Also it was not auto focus that killed those brands. It was the end of a fad.
In the early 70's an expensive camera was a must have, even if you did not take
photos with it. It was the in thing. People worn them more for ornimentation,
Nikon's were referred to as expensive necklaces, than for use. When the FAD
died many brands disappeared quickly, then the early 80's recession hit and
many more brands went down the drain, and not just cameras.
graywolf
http://www.graywolfphoto.com
"Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof"
-----------------------------------
Mishka wrote:
very true.
but there is one major (imo) difference: none of the brands you
have listed had ever produced a single AF camera.
by now, pentax has already 2 dslrs. they have the technology, they have
the products on the market. they may not be a major pro brand,
but so what? neither had they been one in the AF era. as long as they keep
producing cameras and lenses.
then again, i won't be surprised if they lose the MF. which may be
good for them (although sad for me) -- digital MF may very well be
a dead end.
best,
mishka
sick and tired of all this FUD.
On 5/26/05, Anthony Farr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Not really. Marques have been fairly stable for about two decades, but we
lost a lot between the seventies and the full implementation of autofocus.
Gone from the 35mm SLR business are Topcon, Petri, Chinon, Miranda, Mamiya,
Rollei and after living on as a ghostly shadow, Olympus finally shook off
its 35 SLR product line. Who knows how many others have escaped my memory.
I haven't seen the Ricoh name on any new SLRs for a few years either, and I
have no idea what Alpa is doing although they still exist in some form.
Now, we are seeing the digital revolution pick off the stragglers in the
same way that autofocus did before.
regards,
Anthony Farr
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(snip)
Yeah, but camera systems are dead ending much more than they used to --
more
often, and sooner.
(snip)
Marnie aka Doe ;-)
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