Kyocera/Contax info repost request

[SteveDimond]

Hi

Before the crash someone posted a summary of the differences between the Kyocera SL300R, Kyocera SL400R, Contax SL300RT and the Contax U4R with regard to digiscoping practicalities.

Would someone kindly repost it, please |=)|

Many thanks
Steve

[Andrew Rowlands]

Hi Steve,

If you'd like to have a go at retrieving it yourself, tryTHIS (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Kyocera+SL400R+Contax+SL300RT+birdforum&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=0&sa=N&filter=0) link!

Only click on the cached links (if you use Maxthon, Mozilla, MyIE2, Opera etc., open each link in a new tab) then Ctrl+F (Find) to search each page (for 'compared' perhaps?).

Should keep you quiet for half-an-hour ;) !

Andy.

[SteveDimond]

The post I'm after isn't there |=(|

Hopefully someone will have a go at answering the question again.

Steve

[marek_walford]

Can't find the original post by Paul Hackett so it may have been lost in the recent problems.

I'll try and remember what he said...

Kyocera SL300R
3mp, NO plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, NO Zeiss lens

Kyocera SL400R
4mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, NO Zeiss lens

Contax SL300RT
3mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, Zeiss lens

Contax U4R
4mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, NO external battery pack, Zeiss lens

[siberian]

Can't find the original post by Paul Hackett so it may have been lost in the recent problems.

I'll try and remember what he said...

Kyocera SL300R
3mp, NO plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, NO Zeiss lens

Kyocera SL400R
4mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, NO Zeiss lens

Contax SL300RT
3mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, external battery pack, Zeiss lens

Contax U4R
4mp, plastic disk for adapter to fix on to, NO external battery pack, Zeiss lens

Not sure about the others, but the Kyocera SL400R doesn`t come with an adapter. These can be bought for £5 from Contax. Its a great camera, but you do need to invest in a spare battery or make an external supply as posted elsewhere.
The diy one works fine, but I`m modding one I made to enable the batteries to be charged using
(a) USB from the PC
(b) Mobile phone charger
(c) in-car mobile phone charger
Will let you know if it works !
Brian.

[hornet]

Also be aware that the first three have aperture priority - the U4R does not. As I understand it, people are getting round this using Sports mode.

Initially this raised a lot of concern, but the results seem to suggest it's less of a problem than people first thought.

U4R users may be able to enlighten you further (I have a 300SL) - they all seem pretty happy and they are taking good photos with it.

ps. If you go for a Kyocera 300, 400 or Contax 300SL, I would really really really suggest getting a battery pack made up - I tried two batteries for ages and it simply wasn't enough. In cold weather they can last just a few minutes each. A battery pack seems to go on for ever (well, more than an hour and a half continual use, which is enough for most).

[Latho]

Hi,

Just to add to the above threads, I took a lot of time to decide on what to replace my Nikon CP4300 with and opted for the Contax U4R. It is true that you cannot set aperture priority manually, however, I have been using it at ISO50 through a 32x WA Leica Televid 77 and 90% shots I have taken, in various light has ended up being taken at f2.8.

From someone with about a years digiscoping experience with a nikon, I can say in 3 weeks, I am getting as good a results as I ever did with the nikon. As far as the other kyocera/contax versions, my father has a kyocera sl400, which is also a very good camera. The U4R however has a much better screen which does make a difference when digiscoping.

I have attached a photograph from today to show the quality of the U4R.

Cheers
Matt

[Doug Greenberg]

Let me add my own two cents' worth.

I own the U4R and have not found the lack of aperture control, etc., to be any kind of impediment. The biggest "control" the user has is, as suggested above, to set the ISO manually.

For me, the biggest drawback of the camera is the flimsiness of the filter adapter. Kyocera/Contax actually warns against using this device to attach the camera to a telescope eyepiece, suggesting that they anticipate problems and don't want to be held responsible for these.