ZI in New York

I know some people here aren't enthusiasts, but it looks like the Zeiss Ikon

camera will have what is effectively a launch of the finished product at

PhotoPlus Expo in New York, Oct 20 to 22. The camera will be at the

Hasselblad Booth (No. 122) , as will Carl Zeiss's Kornelius Muller. So, a first

hand chance to see whether the camera exists, or is merely vaporware. As

has been pointed out here before, the Japanese launch of the camera has

been announced as 29 Oct. <p>

If anyone here goes, make sure you quiz Kornelius about the Digital version,

and ask whether it will hit the streets before the Digital M, which Leica

reportedly hope will be in production by December '06. Personally, I'm not

bothered about the ZI, but I sincerely hope it does well enough to inspire an

affordable digital version...

"...hope it does well enough to inspire an affordable digital version." Sums it up well. Why buy another film camera for $1000, even if its a good one, when we all expect the first acceptable digital camera to be released any month now...one that takes both the new Zeiss lenses and all the Leica M lenses. Given the delays, you'd think they would have just issued the lenses in anticipation of their new digital Zeiss camera that would capture the entire Leica market. Two years ago I might have been interested in their film camera, but right now I want a digital camera to go with my M6. I suspect that Zeiss not only knows this, they themselves would like to have digital Zeiss to use with their new lenses.

Larry, maybe the ZI will be so nice that you'll trade in your M6 for it? Sorry... I shall blaspheme no longer :P

Larry, what's "the first acceptable digital camera" we're "expecting any month now"?

"So, a first hand chance to see whether the camera exists, or is merely vaporware. "

 

I know for a fact that Peter Evans has handled this camera here in Japan, as have two other

friends of mine at different times and places. They said it feels more solid than an R2, but

not as solid as an M6, or as quiet, if that is important. I think that it is great to have more

new well made rangefinders on the market. Maybe Nikon will have to release another batch of

SP's with a meter and at 60% of the cost of their recent special edition model. Not going to

happen but it would still be nice...

[...]<i>"when we all expect the first acceptable digital camera to be released any month now..."</i><p>I really like that forum <i>very much</i> when I read such sentences...<p><div></div>

Maybe by acceptible he meant, one that meets his criteria for spending a ton of money on a digital camera. For me that "acceptible" camera is already here, but I'm holding off on the 5D until the prices drop. Got a ton of film to use up.

I've read more times than I can count that no one is going to abandon their Leica whatever for this camera. Of course not. I don't know why this would ever have been at issue. But for manual M users who have considered an aperture priority camera to supplement their M6 or earlier Leica but have not yet pulled the trigger, the ZI is a nice alternative to the M7 for less than half the price. The M7 after all has still not bee around for all that long in terms of the kind of run that a Leica camera normally has.

 

The second factor with this camera is that starting about 5 or 6 years ago RF photography has no longer been about just Leica. Many newcomers to RF photography in these past 5 years, who have been introduced to it via CV Bessas, might just be ready for this kind upgrade, but not for a Leica-priced upgrade.