From: jacobs@cerritos.edu
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Next Nikon camera: An AF interchangeable lens rangefinder?
Date: 28 Sep 92 21:29:47 PST
Distribution: usa
Organization: Cerritos College, Norwalk CA

In article <1992Sep28.141652.29499@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>, duane@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (duane.galensky) writes:
> In article <13350@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> dbernard@thewho.Central.Sun.COM writes:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Believe it or not, Nikon is in process of producing a new professional
>>>rangefinder camera which will do autofocus with all Nikon AF lenses, and
>>>will accept all manual Nikon lenses. Following are some primary information
>>>about the camera, it's up to you to believe or disbelieve the information.
>>I
>>This is an interesting concept, but I gotta wonder how it would sell?
>>
>>* A traditional RFDR advantage is lightness, quietness, quickness, but this
>>	camera sounds like it would have autoadvance, need battery storage
>>	for the AF and advance etc.  In short, it sounds like a bridge camera
>>	that would take interchangeable lenses, which leads me to my second
>>	question...
>>
>>* If I have to buy Nikkor SLR lenses anyway (retrofocus design for wide angle,
>>	room for autoaperture, motors, etc., and thus much larger than comparable
>>	traditional RFDR lenses), why not just buy an SLR?
> 
> 
> i agree 100%...i can't understand what possible purpose having
> a non-through-the-lens viewfinder would have unless one gains
> something in terms of weight, bulk, quiet-ness, or perhaps
> higher quality optics.  AF rangefinder sounds contradictory to me.
> 
> oh well...it wouldn't suprise me...after all, they just announced
> the N90 for reasons i can't understand...so much for the
> credibility of my judgement in these matters...
> 
> duane

	The reason Nikon would introduce a rangefinder camera with
interchangeable lenses is to provide a quieter camera. There is quite obviously
a demand for a less noisy 35mm camera for instance Canon's EOS Elan and RT.
There is also a demand for a professional RF camera,for photojounalists
example, Leica keeps pumping out M-6s at $3000 or so a pop with lens and Konica 
just introduced a high quality AF rangefinder with a fixed 35mm f2.0 lens
called the Hexar. If Nikon does produce such a camera it makes sense to use SLR
lenses to provide some autoexposure functions (like a program or shutter
prefered automatic functions) as well as the cost effectiveness of producing
one lens line. THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE!!!

	Sean

	As for the question of why Nikon would introduce the N90....
Lets see..
Could it be because...
	The N90 has better metering?
	The N90 has better autofocus capabilities?
	The new flash technology needed a new camera?
		(1/4000th sec shutter sync, preflash metering that takes into
		account where you are focused, improved pre-flash sensors,etc.
	The N90 is a better camera than the 8008s?
	Nikon camera needed a camera priced between the 8008s and the F4?
	Nikon needed another camera that will focus with the new AFI-D lens?
	Canon and Minolta have improved their mid-range cameras far beyond the 
	pitiful 8008?
I don't know, What do YOU think? Perhaps I will think of some more things when
I get to use one of the cameras, Next time READ the article in Popular
Photography before you start bitching about a new camera that you know nothing
about!

Karl  
________________________________________________________________________________Karl Jacobs - Jacobs@cerritos.edu