Contax N digital

[hexi]

Hello here

I've read that this camera has been released and a year after discontinued then the brand went out :s what a shame. Anyway this one was the first full frame, years before the others. Any users ? or just infos ? cause i'll maybe give it a shot if it takes a m42 adapter. thanx

edit : meh i just saw the prices

[my_photography]

The camera was made to take the N series Contax lens. This is different from the standard C/Y Contax series. Kyocera only came out with 3-4 prime lens for N series and maybe another zoom 1-2 lens. They were selling an adapter so that one can use Contax 645 lenses on the N series Contax camera.

The price was still very high 1-2 years back. Not sure about now though. And again, the technology has advance so much, unless you can get it quite cheap, if not, a more modern fullframe DSLR make more sense.

[tuananhmap]

I hand it for one times, but it's made by classic so disappointed for contax

[hexi]

Thanx for the infos. actually if its not Contax, does not take m42's ( shame on you ! ) ... the price i saw for sell was 2500$ . high ain't it ?

so i'd wait for a decent full frame to be released

[DM_Bxl]

Hello,

Nice to hear that this camera still gets mentioned. I am still using it along with Contax N1, NX (and G2). I have all N-mount lenses except Apotessar 4/400. If you are not familiar with the Contax N system, I shall give some info. There are 5 Vario-Sonnar zooms and 4 primes produced for the Contax N. All are excellent (and heavy).

About the N Digital. It was the very 1st full frame DSLR. The body is a classical Contax, beautifully made, easy to use etc. Sensor was a 24 x 36 mm CCD made by Philips, the one used in many digital backs. It is an old imager and has some well-known issues (like magenta cast, digital noise visible at ISO 200 and higher). Image quality ... well, people who used the camera usualy like it. In my experience the ND produces very good images. Be carefull when reading reviews on Contax ND. There are quite a number of "users" who never even tried the camera but heard that it was bad, and those rumors are spreading all over the forums.

It was a very good (but horribly expensive) camera. Unfortunately, Contax had an enemy. A very powerfull one. It was ... Kyocera (actually its worst enemy). It simply killed the brand and all the N-system, which I consider to be excellent.

As far as I know, there is no adapter for mounting M42 lenses. Honestly, I do not understand why one would wish to use M42 lenses on Contax cameras. There are many Zess N-mount AF lenses being sold on Ebay, and they could be bought for buttons. For example, 24-85mm lens may be bought for 250 Euros, 70-300mm for 300-350 Euros. Lenses produced for the NX (28-80mm and 70-200mm) are VERY cheap (about 150 Euros). Any Contax N-mount camera accepts any Contax 645 lens via NAM-1 adapter. Both AF and metering work.

If you have more precise questions about the N Digital, I would be happy to give an answer.

I am attaching a snapshot taken handheld with Makro-Sonnar 2.8/100mm at F4.0 (I hope the image will appear on the page). The link to the photo: forum.mflenses.com/userpix/200912/big_2302_KICX3084small_1.jpg

[my_photography]

[Attila]

Welcome DM_Bxl!!

I am very happy to see you here and even more happy you are willing to share your experience about Contax N , thank you!

[DM_Bxl]

Hello everybody,

my_photography, thank you for helping me in posting the photo. I have seen once another user of Contax ND It was a couple of years ago in Nara, Japan.

True, the camera is very rare and has never been popular. Actually, the whole N-system was never popular because of really bad marketing (another big mistake of Kyocera). Good news for all ND users is that Adobe has included Contax N Digital in a list of supported cameras for their RAW Converter plug-in for Photoshop. The original RAW developer from Kyocera was bad, and the company never even tried to work on improvements!

For those who want to try the N-system (e.g. N1, NX film cameras), this is the right moment to get it. The prices for cameras and lenses are very low.

[hexi]

Thank you for the additional infos. And you're right the N series especially the N1 is a bargain by now, about 200€ for the body, plus the same for a 70-200 Vario Sonnar lens.

I assume the construction of this body is similar to the best "heavy" Contax cameras made : RTS 3, RX , AX and the handling is the same.

Makes you wish to have this brand buyed by someone and give it life again, Santa if you hear us ..... we want a Contax full frame DSLR for 2010

[Sevo]

[LucisPictor]

Welcome, DM_Bxl!

Great to have a member here that shoots with the digital Contax.

I agree, there are many bad reviews about this cam in the net, but most of them seem to copies of one or two early bad ones.

Good to have a guy here who really has used this cam.