Konica Minolta have just officially anounced that they are leaving the camera business :-(( The camera dept will be sold to Sony who will go on developing products for tha Minolta AF mount see: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901konicaminoltaout.asp

see also. http://konicaminolta.com/releases/2006/0119_03_01.html

Been on the cards for a while but I don't see it as a bad thing. Sony will surely be able to develop the cameras further than KM were able too. To me it is a positive thing for the photographer - ensures the future of KM mount slr's and ensures they will be developed as they truly deserve to be. A little nostalgia for the brand perhaps - but I would rather see their quality and unique features developed into bigger and better DSLR's than KM were ever going to be able to do.

Geez....I can see now that my upgrade path is going to change down the road! Thing that bothers me with KM going to Sony is that they use proprietary memory sticks! Who know what else will change! Oh well...just wait and see! Now just got to worry about service/warranty if ever I need it! From the discussion on some other forums....Nikon and Pentax might be impacted as well, since Sony supplies the CCD chips for them.

Attached Link: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2006-01-19T124122Z_01_T1

I have a dimage z5, without an external flashgun which i need to get for cheep.

Joe, i think they or someone else will still provide tech support/service, because thats what happened here in canada. :o( =o( +o(

http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&q=Konica+Minolta&btnG=Search+News

the KM forums are full of people falling into despair, swearing they will never ever go around using a Sony camera: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1035 http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/default.asp on the other hand, a brave and optimistic few are hoping that Sony will have the muscle and nouse to really compete with Cann and Nikn, especially in the DSLR market One thing I refuse to do is worry about the stupid memory stick - top of the range Sony bridge cameras like the R 1 also use CF cards ;-))

Both sad and possibly good news. We live in a rapidly changing world and things that used to seem eternal are dissapearing or altering all around us. I just hope that SONY has the good sense not to mess too much with a good thing, and hopefully improve upon it.

Its sad to know we will not be seeing Minolta branded cameras again; they have a rich history (who can ever forget their early to mid eighties heyday), but I really think Minolta lost the plot in the end - they spent more time developing their Konica relationship while other companies were developing their cameras at a crucial stage - the start of the DSLR boom. A sad day, but not surprising. Cheers

The notice on the Sony site sounds very promising.

It has all the potential to be a market leader - Sony CMOS sensors - Minolta AS - Carl Zeiss lenses.

New Cameras by the summer ! hmm they're probably filing off the Minolta name on 'em now ready for the new Sony sticker
:D

Message edited on: 01/19/2006 10:46

oh...that's just f--king great...quiters!!!!

anyone want to buy my cam? I think I'll get a CANON now.

I don't think I want another cam, but I might be interested in glass: 85mm f1.4? 70-200mmSSm f2.8? a good macro - I pay you $100 for each - lol

I was just kidding...I will keep mine too. I am also looking for some glass..I want a cool Macro too...Sorry...I have no 85 r1.4 70-200 Sigma is it? --but I am thinking I want fixed length lens... I was eyeballing the konica minolta f.8 100mm Macro d lens...;-)

I'm afraid that is only the beginning of a bigger shake out; Sony anounced earlier to develop SLR's with KM as they missed that segment; now they take it over completely - in principle no surprise.

What about Olympus with 4:3 system or Fujifilm struggling in the midrange with only one SLR at the professional end??

Actually you have only in Germany 100 brands with 1200 different models of digital cameras. Agfa died already, who will be the 5 brands to survive??

Message edited on: 01/19/2006 13:18

For a Macro in the 100mm range, you would be hard pushed to beat a Tamron 90mm Macro...I purchased a Nikon 105mm Macro and had chance to compare the two and the Tamron is pin sharp and certainly on a par with the Nikon...I would imagine the Minolta fit is just the same. Cheers

Too late now... I just got a rad Konica Minolta 100mm Minolta. Tamron/Sigma/Minolta...its all opinions if you ask me... ... ;-)

All of the images on my developing gallery prior to about April 2004 were taken with an old Minolta DImage F100, point and shoot with manual overrides. Since then, it is a combo of Nikon D70 and the old carry cam, the Minolta. This little cam lacks modern sophistification(spelling? yikes!) but has and continues to serve well. We will see what the shakedown in digital comes to..hopefully more emphasis on the prosumer market and DSLR while of course gainfully chasing the regular point and shoot market, where the massive sales really are.

The DSLR market should be interesting: 1. Canon will remain no1, they have an excellent catalogue of lenses, they make their own sensors and will continue to bring out new models at every price-point and for every segment. 2. Nikon will remain no2, but they are now buying their sensors from a direct competitor. 3. Sony has replaced Minolta will they make a mess of it? Who will make their lenses? 4. Samsung have already brought out their first DSLR a re-badged Pentax apparently. 5. Olympus have that weird 4/3 format will Panasonic join them or take them over? Let's see what happens

Oh I wouldn't be so sure of those positions in a couple of years time - Sony say they are aiming for 25% of the dslr market - now! Once Samsung are fully teamed up with Pentax, and Panasonic with Olympus, there will be a real squeeze on the top places.

Message edited on: 01/20/2006 09:55

I still don't think Nikon and Canon will be toppled from the top spots, they are the bread and butter of PG's and pro's of many types and that does filter down to the normal consumer/prosumer as far as DSLR/SLR's are concerned. Olympus might come good again, but that is only really a wish because of my fondness of the old OM10 :P Pentax...well, I think they will have to do a lot of improving over the "*ist" range if they are to make any in roads...another personal opinion, from picking one up today for the first time. Sorry, but because of it's lightness and ergonomics it felt awfull in my hands. Cheers

That's too bad - Minolta had some nice designs and I liked their honeycomb metering system - that was a neat idea! They lost a TON of money in the APS market. They threw everything into the APS Point&Shoots full-throttle! Then it all tanked! In the process they kinda left their SLRs out to dry, figuring their market was the hobbyist. Never really made it back to the likes of Nikon and Canon. Wonder if they're gonna limit production of their light meters as well. I have the IVF and love it, but I realized the other day that since buying my DSLR I haven't used it for nearly 2 years! Once in a blue moon when I need to get something on film with medium or large format I break it out - but everything has been the quick fire of the shutter to see the lighting. Man, their minilabs and papers are going too! This is gonna be bad for MANY labs! -Lew

I still buy their stuff..because I am cool.

LOLOL - I have been amazed by the tone of many posts on the Minolta chat-sites. Some are swearing they will never be seen dead with a Sony camera - others worrying that Sony's camera will be coloured grey etc... Time will tell

Attached Link: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/Rambler358/Misc/Sony_R2-7D.jpg

LOLOL - I wonder if they included an alarm clock, a tape recorder and a coffee machine lol!

THAT'S FUNNY! But... Can I use my personal controllers?