p.51 #1 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
The ZX-1 should have ended its days gathering dust in the back room after the special ops tech-obsessed new recruits developed it as an in-house 'playful project', before realising how non-viable the product prototype was. Zeiss is now concerned primarily with medical, specs, research. On their front page (always a good indicator) photography is listed sixth in order of priority.
Frens, they are dead to us now, and good riddance to the present management. It's a very different company to the one that pioneered so much. But see it this way: they chose an excellent and passionate firm to pass the baton to, in Cosina.
Covid? No. These corporate redirections take many years to start because monster corporations turn themselves around about as well as the Queen Mary. Agile, they are not. The best thing would be to spin off the photography (narrowly defined) as a separate unit of the bloated enterprise they have become. But they lack the corporate will, and fully deserve all the derision they are getting. The ZX-1 is a fine metaphor for the photographic demise of Carl Zeiss AG.
p.51 #2 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
philip_pj wrote:
Covid? No. These corporate redirections take many years to start because monster corporations turn themselves around about as well as the Queen Mary. Agile, they are not. The best thing would be to spin off the photography (narrowly defined) as a separate unit of the bloated enterprise they have become. But they lack the corporate will, and fully deserve all the derision they are getting. The ZX-1 is a fine metaphor for the photographic demise of Carl Zeiss AG.
“The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.”
―Robert Conquest
BBK, parent company of Vivo brand, ships about a fifth of all smartphones WW. A few pennies or dollars or whatever royalty per mobile phone is probably a lot more interesting to Zeiss than another Batis, Loxia, Otus or Milvus lens for a few aging enthusiasts.
p.51 #5 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
I guess you aren't familiar with the term "development hell." It is most usually applied in the film industry, but it permeates plenty of organizations I have been a part of. Too much development, and you miss your window of useful or revolutionary tech. It was in development hell on top of COVID. I am not giving them a pass, but Germany took a very hard line on things, too.
genji wrote:
Finally, we have a credible culprit for the epic failure that is the ZX1. It was COVID’S fault! Such a relief to have that cleared up.
p.51 #6 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
TheEmrys wrote:
It was in development hell on top of COVID. I am not giving them a pass, but Germany took a very hard line on things, too.
And yet in the same period Leica, dealing with COVID and operating under the same "hard line" German constraints, managed to release a steady stream of new camera bodies and lenses. Go figure.
p.51 #7 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
gordec wrote:
Ultimately, what Zeiss should've done is an RX1R MK3 with similar lens, slightly larger body size to accommodate a bigger battery, and add a fixed EVF. Pricing around $4000 MSRP with used price floating around mid and low $3000....
Why so high at $4000?
I will preface this by saying I know this is an APS-C camera but.. the superb Fuji X100V is $1400. So let's use that as a baseline. You are ok with the Zeiss costing $2600 more than that? I can see maybe $2000 as the final price if it is full frame.
It seems that Zeiss just pulled that $6000 price out of thin air to make it seem desirable as a super luxury product.
p.51 #8 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
Desmolicious wrote:
Why so high at $4000?
I will preface this by saying I know this is an APS-C camera but.. the superb Fuji X100V is $1400. So let's use that as a baseline. You are ok with the Zeiss costing $2600 more than that? I can see maybe $2000 if it is full frame.
It seems that Zeiss just pulled that $6000 price out of thin air to make it seem desirable as a super luxury product.
That didn't work well for 'blad or Panaleica and I highly doubt it's working for Zeiss now.
I hope for the customer Zeiss continue to support this mess of an idea well past the time they ultimately give up on it, especially since it has software that needs to be, I'm assuming, kept up to date.
p.51 #10 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
philip_pj wrote:
Covid? No. These corporate redirections take many years to start because monster corporations turn themselves around about as well as the Queen Mary. Agile, they are not. The best thing would be to spin off the photography (narrowly defined) as a separate unit of the bloated enterprise they have become. But they lack the corporate will, and fully deserve all the derision they are getting. The ZX-1 is a fine metaphor for the photographic demise of Carl Zeiss AG.
I might be very wrong but I think it's the other way around. There would probably be no more Zeiss photography equipment without the parent company cross-financing.
Besides Canon, Leica, maybe Sony (thanks to betting on mirrorless), I can't really think of a traditional manufacturer that can survive on selling lenses or cameras alone. With the small market, profits are in volume or price. And Sony has consumer electronics and sensors to fall back on, even if photo division wasn't profitable. Actually, maybe add Sigma. I think Tamron does a lot of OEM manufacturing.
It's already heading that way, but I think we have to get used to paying Leica-esque prices all around eventually. Unless a corp. parent helps with financing that's probably the only way to stay afloat and profitable with how the market seems to be going. On the other hand, prices may be high but we're also getting really amazing glass and cameras these days. OK, except for the ZX1 maybe even though I'm not as negative on it as most here, haha.
Maybe my info is outdated, but even Cosina (was?) is a large OEM manufacturer of (asph) optical elements for other companies and not solely relying on sales of their excellent MF lenses. They also contract manufactured camera bodies for a couple large companies in the film days afair (Zeiss, obviously but others that I forgot too).
p.51 #11 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
Interesting take, lora_to. Firstly, as you speak in the present tense, 'there would probably be no more Zeiss photography equipment' appears to be the recent past, current and future situation.
Yes, optical equipment covers a lot of ground ripe for field expansion as we saw with say, Rodenstock, a medium size maker of outstanding quality lenses. In the case of Zeiss (a formerly much more prominent player), they have simply deserted the playing field without notice.
I am an advocate for a smaller sub-industry going forward, and I hope that phones continue to eat away at the industry, leaving a kind of guild framework. I stick to my notion that a semi-autonomous unit operating with clear focus is a highly viable approach.
Cosina does a lot of business for other makers, work they are shy about, so yes they operate as a kind of high end consulting outfit. Employee count? 520 (2017). That the model we want to see, and their near Leica level is testament to their effectiveness. Their lenses are not so costly, are they? How dependent are they on cross-subsidisation. Don't know, but they are doing the work of a trojan, that much is certain.
p.51 #14 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
Just for grins, checked for used transactions on eBay. No cameras, chargers, lens hoods, batteries or other accessories have transacted on eBay. It isn’t listed as a product on Greentoe. No inventory at KEH or MPB. No reviews at Adorama, 6 reviews at BH. Last one posted January (1 star). Crickets… crickets…
p.51 #18 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
The problem is they are at a price point that leaves little chance for success. Even if it was the bees knees, how big of a market would there be for that type of camera? The intersection of target audience and budget seems to pose an inherent challenge.
p.51 #20 · In-Stock: 37MP Zeiss ZX1 full frame camera
nehemiahphoto wrote:
I have been thinking and hoping Zeiss would repurpose this lens in some iteration or body so as to not loose all R&D. But maybe not.
It would be nice but I'm afraid they can't use a similar design for regular mirrorless cameras. The lens would have to be bigger to perform similarly and I don't even think Zeiss is interested in developing new lenses for mirrorless anymore.
