No more Noblex cameras
 

O/H 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.

No more Noblex cameras
 

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

[---]

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 ...

No more Noblex cameras
 

"Andrew Price" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:01:12 +0200, (Ralf R.
Radermacher) wrote:

[---]

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.

No more Noblex cameras
 

O/H Ralf R. Radermacher wrote:

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.

No more Noblex cameras
 

No more Noblex cameras
 

No more Noblex cameras
 

In article
,
RolandRB wrote:

On 31 Jul., 09:32, (Ralf R. Radermacher) wrote:
RolandRB wrote:
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/gcarlso...processing.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.