For those of you who frequent our rumor site are probably familiar with the Zeiss brandname Contax. About half of a century ago, Zeiss granted the exclusive use of its Contax brandname to Kyocera. It was an unfortunate fact that Kyocera decided to discontinue its camera development in 2005, which resulted in no more Contax cameras and no more Zeiss lenses made for Contax cameras. Certainly, Kyocera decision negatively affected Zeiss, and there was nothing Zeiss could do, at least before the brandname lease expires.
(see Contax FAQ and wiki)
The good news today is that the Contax brand is released from Kyocera this year (see the last part of Contarex section here). The brandname is now back to Zeiss again. In theory, Zeiss can produce Contax cameras now or grant the Contax name to another camera manufacturer. Or, of course let the Contax brandname sit in the closet forever as if it has never existed.
Don't get too discouraged if you are not seeing a Zeiss camera at Photokina this year, it is entirely possible that Zeiss will be back in the game with the Contax brand in the near future.
(thanks to Ulrich for writing us)
There is a question is the C/Y mount mooving with the brand name, or does it belong to Kyocera ?
ReplyDeleteFor owners of C/Y mount Zeiss lenses this is the problem.
Giuseppe
Contax G Digital please!
ReplyDeleteDigital Contax Rangefinder please.. Nothing less then Full frame is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteYes! Digital G, full frame, same good old G lenses!!
ReplyDeletedigital G would be sweet!
ReplyDeleteThis would be a good news for me: I have six very good primes Zeiss/Contax lenses now unused...!
ReplyDeletePol C.
any contax digital camera G or otherwise - where
ReplyDeletei can use my old lenses would be great. don't
forget Contax N was the first full frame digital
camera - 6 megapixels in 2004. way ahead of it's time.
big sensor version of tvs digital please....and
ReplyDeleteg3. leave dslrs to the japanese - don't stretch contax brand ziess resources too thin.then tell me where i can reserve/buy them.
oh, no continuos flow of special editions, like the L-camera. publish a 'contax fotografie magazine bi-monthly. no cheaper-line lenses/
one standard - ziess - the best - always has been. best wishes to contax and ziess
Still waiting for the Digital Contax G!
ReplyDeleteBut still enjoy the colors of the zeiss g lenses on provia...
My Dream would be a Contax G Digital with Foveon "Fullframe" Sensor, good High Iso till 1600 and high Dynamicrange.
Ahh..., Just a Dream :)
I want a contax full frame.... right now!
ReplyDeleteAfter more than 25 years with Contax-film cameras I miss very much an e-Contax (I moved to Canon 5 mII, but to me is still a great pleasure to walk around by Madrid with the old camera and two or three rolls of film).
Please Contax come back.
I miss the guys as well. Beautifully engineered SLRs, simplest and most effective ergonomics. I used 139Q, 159MM, 167MT and RX + G2. Kept none, nor the lenses. Thanks to Cosina, I now have a couple of CZ branded gems on my D800 (or on my FM3a...almost as nice as a S2) to remind me of the "good old days"... ;-)
DeleteContax 645 is the KING!
ReplyDelete