michael_mankin Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 As a newbie to digital (I currently use an F4) I would like to know if anyone has experience with a Contax N vs. other high end digital cameras. I need to buy something that can produce high quality 11x14 and need speed for sporting action. Thanks for your reply,Mike Mankin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I'm pretty sure the Contax digital SLR has been out of production for at least a year. Given what you say you are looking for, the choice today (which means for the next six months or so) is the Nikon D2H. if you really have convinced yourself that you need a Digital SLR with a 24x36mm sensor then you should be aware that kodak is now offering an instant $1,000 rebate on the Kodak 14n to be immediately subtracted from the dealer's (street0 price. that makes the 14n about US $2500 -2800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_edwards Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 If so, the Contax N Digital is now only sold in Japan, and it never was a hit anyway. It is big and heavy and beautiful if you like cameras BUT the image quality was troublesome. If you want high quality 11x14 then a Canon 1Ds has the best Canon 45 point AF and has more megapixels than any action camera. But it costs more than the rest too..... But the new Canon 1D replacement is literally only a few days away from being unveiled! If by 'sporting action' you mean AF tracking, FPS, etc. that can't be handled by a D100 or 10D or E1 or *istD then your only choice is the D2H. --dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_piper2 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Unless Contax added to the lens line - the longest lens for the "N" film/digital cameras is a 75-300 f/5.6, hardly a good sports lens. (unless there's a long fast 645 lens that can be used via adapter) And the AF is s-l-o-w-w. Among the top-end Kodak/Nikon/Canon/Fujis I can't help much - but image quality and speed are *somewhat* mutally exclusive - the more pixels the chip must process/buffer between shots, the longer it must wait between exposures. E.g. the Nikon D2H can crank out 8 images per second - but they are only 4Mp images. You'll probably want to study the specs closely and find the balance of frame-rate and pixel-count (and also AF speed) that will best suit your needs. Just as an information point - Our newspaper is getting a LOT of noise in D2H images shot at ISO 400 and above - more than we got from the D1Hs. It may just be an internal software ("firmware") bug, but we've had to ban the photogs from shooting above 400 until it gets fixed - the results aren't even fit for newsprint reproduction. "Colored oatmeal" would be the polite description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_foiles2 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Go to luminous-landscape.com where one of the very fews of this camera was just posted. The reviewer concluded that it performed very well for studio, fine art and landscape but was defintely NOT a good photojournalism or sports action camera. As others have mentioned this camera was pulled from most markets quite some time ago so it would be difficult to impossile to find. Wait til PMA in Mid Feb to make your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted February 1, 2004 Share Posted February 1, 2004 Another short review: http://www.lonestardigital.com/n_digital.htm I don't own an N-Digital, but I've seen some absolutely stunning images captured with the camera. Seems to have a steep learning curve, but can produce great results at low ISO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-o9ewurpoqewur-e8wqu Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 It is not a sports camera, but is the finest quality digital camera under 12 mpixel. It is a wonderous studio camera. chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben conover Posted December 25, 2005 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Chris, how can a wondrous studio camera have a 95% finder?Therwise, I think I love the look of the camera totally. Ben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted December 25, 2005 Share Posted December 25, 2005 Maybe it has a 100% LCD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_doyle1 Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 i love this rare beast of a camera..with a 50mm lens for an slr it is pretty light and compact... the big issues were having 4 AA batts power ultrasonic focusing motors camera function and a 35mm sensor... not good..i know use heavier duty batts....the other issue is no preview in raw.... the sensor still stacks up very well,having a 6 million pixels at a Pixel Size 12�m x 12�m and a Dynamic Range: >72 dB linear.. with the advent of photoshop raw software and noise ninja,you can get very usuable images at higher asa. the lens are stunning,if you can pick a kit up cheap grab it....at low asa,this can give higher megapixel cameras a run for their money.. for sports events forget it...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_doyle1 Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 a couple more pics... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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