Contax N Digital
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 The camera received mixed reviews from the press,[1] and was withdrawn from the market within a year of its introduction.
File:ND front.gif File:ND top.gif File:ND back.gif
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 used was from Philips, and a similar model had been used in medium format digital backs. Pentax planned to use the sensor in a competing full-frame digital SLR, the Pentax MZ-D,[2] but abandoned work on the prototype in late 2001. The sensor features ISO settings as low as ISO 25, but the reviews noted that it had a relatively high noise level above ISO 100.[3] The next full-frame digital SLR was the Canon EOS-1DS of late 2002. The format remains uncommon as of 2008.
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.[4] The lenses were highly regarded. There were only three Contax N-Mount cameras, all of which have been discontinued. A company called Conurus[5] can convert the lenses for the Canon EOS mount.
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 no longer sold, and is considered a collector's item.
References
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