Read About The Cosina Factory Tour

[Paterson]

Click the link, it's an interesting article

http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/04/cosina-lens-and-camera-factory-tour-report/

P

🙂

 

[kshapero]

Thanks, good read.

 

[Tom A]

I have done the factory tour several times. usually with Mr Kobayashi as guide. There is often a new machine or lens to discuss.
My favorite is the glass plant. Visions of Dante's Hell with flames shooting out of big retorts and ovens - glowing glass flowing along the cooling tracks (long rollers that support bread loaf sized chunks or strips of glass) Bags of various compounds that mixed prior to melting.
Make no mistake, Cosina is one of the most sophisticated (and largest specialty glass manufacturers in the imaging industry) around today.
I always like the dedication of the people working there - they are truly "building" cameras and lenses from scratch. For us rangefinder users - it has only been 11 years+ of this production and just look at the output and span of optics. Life has never been so good for a Rf user!

 

[Freakscene]

I've also done the tour several times and agree with Tom - it's a great experience and what Cosina offers is really amazing.

Marty

 

[pvdhaar]

I keep wondering.. If Mr Kobayashi hadn't been bitten by the RF bug, would Leica still be in the camera business today? I think that with entry level cameras and lenses paved the roads for 'upgrade buyers' into the Leica system..