Help deciding on Zeiss lens camera T* that important?

Hi folks.

After many fabulous years with my yashica/contax P&S 35mm I'm moving up to
digital. I loved the Zeiss T* lens and the superb quality of everything it
took- even after 6 years of rugged use I'm still getting compliments on the
sharpness and color of the images (I use high end film and professional
developing). .

My quandary? I'm of two minds about which to go with. So I'm using the
Zeiss lens as my starting point- leaving me with the Contax U4R and Sony
DSC-W5 or 7.

I realize the Contax line is dead as of mid-2005 but I have a line on a new
U4R. I love the styling and that it takes SD (of which I have plenty laying
around). The auto-focus is 7 points and the imaging system seems to be a
proven quantity. I also realize that because new non-refurbished units are
in short supply I'm going to pay a premium and have to jump through hoops
for service.

The Sony has the same Vario-Tessar lens but in a more traditional body that
allows for attachments of filters and wide-angle. It also uses MS of which
I only have one additional (128). I also lacks the T* coating. I have
heard things about quality control problems with the current lineup of
Cybershots including the Chinese sales ban. I'm also not sure if the
additional 2 mps in the D7 is overkill.

I guess it comes down to this: is the T* coating important enough to be a
deal breaker? Is buying a $ 350 plus digital P&S worth it if you can't add
attachments- or is the whole attachment thing not such a good idea? Which
would be your deciding factor and why?

--
John H.


.

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