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on May 29, 2022 12:32:03 GMT
Posted: May 29, 2022 12:32:03 GMT
It is funny, at least for me, to see how many futuristic/advanced features made available thanks to the electronics were seen as a big advantage, but now are more an annoyance than an advantage.
For example, all the complexity (and another possible point of failure) added to a camera just to advance the film automatically after shooting. In a fully automatic point-and-shoot compact camera is okay... but in a SLR?... especially when the motor-drive was available as an accessory in almost all SLR lines.
It seems that it was important to show how much at the edge of the technology the company was, more than if the feature was needed or how it could affect the reliability of the product.
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on May 30, 2022 8:35:42 GMT
Posted: May 30, 2022 8:35:42 GMT
It is funny, at least for me, to see how many futuristic/advanced features made available thanks to the electronics were seen as a big advantage, but now are more an annoyance than an advantage. For example, all the complexity (and another possible point of failure) added to a camera just to advance the film automatically after shooting. In a fully automatic point-and-shoot compact camera is okay... but in a SLR?... especially when the motor-drive was available as an accessory in almost all SLR lines. It seems that it was important to show how much at the edge of the technology the company was, more than if the feature was needed or how it could affect the reliability of the product. Hi ArielYou make an interesting point; undoubtedly there were manufacturers, particularly those aiming at the mass market SLR users, that would cram every bell and whistle they could think of to add to a camera's 'consumer appeal'. I would not direct that accusation at Contax and their micro-motors as they were undoubtedly introduced as a convenience, reducing the need to carry the bulk and weight of a separate drive. The motors had a reputation for reliability and all my 137MDs and MAs still have fully functioning motors. It is worth noting that the 1985 introduction of the 159MM was to be the last Contax which could take an external drive; all subsequent models (except the manually shuttered Preview II, S2 and S2b) had in-built motors. Of course, if you ran out of battery power, you had a dead camera - but that was largely the case with most models as more and more had electronic shutters and only a few had a manual emergency shutter release along the lines of the RTSII. But being from an earlier generation, part of me always missed the lever wind... |
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on Jun 21, 2022 11:48:22 GMT
Posted: Jun 21, 2022 11:48:22 GMT
It is funny, at least for me, to see how many futuristic/advanced features made available thanks to the electronics were seen as a big advantage, but now are more an annoyance than an advantage. For example, all the complexity (and another possible point of failure) added to a camera just to advance the film automatically after shooting. In a fully automatic point-and-shoot compact camera is okay... but in a SLR?... especially when the motor-drive was available as an accessory in almost all SLR lines. It seems that it was important to show how much at the edge of the technology the company was, more than if the feature was needed or how it could affect the reliability of the product. I've always shot in Av most of the time, probably because my first camera was a Pentax MV-1, therefore find the 137's really nice to use. The 137MD feels incredibly solid in the hand and, unlike most all auto cameras it has Aperture, shutter speed and frame counter information in the viewfinder which means the photographer knows exactly what is going on. There is also +- 2 stops of exposure compensation. |
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on Sept 19, 2022 12:55:00 GMT
Posted: Sept 19, 2022 12:55:00 GMT
Thanks to bobblehat I have found an advertisement I never expected: it is for the Yashica KC600 digital camera.  Yashica KC600 ad 1998 rIt appeared in a 1998 edition of Photon magazine, not a publication I ever came across but thankfully, bobblehat not only acquired the magazine back then, he also had a KC600. The magazine carried a 2-page review of the camera which was very positive. I have used the KC600 today to check it's still working and IQ remains surprisingly good for a SVGA 640x480 resolution model from 24 years ago. The cost in 1998 was £329 which made it one of the more affordable digital cameras back then. |
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on Sept 23, 2022 18:41:50 GMT
Posted: Sept 23, 2022 18:41:50 GMT
Here's another ad I've not seen before, again from Photon magazine, this time for the Contax Aria in the November 1998 edition. It followed a glowing review of the camera and Zeiss 28-70 kit lens.  Aria Ad UK Photon Nov 98And before you complain about the grainy image of the conductor and background, that's how the ad appears...  |
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on Oct 5, 2022 13:57:40 GMT
Posted: Oct 5, 2022 13:57:40 GMT
...And before you complain about the grainy image of the conductor and background, that's how the ad appears... The idea of the camera in the place of an orchestra makes some sense if combined with the text, but what the ocean has to do with anything?... Is the camera floating on the sea?... Is it some kind of UFO emerging from the deep?  And now... what about the grainy image of the conductor and background?... the whole thing looks like those meme on the internet showing really bad Photoshop attempts. |
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on Dec 26, 2023 16:11:15 GMT
Posted: Dec 26, 2023 16:11:15 GMT
Here's an advertisement placed by UK Distributor Photax on behalf of the Yashica 635 in Amateur Photographer magazine in December 1964.  Yashica 635 Ad AP 1964It was not a cheap purchase back then as it's equivalent price today would be around £660 ( 840USD). |
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on Dec 26, 2023 16:41:49 GMT
Posted: Dec 26, 2023 16:41:49 GMT
Once again, from the 16 December 1964 issue of Amateur Photographer, still the UK's only weekly photography magazine, comes this ad for the new Yashica J-5, the Lynx-5000 and the Minister D.  J-5_Lynx5000_Minister D AP 1964It's interesting to note that at today's prices, the J-5 would cost a whopping £1930 ( $2450)! |
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on Jan 4, 2024 18:04:16 GMT
Posted: Jan 4, 2024 18:04:16 GMT
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