Is there a market for CV in LF glass?

BillBingham2 · 10-06-2010

It was brough up on another thread:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...d=96033&page=2

What about CV doing some Kick Butt LF (4x5) glass? I know this is an RF forum, but there are some crazy LF users here (RF and View) and I just want to ask, if Pres K came out with LF glass with a good shutter, would you buy it? If say he did it for View cameras and say retro-fitting all those Crown and Speed Graphics out there with new stuff, say wider than the norm, would you kick tires?

I know better place to ask but there's enough of us crazy folks out there here I want to know?

Thoughts? Could Pres K follow his success in RF LTM/M glass and some very nice SL II results and growing M4/3s glass with easy to build LF glass?

Anyone else willing to kick the tires?

B2 (;-?

Freakscene · 10-06-2010

And go up against Schneider and Rodenstock? I don't think so.

Marty

Alpacaman · 10-06-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freakscene

And go up against Schneider and Rodenstock? I don't think so.

They are already going up against Leica and Zeiss, so why not? Although, yes, it is a really small market there.

wlewisiii · 10-06-2010

Why not? They "go up against" Leica & such already?

Same niche as they have in RF's - a value priced alternative. A symmetrical lens that can be converted like the old Symmars or, better yet, a 135 - 165 range Tessar design that can be screwed into a standard Copal?

But that points out the real problem - the only shutters out there are Copals and they are the real price killers in the end. I don't see Mr. K putting the Compur back into production...

William

jwhitley · 10-06-2010

Sure, why not? I doubt Cosina would directly go up against Schneider and Rodenstock in this case. Instead, it would make more sense to create unique offerings just as it has done with much of its Voigtlander line. The conventional LF market is well covered by excellent with new and used LF lenses. Putting myself into Mr. K's shoes, this would push me to look at things like a modern LF heliar design and/or other lens designs with a specific and stylized look (e.g. the Cooke PS945). There may also be room for modern fast LF lens designs, especially if one is talking about lenses for use with "point and shoot" style LF cameras. (Heh, if only we could get Delta 3200 in 4x5 then...)

On related LF matters, I'd personally *love* an electronic LF shutter system that had a reasonable price and was designed for field cameras rather than studio work.

Freakscene · 10-06-2010

I assumed when you said "kick butt" you meant top end gear. If you mean trying to do in the LF market what they do in the M mount market, maybe, but really there is so much good used gear out there and the market is tiny. Teaming up with Shen-Hao or Chamonix and offering camera-lens kits, or better, Cosina making a budget metal 45 folding field camera for a kit would be great, but it just isn't going to happen.

Marty