No more Noblex cameras

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Had a phone conversation with someone at Kamerawerk Dresden, the makers
of Noblex panoramic cameras, today. They've stopped making their famous
panoramic cameras.

Pity, really. I wish them all the best for the future.

Ralf

[Alan Browne]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
Had a phone conversation with someone at Kamerawerk Dresden, the makers
of Noblex panoramic cameras, today. They've stopped making their famous
panoramic cameras.

All cameras are panoramic now with image stitching software available on
a number of image editors.

For the few remaining "pure" need panoramic imaging requirements there
are more than ample cameras floating around.

Indeed if you needed a 'single exposure time' panoramic it would be
easier to set up a lot of ordinary DSLR's with overlapping FOV's and
trigger them simultaneously. Then stitch in s/w. Some care of
camera/lens placement is all that's needed. For closer in panos might
be more challenging.

Time moves on.

[Nick Fotis]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
Had a phone conversation with someone at Kamerawerk Dresden, the makers
of Noblex panoramic cameras, today. They've stopped making their famous
panoramic cameras.
Pity, really. I wish them all the best for the future.
Ralf

I hope that they'll continue servicing these
(I own both the 150U and the 135S from their range)

I admit I am saddened by these news...

N.F.

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by Nick Fotis
I hope that they'll continue servicing these
(I own both the 150U and the 135S from their range)
I admit I am saddened by these news...

Now, this is the real bad news. They can't repair our cameras because
they don't have any spares. Since they always built the same models they
never held a dedicated stock of spares as all the parts they needed for
repairs could be fetched from the production department next door.

Worse still, all their parts were made by external suppliers and they
only assembled the cameras.

Faced with plummeting sales they simply carried on until all parts had
been used up for building cameras and then pulled the plug on their
camera production without any parts left for spares.

I've spoken to the guy running their service department. He has shelves
full of customers' broken cameras and nothing to repair them. When I
asked him what to do, he suggested sending him all broken cameras so he
could pile them up and convince their CEO to have another batch of parts
made. Hair-raising, isn't it?

Sounds like a story from another world and indeed it is as it goes a
long way towards explaining the mentality still prevalent in what used
to be socialist East Germany. Twenty years on, they're still as
fatalistic as they were then. No wonder they're gobbling up billions of
West German taxpayers' money without any progress to show for it.

Ralf

[Andrew Price]

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:01:12 +0200, ***@gmx.de (Ralf R.
Radermacher) wrote:

[---]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
Sounds like a story from another world and indeed it is as it goes a
long way towards explaining the mentality still prevalent in what used
to be socialist East Germany. Twenty years on, they're still as
fatalistic as they were then. No wonder they're gobbling up billions of
West German taxpayers' money without any progress to show for it.

Well, they're not *all* like that, but one wonders, some times.

Last weekend, I was in Wernigerode (in the state of Saxony-Anhalt,
formerly part of the GDR), and went into a general-purpose clothing
store with a friend. He was looking for a t-shirt, but after
wandering around most of the ground floor, it was obvious that there
was only women's clothing, and shoes for sale there.

But before venturing up the stair-case to the first floor (my friend
is 83) he asked a saleswoman in the shoe department

- "where is the men's department?"

- "men's shoes are here" came the prompt response.

- "I'm not interested in shoes", he said, "I'm looking for a t-shirt"

- "Oh, sorry, we can't help you" came the astounding response. "We're
only responsible for shoes"

- "Yes, but surely you know where the t-shirts are?" my friend
replied.

- "No, not our business" came the impertinent reply.

At first, I thought it was a joke. But it wasn't ...

[mikey4]

Post by Andrew Price
[---]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
Sounds like a story from another world and indeed it is as it goes a
long way towards explaining the mentality still prevalent in what used
to be socialist East Germany. Twenty years on, they're still as
fatalistic as they were then. No wonder they're gobbling up billions of
West German taxpayers' money without any progress to show for it.

Well, they're not *all* like that, but one wonders, some times.
Last weekend, I was in Wernigerode (in the state of Saxony-Anhalt,
formerly part of the GDR), and went into a general-purpose clothing
store with a friend. He was looking for a t-shirt, but after
wandering around most of the ground floor, it was obvious that there
was only women's clothing, and shoes for sale there.
But before venturing up the stair-case to the first floor (my friend
is 83) he asked a saleswoman in the shoe department
- "where is the men's department?"
- "men's shoes are here" came the prompt response.
- "I'm not interested in shoes", he said, "I'm looking for a t-shirt"
- "Oh, sorry, we can't help you" came the astounding response. "We're
only responsible for shoes"
- "Yes, but surely you know where the t-shirts are?" my friend
replied.
- "No, not our business" came the impertinent reply.
At first, I thought it was a joke. But it wasn't ...

LOL !! Sounds like most every big box store in the US.

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by Andrew Price
- "Oh, sorry, we can't help you" came the astounding response. "We're
only responsible for shoes"

Almost like the old GDR joke: "Do you have no swimsuits?" - "No
swimsuits are on the first floor. We have no socks, here!"

Ralf

[Nick Fotis]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
I've spoken to the guy running their service department. He has shelves
full of customers' broken cameras and nothing to repair them. When I
asked him what to do, he suggested sending him all broken cameras so he
could pile them up and convince their CEO to have another batch of parts
made. Hair-raising, isn't it?

THAT one is really shocking!
(and hair-raising)

How will they get the extra income from the repair jobs if they do not
have a stock of parts?

That one saddens me greatly, it does cause me to be fearful of using my
Noblexes lest these break... :-(

N.F.

[RolandRB]

Post by Nick Fotis

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher
I've spoken to the guy running their service department. He has shelves
full of customers' broken cameras and nothing to repair them. When I
asked him what to do, he suggested sending him all broken cameras so he
could pile them up and convince their CEO to have another batch of parts
made. Hair-raising, isn't it?

THAT one is really shocking!
(and hair-raising)
How will they get the extra income from the repair jobs if they do not
have a stock of parts?
That one saddens me greatly, it does cause me to be fearful of using my
Noblexes lest these break... :-(
N.F.

What's the point if there is nobody left to process the film that gets
used in them?

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by RolandRB
What's the point if there is nobody left to process the film that gets
used in them?

I do beg your pardon?

Ralf

[RolandRB]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher

Post by RolandRB
What's the point if there is nobody left to process the film that gets
used in them?

I do beg your pardon?

If you hadn't noticed, getting roll film developed is becoming more
difficult and more expensive. It is that that has spelled the death of
these cameras. Not some poor management decision. Not competition from
abroad.

For myself, I am mighty pissed off that it costs me € 7 to get a roll
of E-6 developed here in Germany. I only use that type of roll film. €
7 a roll means I have to give up using it and go digital.

As for those panoramic cameras using 35mm film then there is the
problem that the frames are bigger and whoever is processing them at
the other end hasn't got a clue. Again, you have to pay more money to
get it processed properly.

Film is still cheap but getting it processed for MF and for non-
standard 35mm frames is becoming more expensive and more difficult. It
seems to me that there is no point in distributing film in Europe any
more because of this. Maybe it is still OK in Japan or China but not
Europe any more.

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by RolandRB
If you hadn't noticed, getting roll film developed is becoming more
difficult and more expensive. It is that that has spelled the death of
these cameras. Not some poor management decision. Not competition from
abroad.

Sure. I could tell you now how comparatively easy it is to do one's own
film processing, even without a darkroom. But having followed you on
here for a number of years, you'd just be coming up with more reasons
why you couldn't.

It's always easier to find reasons for not doing things than to actually
do them.

Ralf

[RolandRB]

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher

Post by RolandRB
If you hadn't noticed, getting roll film developed is becoming more
difficult and more expensive. It is that that has spelled the death of
these cameras. Not some poor management decision. Not competition from
abroad.

Sure. I could tell you now how comparatively easy it is to do one's own
film processing, even without a darkroom. But having followed you on
here for a number of years, you'd just be coming up with more reasons
why you couldn't.
It's always easier to find reasons for not doing things than to actually
do them.
Ralf

And I've followed you here for a number of years as well. Tell me if
what is described in the following article is simple or not in your
opinion.

http://www.lightcatchers.org/gcarlson/e6processing/E6processing.htm

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by RolandRB
And I've followed you here for a number of years as well. Tell me if
what is described in the following article is simple or not in your
opinion.

I find this indeed rather simple. I take it you don't.

Ralf

[Miles Bader]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Ralf R. Radermacher]

Post by Miles Bader
You may be a wee bit more studly than most people in this respect...

I've just realized, years ago, that finding excuses won't solve my
problems.

Post by Miles Bader
[and call me crazy, but I'd be pretty nervous handling all those
chemicals in my extremely cramped kitchen, where I'll be preparing food
later...

Take it to the bathroom and/or into the shower.

Ralf

[Miles Bader]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[krishnananda]

In article

Post by RolandRB

Post by Ralf R. Radermacher

Post by RolandRB
If you hadn't noticed, getting roll film developed is becoming more
difficult and more expensive. It is that that has spelled the death of
these cameras. Not some poor management decision. Not competition from
abroad.

Sure. I could tell you now how comparatively easy it is to do one's own
film processing, even without a darkroom. But having followed you on
here for a number of years, you'd just be coming up with more reasons
why you couldn't.
It's always easier to find reasons for not doing things than to actually
do them.
Ralf

And I've followed you here for a number of years as well. Tell me if
what is described in the following article is simple or not in your
opinion.
http://www.lightcatchers.org/gcarlson/e6processing/E6processing.htm

Three more steps than developing black and white negatives. Exactly the
same steps as developing T-Max black and white reversal.

What exactly is the problem?

And possibly more important, what does it have to do with Noblex closing
down? Swinging-lens panoramic cameras have always been a niche market at
best. Widelux went belly-up years ago, before anyone had ever thought of
digital photography.

Here's a hint: if you want to switch to all digital photography, do so.
There is some gizmo that attaches a point-and-shoot to a tripod and does
panoramas automatically. I believe it costs about US$300. Knock yourself
out.