I`m in. A metal-body, film advance lever, removable 5FS motor drive
that takes AA batteries, shutter-aperture priority and full manual,
MLU, 8`s to 1/6000 shutter, well sealed, super quiet mirror,
IDM OTFP metering with spot and CW, DOF preview, an actual dial
for shutter speeds and ASA, exposure compensation dial activated
by a button on the front upper right of camera, interchangeable finders
and focus screens, TTL flash with 1/250 sync, a shutter that functions
without batteries in some speeds.
------or--------
Continue to service and supply parts for the LX.
I don`t ask for much, do I?
Steve Larson
Redondo Beach, California
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Pentax List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 9:03 PM
Subject: New Manual, All Mechanical, Retro-Rangefinder
> For those who don't follow these things, Cosina has just announced a
> new, mechanical, all metal-bodied, rangefinder called the Bessa-R2.
> What's also interesting about this is that there are some new lenses
> available as well - nice, slow lenses based on old designs that go back
> to decades past. One is a nice, slow 50/2.5.
>
> What is interesting about all this is how, over the last few years, CV
> has added to the Voigtlander line a number of retro-designed bodies and
> high-quality, inexpensive lenses, many in screw mount.
>
> There are now four or five bodies, a nice assortment of lenses, some
> quite innovate, including a 12mm focal length. These lenses use nice
> metal hoods, metal barrels, brass helicoids, and focus and feel very
> nice. Some lenses are designed to be like the lenses from old Nikon,
> Canon, and Contax rangefinders. Some lenses have the knurled and
> serrated focusing collars like the old Super Takumar lenses.
>
> These cameras and lenses are making a big splash in rangefinder
> circles. Leicaphiles are embracing the bodies and lenses to use with
> their gear - sometimes Voigtlander lenses on Leica bodies, sometimes
> Voigtlander bodies with Leica glass.
>
> Anyway, the point of this is not how swell CV is, but to wonder aloud
> how it is that a company, who a few years ago had very little or no
> brand recognition, has moved to become an innovator in this area,
> creating and marketing reasonably priced products of good quality, while
> companies like Pentax are busy spewing out mostly plastic, consumer junk
> and mediocrity. Pentax used to be a leader, an innovator, and now, it
> seems, is relegated to self-imposed second-class status.
>
> I would truly like to see pentax make a few bold moves - retro, advanced
> engineering and design, unique optics that fill a niche - they can do
> it, and I wish they would. There is no longer anything being produced
> by the company that is of any interest to me, and I suppose I'm not
> alone with those feelings.
>
> It's been said that it would cost $1000.00 if Pentax were to produce a
> contemporary lens like the 50mm/1.4 Super Tak, or $1000.00 to produce a
> Spotmatic quality camera. I think that's a gross, overinflated
> estimate. If CV can make exceptional lenses for half that price, why
> not Pentax? If CV can produce a camera to sell for half that amount,
> why not Pentax?
>
> The sad thing is that, without more Pentax gear to move into, I'm
> looking to move out of Pentax for my next purchase. It is sad, for the
> years I've spent with Pentax have been many ... but now they seem to
> only be producing gimmicky cameras with features that are of little or
> no use to me, or many other people. I'd love it if Pentax could find a
> way to make a high quality, simple, basic camera with a few good
> lenses. I suspect there are enough old farts like myself who would
> gladly buy 'em.
>
> So, what do you think?
> --
> Shel Belinkoff
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://home.earthlink.net/~belinkoff/
> You can't have everything. Where would you put it?
> -
> This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
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> visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
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