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09-27-2018, 03:12 PM   #1
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Zeiss ZX1

The Zeiss ZX1

Rangefinder style with 37.4 mpx Zeiss-developed FF sensor, 35mm Zeiss f2 lens, 512gb built-in memory (goodbye cards) and Adobe Lightroom built in too, Wi-fi, Bluetooth and NFC with over-air updates, large back screen, EVF. Probably well actually for certain it will cost a small fortune but some great ideas that no doubt the mainstream outfits will start copying. It seems everyone is piling in to FF mirrorless at the mo. I do like the sound of this one even if it isn’t for every taste. Fixed lens would be fine for me.

Also on DPR


Last edited by mecrox; 09-27-2018 at 03:25 PM.
09-27-2018, 03:58 PM - 2 Likes   #2
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ugh, styling is not great imo. Reminds me of the sigma one, but somehow worse. I guess they'll find their niche, name alone will help them

Edit: can't imagine processing 6500 raw's on a 4" screen being a great experience lol. What a strange choice..
09-27-2018, 04:00 PM - 2 Likes   #3
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Impressive specs but the body looks like it was sketched by a 5-year-old.

Now I don't give a rodent's posterior for how a camera looks -- it's the look of the images that matter -- but all those straight lines and sharp corners seem likely to be very uncomfortable to hold for any length of time. When I hike or vacation, my camera spends 6-12 hours a day resting in my hand. The shape of the ZX1 looks like it would cut-off circulation.
09-27-2018, 04:02 PM - 1 Like   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by photoptimist Quote
Impressive specs but the body looks like it was sketched by a 5-year-old.

Now I don't give a rodent's posterior for how a camera looks -- it's the look of the images that matter -- but all those straight lines and sharp corners seem likely to be very uncomfortable to hold for any length of time. When I hike or vacation, my camera spends 6-12 hours a day resting in my hand. The shape of the ZX1 looks like it would cut-off circulation.
It'll look fancy in your tesla roadstred though

---------- Post added 09-27-18 at 04:07 PM ----------

Feels like it's designed for a billionaires young son that wants to look cool, rather than an actual practical design for humans


Last edited by awscreo; 09-27-2018 at 04:07 PM.
09-27-2018, 05:48 PM   #5
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Weird design....

Do they really make it or just sub it out and slap on their badge?
Odd that they suddenly can come up with a camera and not like everyone is making money making them
09-27-2018, 08:05 PM   #6
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No card slot means the flash memory will die one day and the camera will become a brick...
09-27-2018, 11:44 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
No card slot means the flash memory will die one day and the camera will become a brick...
All camera's become a brick some day. ....

09-28-2018, 04:29 AM - 1 Like   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by RonHendriks1966 Quote
All camera's become a brick some day. ....
Ron, you are on fire today!

The point here is custom Android, enhanced connectivity, decent software tools and some really usable memory storage all built in. Like a mini tablet as a camera back. Whether the ZX1 is a test platform or not, this is the direction all the mainstream companies will very likely take in the near future. Fiddling with cards, primitive wifi connections and Windows 3-style operating systems will soon be strictly for the cheap end.

And if I won the lotto, yes I would very likely buy the Zeiss. Back in the day, I had great fun travelling around with a Nikon 35Ti loaded with slide film. 35mm is a more versatile focal length than 28mm, imho. And if the Zeiss checks out - it will all be in the lens assuming the OS is stable - then the results would be superb.

Obviously this all depends on a closer look. If on inspection it turns out to be a cleverly rebadged Sony something - Zeiss must have worked with someone to get this made - then my enthusiasm would wane ...

Last edited by mecrox; 09-28-2018 at 04:35 AM.
09-28-2018, 04:33 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
No card slot means the flash memory will die one day and the camera will become a brick...
What's the expected lifespan of the flash memory they are using, and how does that compare to the failure rates of the other components? I've never had a memory card die, but I've had other failures like the aperture block.

I'd be more concerned about wearing out the USB connector that you have to plug in every time you download pictures. Unless you're doing that with wireless, which is typically much slower.

---------- Post added 09-28-18 at 07:43 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by mecrox Quote
Ron, you are on fire today!

The point here is custom Android, enhanced connectivity, decent software tools and some really usable memory storage all built in. Like a mini tablet as a camera back. Whether the ZX1 is a test platform or not, this is the direction all the mainstream companies will very likely take in the near future. Fiddling with cards, primitive wifi connections and Windows 3-style operating systems will soon be strictly for the cheap end.

And if I won the lotto, yes I would very likely buy the Zeiss. Back in the day, I had great fun travelling around with a Nikon 35Ti loaded with slide film. 35mm is a more versatile focal length than 28mm, imho. And if the Zeiss checks out - it will all be in the lens assuming the OS is stable - then the results would be superb.

Obviously this all depends on the item checking out. If on inspection it turns out to be a cleverly rebadged Sony something - Zeiss must have worked with someone to get this made - then my enthusiasm would wane ...
I don't understand how editing 37 MP files on a 4" touchscreen makes much sense for anything but minor edits. A 37 MP image is something like 7500x5000 pixels, and the screen is 1280x720. Won't most people either use out of camera JPGs or edit on a much larger screen most of the time? What you see on the camera is like Facebooking the image, and all the connectivity is to push to the web. You have to tools to theoretically make great work of a big, rich file, but then nobody will ever look at it on a screen bigger than a deck of cards.
09-28-2018, 04:56 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by ThorSanchez Quote
What's the expected lifespan of the flash memory they are using, and how does that compare to the failure rates of the other components? I've never had a memory card die, but I've had other failures like the aperture block.

I'd be more concerned about wearing out the USB connector that you have to plug in every time you download pictures. Unless you're doing that with wireless, which is typically much slower.

---------- Post added 09-28-18 at 07:43 AM ----------



I don't understand how editing 37 MP files on a 4" touchscreen makes much sense for anything but minor edits. A 37 MP image is something like 7500x5000 pixels, and the screen is 1280x720. Won't most people either use out of camera JPGs or edit on a much larger screen most of the time? What you see on the camera is like Facebooking the image, and all the connectivity is to push to the web. You have to tools to theoretically make great work of a big, rich file, but then nobody will ever look at it on a screen bigger than a deck of cards.
Two things.

First, this offers an engine to produce much better OOC images than standard jpegs from the camera-maker, perhaps with auto perspective correx and keywording. The standard jpeg stuff in most cameras I've seen has been a letdown for a long time, imho. I can't speak for video as I don't use it but perhaps a similar situation applies there.

Second, it points the way to using the camera's computing power on a two-way system. Editing control on a larger screen, say a tablet, and the gruntwork computation being sent back to be done on the camera. Bear in mind that swathes of the world have bypassed conventional PCs with big screens and gone straight to mobile devices. What mobile has lacked so far are really thorough, well-made applications from the camera companies. If the industry wants to save itself, these will have to arrive some time. Lightroom mobile working across devices one of which is the camera itself is one way to address this, for example.

No doubt the Zeiss is intended for a few very rich people. But as a trial balloon the ideas in it have a much wider currency, I think, if seen for their potential.

Last edited by mecrox; 09-28-2018 at 05:05 AM.
09-28-2018, 05:30 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by ThorSanchez Quote
What's the expected lifespan of the flash memory they are using, and how does that compare to the failure rates of the other components? I've never had a memory card die, but I've had other failures like the aperture block.

I'd be more concerned about wearing out the USB connector that you have to plug in every time you download pictures. Unless you're doing that with wireless, which is typically much slower.
Flash memory is designed to handle 10,000 to 100,000 erase/write cycles. The controllers for flash memory systems typically have wear-leveling algorithms to ensure that each block of memory is used fairly. That implies that a 512 GB system should be good for at least 5,120 TB of images or about 80 million shutter actuations. Lifespan might be shorter than that if the camera's operating system uses the flash memory for lots of temporary files but I'd still expect a life span of 10-20 years.

The USB port is a bigger concern. Unless Zeiss explicitly speced a high-end connector, the port is probably rated for only a few thousand insertions which might be used up within a couple of years if the photographer plugs/unplugs the device multiple times each day.

Last edited by photoptimist; 09-28-2018 at 11:32 AM.
09-28-2018, 07:46 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
No card slot means the flash memory will die one day and the camera will become a brick...
I'm sure it a pretty simple fix, but the flash memory should outlast the shutter and probably the LCD screen, and the physical buttons that have to be pressed.
09-28-2018, 10:36 AM   #13
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Honestly, personally, if I had this much spare cash, i'd get a Leica and few nice lenses just aesthetically, it's so much nicer looking to me. This zeiss can have all the high tech features they want, I wouldn't be able to get over how ugly it looks (like a prop from an old sci-fi movie).
09-28-2018, 01:24 PM   #14
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The important thing with this product is imho the attempt at thinking through the whole flow. Focusing on the experience all the way through. I imagine it's a great camera to use for many people and it's rather likely the IQ will be good. Generally though we can se IQ plateauing the K-1 appears to be on par with all recently revealed cameras! Shooting experience will become the main thing. I expect people will realise that their AF requirements are rather modest and scale back to gear with great feel and operation. A small number of people will still need hi spec gear for sports, BIF etc of course.

I've discussed this in threads about the KP before, but I think it could become an excellent camera for this niche. They just need to be a bit braver about removing stuff and rethinking workflow after the shutter is pressed. OVF is a killer feature for the experience of photography. Keep that traditional and innovate around it particularly with robust, open and extensible software. Sticking Adobe in a camera sounds like a nightmare., same goes for android.
09-28-2018, 08:17 PM - 2 Likes   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by mecrox Quote

And if I won the lotto, yes I would very likely buy the Zeiss. Back in the day, I had great fun travelling around with a Nikon 35Ti loaded with slide film. 35mm is a more versatile focal length than 28mm, imho.
I can suggest the K-1 and the FA35mm f2 would give you great fun again without needing to win big, Mecrox.



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