Contax N Digital

Contax N Digital
Contax N Digital
Type digital single-lens reflex camera
Sensor Phillips 6mp CCD
Maximum resolution 3040 x 2008
Lens Contax N-mount
Shutter speed range 32sec-1/8000sec
Exposure metering Multi-Segment, Center weighted, Spot
ASA/ISO range 25-400
Storage Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Battery Proprietary battery pack

The Contax N Digital was a six-megapixel digital SLR camera produced by Contax in Japan. The camera was announced in late 2000, and began to be sold in spring 2002, after several delays. The camera received mixed reviews from the press,[1] and was withdrawn from the market within a year of its introduction.

It was noteworthy for being the first full-frame digital SLR, with an imaging chip the full size of a 135 film frame. All previous digital SLRs had a smaller sensor, giving a cropped view (see magnification factor). The imaging sensor was a Philips FTF3020-C, which had previously been used in the Jenoptik Eyelike medium format digital back.[2] Pentax also planned to use the sensor in a full-frame digital SLR, the Pentax MZ-D,[3] but abandoned work on the prototype in late 2001. The sensor featured ISO settings as low as ISO 25, but the reviews noted that it had a relatively high noise level above ISO 100.[4] The next full-frame digital SLRs were the Canon EOS-1Ds of late 2002, followed by Kodak's DCS Pro 14n in 2003. In 2008 Sony and Nikon also introduced full-frame models.

The N Digital was based on the short-lived Contax N range of 35mm film SLRs, and used the Contax N-Mount lens system. Nine lenses were produced for this mount, by Carl Zeiss.[5] The lenses were highly regarded. There were only three Contax N-Mount cameras - two 35mm film SLR bodies, plus the N Digital - all of which have been discontinued. The lenses can be converted for the Canon EOS mount, retaining autofocus.[6]

After the demise of the N Digital, the Contax brand name was used for one further camera, the Contax TVS of 2002. Contax's parent company Kyocera withdrew from the digital imaging market in 2005. Today the N Digital is considered a collector's item.

References

  1. ^ Luminous Landscape on the camera's press reception
  2. ^ Digital Photography Review on the Jenoptik Eyelike
  3. ^ DPReview's announcement of the Pentax MZ-D
  4. ^ Lone Star Digital's review of the N Digital
  5. ^ Contax Camera's description of the lens range
  6. ^ Photozone.de's review of the N-Mount Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4, converted to the EOS mount
v · d · eFull-frame DSLR cameras
Pentax
MZ-D (Prototype, 2000)
Contax
N Digital (2002)
Kodak
DCS Pro 14n (2002) · DCS Pro SLR/c (2004) · DCS Pro SLR/n (2004)
Canon
Flagship
1Ds (2002) · 1Ds Mark II (2004) · 1Ds Mark III (2007) · 1D X (2012)
High-end
5D (2005) · 5D Mark II (2008)
Nikon
Flagship
D3 (2007) · D3X (2008) · D3S (2009)
High-end
D700 (2008)
Sony
Flagship
α 900 (2008)
High-end
α 850 (2009)
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