience). The Bessa line came from the very same basic unit (the Bessaflex is a fine example of what Pres K can do).

Full frame would be great, but I think there is a market for folks who want a reasonable focusing screen, full manual control, a very basic LCD (just to display a histogram, no jpgs) and shot raw so we can develop/control it on a PC.

Build it in Canon FD, Nikon F (perhaps AI), Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K and Classic Screw and I think you have the majority of the market.

The solution would not be simple, but rather basic. And yes, priced reasonably but with enough margin to fund putting the next generation of sensors in it.

B2 (;->

 

[rxmd]

Actually they can't use most of these mounts, because they're patented, except Classic Screw and Pentax K. They built the other bodies under a license, but I doubt that would automatically extend to a digital T-60 or OM-2000 or FM-10. That said, I consider it a pity that it's that way.

What they could do, and that would be pretty revolutionary, would be to put a very short, strong universal bayonet (say, 40mm lens register) on the camera and produce a series of adapters from that universal bayonet to various bayonet mounts. A bit like Tamron did with their T and T2 and T4 and Adaptall mounts, but the other way round. But I'm not sure what the legal aspects would be. And yes, lots of people would buy this.

 

[rxmd]

Actually they can't use most of these mounts, because they're patented, except Classic Screw and Pentax K. They built the other bodies under a license, but I doubt that would automatically extend to a digital T-60 or OM-2000 or FM-10. That said, I consider it a pity that it's that way.

What they could do, and that would be pretty revolutionary, would be to put a very short, strong universal bayonet (say, 40mm lens register) on the camera and produce a series of adapters from that universal bayonet to various bayonet mounts. A bit like Tamron did with their T and T2 and T4 and Adaptall mounts, but the other way round. And I guess lots of people would buy this. But I'm not sure what the legal aspects would be.

 

[Socke]

Digital RF? Sure, they'd be silly to make one. OTOH, if they took that old SLR body that they built in damn near every manual focus mount for the respective manufacturers, and popped a RD-1 level sensor in it, I can just about guarantee them a couple of years of double their current sales level.

A digital Yashica FX-3? Where can I preorder?

 

[AndersG]

Actually they can't use most of these mounts, because they're patented, except Classic Screw and Pentax K. They built the other bodies under a license, but I doubt that would automatically extend to a digital T-60 or OM-2000 or FM-10. That said, I consider it a pity that it's that way.

Not that I know anything about patents, but shouldn't some (or most?) of these patents have expired by now?
From what I found on wikipedia it seems the term of US patents is about 20 years and by that standard even the patents on the Canon EOS mount should be close to expiration by now.

Cheers,

Anders

 

[Grober]

Stephen: you probably won't make it to the door with a purloined M8 under your coat but at least swipe a few batteries for the new digital wonder from Solms.

At approx. $150 for an estra battery, I'll need all the help I can get!

 

[Terao]

No news from the wizard yet then? ;(

Show has been open for 3 hours!

*taps fingers impatiently* 🙂

 

[Kim Coxon]

If you want a MF DSLR with a very good range of high quality glass, buy a Pentax 😉 All the have to do is move the AF/MF switch to MF and hey presto you can use the complete range of K mount and M42 mount lenses. If you want the occasional use of AF it is very difficult to beat the Ltd range of lenses and many of the other AF Pentax primes. Most of the other DSLR can take an M42 adapter (hence the price jump in Takumars). In reality then you are looking at a much reduced market for Canon and Nikon mount.

Kim

Mark's point (that has been echoed by several folks on the CVUG list) is that there is a market for manual DSLR that would be available in a wide range of mounts. Interesting that Cosina has built SLR cameras for a wide range of mounts (has the tooling and experience). The Bessa line came from the very same basic unit (the Bessaflex is a fine example of what Pres K can do).

Full frame would be great, but I think there is a market for folks who want a reasonable focusing screen, full manual control, a very basic LCD (just to display a histogram, no jpgs) and shot raw so we can develop/control it on a PC.

Build it in Canon FD, Nikon F (perhaps AI), Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K and Classic Screw and I think you have the majority of the market.

The solution would not be simple, but rather basic. And yes, priced reasonably but with enough margin to fund putting the next generation of sensors in it.

B2 (;->

 

[Bryce]

Kim-
Ever tried to manually focus a 35 F/2 on your Pentax dslr? I find it impossible at f/4, let alone F/2. Need a focus aid and more magnification! And the focus indicator light doesn't help much either.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I regularly use the 28/2, 35/2 50/1.2 as well as the 31/1.8 with no problem. Normally I find the faster lens much easier to focus than the slower ones because of the brightness and narrower depth of field.

Kim

Kim-
Ever tried to manually focus a 35 F/2 on your Pentax dslr? I find it impossible at f/4, let alone F/2. Need a focus aid and more magnification! And the focus indicator light doesn't help much either.

 

[Bryce]

With a standard focus screen? Or have you bought one of the homemade ones with a split prism at the center?

 

[Kim Coxon]

Normal screen. The screens in the LX's have also been changed to plain matte ones. I find the split images and microprisms distracting. I use a D though which has the pentaprism rather than mirror. I know many don't like the pentamirror on the DS2 and DL's for manual focussing.

Kim

 

[Bryce]

I've got a DS, so it's got a prism. Still, the view isn't nearly as easy to focus on as earlier film bodies (KX, K1000, ME Super). It's useable for longer lenses, just not sub 50mm lenses near wide open. Maybe you've got better eyes?

 

[Chris Lynch]

i can't wait any longer.... Mr. Gandy needs to get back and update us with the info hahhaha 🙂

 

[NIKON KIU]

How about a report Stephen??
tell us what the Wizard had to offer.
Kiu