1N-Digital Non Review

This is not a review of theContax 1N Digital. It is also not a review of anything else. But itisan indictment of bad marketing practices.
The History
Back in late 2000 when the Canon D30 was new and hot and the Nikon D1 was king of the hill both Contax and Pentax announced cameras that would offer 6MP full frame imaging chips. The chip used was from Phillips, and was essentially the same chip used in a number of high-end digital backs used on medium format cameras.
Photographers were thrilled. Imagine — a full frame imager in a 35mm camera.
Then time passed, and passed, and still no cameras. About a year later Pentax announced that it was dropping out. The rumours were that they simply couldn't get the image quality they needed from the Phillips chip. Contax hung on though, and in the spring of 2002 they finally started shipping the1N Digital.
The Camera
Photo courtesy Contax
The N Digital is based on Contax's 1N 35mm film body, introduced the year before. It was Contax's first ...