ALL ZI & ZI SW production stopped

[bwcolor]

I've two.. so my question is how long will they be able to supply parts? After all, that is one aspect of the Leica production.. great long term parts and service support. I'm not so sure of the Zeiss policy.

[Pickett Wilson]

"That is one aspect of the Leica production.. great long term parts and service support."

Well, except for the LCD screen on the M8.

[Rangefinderfreak]

Originally Posted by Pickett Wilson

"That is one aspect of the Leica production.. great long term parts and service support."

Well, except for the LCD screen on the M8.

Who needs it anyway... tape it shut, so it won´t break...

[Bill58]

I've handled one and the VF was indeed nice, but I never understood putting it on the market. It seemed to me that it was in-between the Bessas and Leicas quality-wise and maybe 10 years too late.

I wonder if they made any $$ out of it?

On the other hand, a digital one makes a lot of sense.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

I lifted this directly from a guy's post on APUG, who is a Zeiss dealer:

"Dear Zeiss Photo Dealer,

Please note, a decision has been made to discontinue the Zeiss Ikon Camera. There is a limited amount of stock on hand, after which the product will no longer be available. We will continue to provide spare parts and service on the camera for the immediate future. This decision also effects the various spare parts for the camera body, such as the camera strap, side grip, camera case and the diopter lenses. These accessories are only available while supplies last.

Jim B.

I just ordered a diopter for my Zeiss 25mm finder, which takes the same eyepiece lenses as the camera.

BTW, they should have said "This decision AFFECTS ... " . I'm surprised that Zeiss used the wrong word.

Tom

[gustavoAvila]

Originally Posted by Bill58

I wonder if they made any $$ out of it?

On the other hand, a digital one makes a lot of sense.

Good question with regard to the ZI $$, but I suspect not, the sale volumes were never significant.

Lens sales, on the other hand, is probably a growing (and attractive) revenue generator.

Zeiss is probably stating (indirectly) that it is simply not worth their while to produce film bodies, and instead, will focus on increasing lens production.

With regard to a digital ZI body, I doubt it. The upfront (and ongoing) investment required to produce and market a competitive body is enormous.

Likely, Zeiss is going to stick with their core competency and produce more lenses, for more body types, end-of-story.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Rangefinderfreak

Who needs it anyway... tape it shut, so it won´t break...

Highlight: Anyone who sets the ISO, or white balance, or formats cards in camera, or...

Also, I'm not quite sure how you 'tape it shut', or for that matter, what you mean in this context by 'break'.

Cheers,

R.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by bwcolor

I've two.. so my question is how long will they be able to supply parts? After all, that is one aspect of the Leica production.. great long term parts and service support. I'm not so sure of the Zeiss policy.

And, of course, it's not exactly Zeiss. More Cosina.

Cheers,

R.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Bill58

I've handled one and the VF was indeed nice, but I never understood putting it on the market. It seemed to me that it was in-between the Bessas and Leicas quality-wise and maybe 10 years too late.

I wonder if they made any $$ out of it?

On the other hand, a digital one makes a lot of sense.

Not to anyone I've ever spoken to at Zeiss or Cosina.

Cheers,

R.

[Rangefinderfreak]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Highlight: Anyone who sets the ISO, or white balance, or formats cards in camera, or...

Also, I'm not quite sure how you 'tape it shut', or for that matter, what you mean in this context by 'break'.

Cheers,

R.

have you seen the movie "Wide eyes shut" it´s like that, just go ahead, no matter what...

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Rangefinderfreak

have you seen the movie "Wide eyes shut" it´s like that, just go ahead, no matter what...

No, I haven't, so I'm afraid I still don't understand what you're saying.

Cheers,

R.

[thompsonks]

I think he was joking about turning it into a film camera.

Anyhow: I suppose dealers will sell out their stock at good prices. I'm glad to have acquired one last week – the silver/chrome one that looks so retro. Popflash had it for about 1/2 price. It's one of those incorrectly called a 'demo,' when it really should be called 'refurbished.' (Leica does that, too.)

With 1938 Sonnar, mod by Brian Sweeney:

Kirk

[jarski]

shame to see this happening.. it was nice to see Zeiss made (or branded) rangefinder camera made a comeback least for a while tough, after so many decades.

[emilsand]

I have a Leica MP, a Leica M9P and a Zeiss Ikon. My heart belongs to the Ikon, clunky as it might be.

[Pioneer]

I do enjoy using my Zeiss Ikon. I shoot 4 rolls of film in it to every one I shoot in my M6. I am trying to figure out what makes it "clunky"?

[bwcolor]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

And, of course, it's not exactly Zeiss. More Cosina.

Cheers,

R.

Yes, but I would think that Zeiss will make the decision as to how support continues, much like Kyocera set things up with the Contax line. You would know better than I in that you are inside looking out.

[thompsonks]

"And, of course, it's not exactly Zeiss. More Cosina."

I'm curious about how this works. The US warranty is from Zeiss. Does Zeiss actually keep parts & fix ZI bodies in US, or do they send them back for repair to Cosina in Japan?

Kirk

[DavidKKHansen]

Originally Posted by thompsonks

"And, of course, it's not exactly Zeiss. More Cosina."

I'm curious about how this works. The US warranty is from Zeiss. Does Zeiss actually keep parts & fix ZI bodies in US, or do they send them back for repair to Cosina in Japan?

Kirk

I recently had problems with my Zeiss Ikon SW and contacted Zeiss to inquire where I should send my camera to. I was told to send it to Zeiss in Germany, as it is a Zeiss camera officially. Their service is top notch!

[bwcolor]

I forwarded mine to the U.S. Zeiss representative and he handled the Germany side of things. Much the same with my Contax RTS III, which went to Tocad and from there to Japan. As long as there are parts we should be fine.

[NicoM]

Sad times. Though I've never owned one, I really appreciated how the Ikon offered so much at a much more affordable price than a Leica. I hope this just means something better is going to come from Zeiss.

[anerjee]

Perhaps time to pick up another ZI before the prices start inching up.

I find that my ZI is the best camera I have ever used. I've tried to bond with the Ms -- having owned an M4 and then an M6. Both got sold as I prefer the ZI, mainly for the VF. Maybe an M3 will do the trick?

[thompsonks]

Heads up, anerjee or others: Popflash has reduced the price on what seems to be their last black body to $1400.

Kirk

[Huck Finn]

Originally Posted by kanzlr

I am not really surprised. I wonder which rangefinder to get for a while now, and I would never consider a new ZI when for the price I can get a used M6TTL with recent CLA and 6 months warranty. Even used ZIs are around €700 to €800 depending on condition.

The reasons to get a new ZI instead of a used M6:

1. Amazing viewfinder, i.e. bigger, brighter, no flare, uncluttered.
2. Longer effective RF baseline in a camera with 28 mm frame lines.
3. Quicker shutter response time to capture The Moment.
4. It's new, not someone else's refurbished camera.

The best things about this camera are different than the best things about the M6 TTL. Everyone has their preferences.

[StevenJohn]

I love mine. It just feels great to bring it to my eye. It has become my go-to 35mm camera (replacing my Nikon FE2). The 35mm f/2 is such a nice lens on it.

There was only a few slight issues that I would have liked to seen updated. One is the red shutter speeds can get lost on the side of the viewfinder. I'm left eye dominate and use it to frame. If I use my right eye, it doesn't seem as bad.

Another is the grip material wears. I have seen some nice leather done in the other thread, so it's not a big deal.

The last is that mine goes through batteries faster than I would have expected. My Nikon FE2 probably does double the rolls per battery set.

[Huck Finn]

Originally Posted by Bill58

I've handled one and the VF was indeed nice, but I never understood putting it on the market. It seemed to me that it was in-between the Bessas and Leicas quality-wise and maybe 10 years too late.

I wonder if they made any $$ out of it?

On the other hand, a digital one makes a lot of sense.

I think that being between a Bessa and a Leica quality was precisely the point of putting it out.

Canon and Nikon, for example, have for decades had their entry level, intermediate, and advanced SLRs. The build quality of a pro camera isn't necessary for someone who isn't subjecting their camera to the same amount of abuse. Nor is the price that goes along with it.

The advanced features of a pro camera aren't necessarily desired or needed by many amateurs. Neither is the price that is required to include them.

Providing choices is a great service to the consumer. Carl Zeiss AG emphasized certain attributes in their design and implementation of this camera and ignored other features that could have been included. For those who value what makes this camera special, that was a good thing.

I agree that it was 10 years too late. It took the Rangefinder revival, stimulated by Cosina's manufacture of affordable RF cameras and putting them in the hands of users, some of whom then wanted more. The timing was what it was. Something no one could control. The past decade or so has been an exciting time for rangefinder fans. It's too bad that it had to happen in the shadow of the digital revolution. OTOH, without the digital world that created the internet, it's unlikely that word of a RF revival and sales of new RF products could have been as successful as they have been.