Contax is apparently back in Zeiss' hands

[Graham Mitchell]

http://www.zeissrumors.com/2010/09/contax-brand-name-released-from-kyocera.html

and from this page: http://photoscala.de/Artikel/Vielerlei-Vermischtes-37-10

"Der Name „Contax“ jedoch ist in diesem Jahr aus der Lizenz an Kyocera wieder frei worden."

which means

"The name 'Contax' became free from the Kyocera licence agreement this year".

I wonder what Zeiss will do about it. I know several people here would love to see development of the C645 platform continue

[evgeny]

I wish Contax will be back!

[PdF]

Good piece of news, if it is confirmed ...

PdF

[Rob C]

A competitor for Leica's M9 would be nice, but at affordable (as circa two grand max.) price. But I see that Fuji is there with a smaller, fixed lens number... Wake up, Nikon, you can do it!

Rob C

[BJL]

I am not sure, but this seems to be simply a matter of the Zeiss-Kyocera agreement about the Contax name reaching its expiry date. If so, then far less reason to expect Zeiss to act on this than if Zeiss had actively re-acquired the rights ... but no reason to rule it out either.

My guess is that Zeiss is not interested in having its own digital camera system, being comfortably adapted to other lens markets like cine lenses, which fit the Zeiss style of high quality, high prices, low volume, and manual focus only.

[hubell]

Great. Now all Zeiss needs are the tooling and other equipment for manufacturing the bodies, the manufacturing workforce, the capital to update the bodies and for R&D, and the marketing and warranty infrastructure.

[Jack Varney]

Perhaps the door will now open for some enterprising firm to acquire the Contax rights from Zeiss.

[RobSaecker]

Phamiyax? 

[bradleygibson]

You mean Phlemamiyax?  (Don't forget Leaf!)

 

[Let Biogons be Biogons]

My understanding is that the control of the Contax name reverted back to Zeiss a while ago -- as early as last year.  If the this just recently happened (the source is not clear on this), then I hope Zeiss learned an important lesson when licensing a brand name.   If the licensee stops production, sales and product development (or does not pursue these to the satisfaction of the license owner, i.e., Zeiss), the license should revert back immediately to the owner.  There is no way, in any sensible license agreement, than Kyocera should have been able to control the brand name/trademark for years after exiting the business.  The apparent weaknesses in the Contax license agreement caused significant commercial harm to Carl Zeiss.

[Christoph C. Feldhaim]

Zeiss already has the Zeiss Ikon be made by Cosina.
I'm curious if they will make an M9 style camera.

[bcooter]

I wish Contax will be back!

I'd love to see contax continue the 645 but I think there is about 1% chance that will happen.

Hasselblad and Phleam have most of the market sewed up and even if the contax was twice the camera for 1/2 the price, I doubt seriously if it would get a lot of support from those two companies, so right there it would be doomed to the fate of the HY6.

It would be nice to have more camera options, but it's hard to imagine it.

BC

[EinstStein]

All camera's future is up to the supply of digital sensor. Clearly Phase/Leaf/Mamiya and Hasselblad/Imacon would not support Contax.

But this doesn't mean it has no chance. The 35mm DSLR players Sony, Nikon, and Canon could be interested to expand the territory.

I'd pick Sony as the first likely. If Sony lined up with Zeiss/Contax 645, it could be its flagship, and it could help Sony to  compete with Canon.
Nikon could be the next choice. Similar motivation.

Zeiss really needs a good electronic and camera body partner.   

[alastairbird]

Zeiss already has the Zeiss Ikon be made by Cosina.
I'm curious if they will make an M9 style camera.

A friend of mine knows the people at Cosina very well, and apparently they're very leery of doing any sort of a digital camera body. They'll happily make the lenses or the viewfinders, and they'll happily partner with someone on a body (a la the Epson RD-1) but it would be a big gamble to build and sell a digital competitor to the M9, especially with all the excellent 4/3 and micro 4/3 bodies available right now.

[Christoph C. Feldhaim]

A friend of mine knows the people at Cosina very well, and apparently they're very leery of doing any sort of a digital camera body. They'll happily make the lenses or the viewfinders, and they'll happily partner with someone on a body (a la the Epson RD-1) but it would be a big gamble to build and sell a digital competitor to the M9, especially with all the excellent 4/3 and micro 4/3 bodies available right now.

Theoretically yes. But I believe another Digital FF RF could sell. The concept is just too good.
Especially with a CMOS sensor and Life View, e.g. a D3X/A900 like sensor.

[ErikKaffehr]

Good thinking, Einstein!

But I'd guess you are slightly optimistic. I don't see it probable that Sony would go into professional imaging. Possible? Yes! Probable? Not!

Best regards
Erik

All camera's future is up to the supply of digital sensor. Clearly Phase/Leaf/Mamiya and Hasselblad/Imacon would not support Contax.

But this doesn't mean it has no chance. The 35mm DSLR players Sony, Nikon, and Canon could be interested to expand the territory.

I'd pick Sony as the first likely. If Sony lined up with Zeiss/Contax 645, it could be its flagship, and it could help Sony to  compete with Canon.
Nikon could be the next choice. Similar motivation.

Zeiss really needs a good electronic and camera body partner.   

[John R Smith]

It's a crying shame that the Contax 645, the Leaf AFi and the Sinar/Rollei HY6 were all discontinued. I'd loved to have seen them all developed further.

Keith

I just don't think there's that much room in the MF marketplace these days. Once it went digital, the cost of MF photography just went out of reach for most potential customers, except pros and the business/scientific/academic marketplace. Once the cost of the "film" magazine exceeds the cost the cost of the camera and lens (by a large margin) the whole economics of the exercise fall apart unless you can earn a living with the thing.

John

[EinstStein]

I see Sony more aggressive than your thinking.
I don't see any FF DSLR player can afford not into profession market.
It's really a poker game. You are in or out.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Moving from Relativity Theory to Game Theory? :-)

Erik

I see Sony more aggressive than your thinking.
I don't see any FF DSLR player can afford not into profession market.
It's really a poker game. You are in or out.

[EinstStein]

"Game of Life"!
You should read my follower Stephen's book about that John Conway's game.