What new Voigtlander RF or SLR product would you like to see?

The "gee wiz" f .95 optics (and other ultra speed lenses) are fine to demonstrate CV technical prowess.

But please, how about a range of compact, moderate aperture, smaller than a coke can, less expensive than a used car, light enough to toss in a jacket pocket, "lenses for the rest of us, not just the rich guys"

They should all be;

LTM with a M adapter included, this way they will fit the widest range of cameras.

Come with a compact aux viewfinder. These should be inexpensive plastic units.

Have a standard filter size.

The lens hood should be straight sided with the front diameter and thread the same as the lens, then you can use the same lens cap on the front of the hood if desired. The hood should be included.

I would envision a five unit "basic RF lens lineup"

21mm f5.6

28mm f4

35mm f2.8

50mm f2

90mm f4

While were on the subject; a basic M mount RF body, no built in meter, user selectable framlines for the classic 35-50-90 with a .7 eyepiece with adjustable diopter from -3 to +1.

Price in current USD; $400 each for the lenses, $500 for the body.

Thus a complete set would run $2500 new. This is only $1000 more than a clean and functioning M6 TTl body only on the used market.
 
I would love to see a high quality but simple-featured digital RF camera- a 20MP+ full-frame digital that takes M lenses and uses a Sigma Merrill sensor. It wouldn't have a million modes and a multi-hinged display screen. The cost would all go to image quality.

And a price well under $1000.

Put me on the list, please.

Cheers,
Dez
 
Dez said:
I would love to see a high quality but simple-featured digital RF camera- a 20MP+ full-frame digital that takes M lenses and uses a Sigma Merrill sensor. It wouldn't have a million modes and a multi-hinged display screen. The cost would all go to image quality.

And a price well under $1000.

Put me on the list, please.

Cheers,
Dez
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I second this one, although an X-Trans sensor would work just as well.
 
Ahh, this is an easy one. Two items on my wish list:

1.) Compact 35mm RF with the 28mm Skopar built in. Some of us made the mistake of not buying this lens in LTM. By Voigtlander-style, I mean medium weight, modern materials, bigger than Konica C35 but not a Canonet. Good quality/cost compromise like the R that started all of this for me. The 35 Skopar would also be a reasonable choice, but I suspect a lot of us missed the 28 simply because it didn't match the camera VF (at the time) and missed out on something good, and would buy such a camera now.

2.) A classy (like Bronica RF645) non-interchangeable lens vertical format 645 RF. It seems that everything ever made in this format had some fatal design flaw. I think the format has potential that was never reached. Otherwise, I keep shooting my Pentacon:)
 
The dream: FF digital body with M mount. No frills, just the basics like the R2M or similar. Even the meter isn't necessary, but it *is* digital so...

Perhaps more practical: Fast portrait-length lens that isn't huge and unwieldy (within reason and optico-physical limitations). Perhaps an 85/1.8, 85/2, or 90/2. LTM would be nice too. I'd use this focal length more (for portraiture of course) if it were practical. The Canon and Nikkor 85/2 lenses I've played with are OK, but the optics are pretty old and they all would need an overhaul to make the focus smooth and precise, etc. Oh and they're *heavy*. I seriously see a niche for a portrait lens that isn't heavy (again within reason), relatively small, uses modern optics and coatings, reasonably fast, and costs less than the Leitz 90/2 APO (preferably a lot less).

If I had to choose between my suggestions above, I'd opt for the FF digital body with M mount. Price it below $2000 and I think you'd have a hard time keeping up with overwhelming demand. I'd pre-order...
 
A Bessa III (IV) / GF670 with a wider RF base - the short RF base is the only, but quite serious, drawback for me with this anotherwise perfect camera. Next would be a f/2.8 lens, but that I can live without - particularly since the RF base is so short.
 
My wish list would be:
1) a compact RF body like the CL or CLE (digital would be a dream come true!)
2) a compact 28mm M-mount lens (which will be used on my CLE too)
3) +1 for an updated R-D1 with Foveon sensor (APS-C) or FF CMOS sensor (I like Spicy's idea of buying cheaply leftover sensors from D700s and cramming them in Bessa/ R-D1 bodies!)
 
I am afraid this might have been mentioned too many times, but it's truely what a lot of rangefinder fans and I are hoping to see: A fullframe digital Bessa!
 
Haven't revisited this thread in a while but since switching to Canon for DSLRs it occurred to me that an EOS-mount version of the 58/1.4 SL II Nokton would be great! Every other SL II lens is available in both mounts - why not the 58mm?
 
I am still waiting after all these years, for a new batch of wide angle accessories with the spirit level, hoping that this time, the spirit will not be evaporating.
 
A simple full frame manual + aperture priority m mount rangefinder with a screen that shows just the histogram and settings (I don't want to chimp when shooting). Usable iso 1600. Minimal features and no "trick modes" such as retro film simulations (these can be done in post), DNG files. Does that sound a bit like an M8 with a bigger sensor?
 
My wish would be for an interchangeable lens RF 645... Replete with fast lenses (going below f2!).

You can do it!!!! :)

Edit - Can we make those lenses with leaf shutters? And interchangeable viewfinders? Maybe a cherry on top?
 
Justus C. said:
I am afraid this might have been mentioned too many times, but it's truely what a lot of rangefinder fans and I are hoping to see: A fullframe digital Bessa!
Click to expand...

It hasn't been mentioned too many times, since it hasn't happened yet!
The Epson RD-1 seems to essentially be a digital Bessa R2, and I presume it was manufactured by Cosina. Is there another partner company interested in working with Cosina on an updated full-frame version, or maybe even an R2/3/4D in the works, I wonder?

Even if I were in a financial position to buy an M9 or M240, which sadly I'm not, digital camera technology is advancing very fast, and I'm not keen on the idea of spending a fortune on a camera which is obsolescent the day it goes on sale, as is the case with smartphones. It would seem that a more reasonable approach is to have a lower priced platform with modular upgradability as demonstrated by the Ricoh GXR-M, or at least minimize the cost of the bit that needs replacing to embrace desirable new features.

CV has demonstrated that it has what it takes to produce brilliant products for a niche market at reasonable prices. Can a full-frame digital RF camera be far off?

Cheers,
Dez
 
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