Konica-Minolta out of the Camera Game

HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
edited January 20, 2006 in Cameras
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901konicaminoltaout.asp

Sad news. My first SLR was a Minolta.
Harry
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"

Comments

  • wholenewlightwholenewlight Registered Users Posts: 1,529 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Was my first SLR too
    Harryb wrote:
    http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901konicaminoltaout.asp

    Sad news. My first SLR was a Minolta.

    Mine too. Minolta SR-7

    sr7.jpg

    Even had a built-in light meter. Wow!

    But it had something my current D70s doesn't have . . . a mirror lock-up button!

    Pretty much stole it from my father in the early 1970's when I found photography. Thanks dad!
    john w
    http://cspics.smugmug.com/

    I knew, of course, that trees and plants had roots, stems, bark, branches and foliage that reached up toward the light. But I was coming to realize that the real magician was light itself.
    Edward Steichen

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Wow..the hammer falls.Who's next ?

    Anyone seen my old 1970 praktica ne_nau.gif

    Got some lightning shots around here somewhere on slides.
  • BrettGBrettG Registered Users Posts: 120 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    :cry

    I hope Sony at least announces new bodies (a la 7Dii, 9D) and new lenses at PMA... otherwise they'll lose even more of the current faithful.

    Oh well, my 7 & 7D still work as well today as they did before the announcement, so I'm not going to panic. I can't afford a new system anyways (MBPro sucked up my toy fund for the year :D ), so I'll see how it shakes out towards the end of 2006.
    BrettG
  • nickphoto123nickphoto123 Registered Users Posts: 302 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    K-M quits
    Just maybe K-M discovered what Olympus' "Suprize" is going to be on January 26 and they threw up their hands declaring 'We can't beat that'.

    (tounge in cheek, but it is possible)

    Regards, Nicholas
  • JusticeiroJusticeiro Registered Users Posts: 1,177 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Humungus wrote:
    Wow..the hammer falls.Who's next ?

    Anyone seen my old 1970 praktica ne_nau.gif

    Got some lightning shots around here somewhere on slides.

    My first SLR was a Praktica MTL3 that my first serious girlfriend bought for me. That was a fine camera.

    Praktica still makes cameras. Google them, and you will be shocked. How the mighty have fallen.
    Cave ab homine unius libri
  • BlurmoreBlurmore Registered Users Posts: 992 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    No suprise really
    As a Minolta Autocord user and lover, and a Maxxum lover I am saddened. When a company gives up on trying to be a pro-level manufacturer for the world's largest consumer it does not bode well for the future. The Maxxum 9 still stands as one of the finest tank-like film bodies ever produced. But after they dropped this ill concieved bomb http://www.steves-digicams.com/rd3000.html at the beginning of the digital fray they had a BIG hole to dig out of. The RD-3000 ranks among the greatest of photographic white elephants. Right up there with disc film, 620, the baby rollei, and APS SLRs. Duped by film manufacturers Minolta went full boat into the vectis line of APS SLRs, Nikon and Canon stuck a toe in with the Pronea and Eos IX, but never really believed it was the next BIG thing in creative imaging. It is a shame that KM's efforts were too little too late, but there is hope now that Sony the great evil, has the reins. Personally I think it will end up more like Contax, who Kyocera dumped swiftly after realizing the small market potential of Pro 645 and rangefinder products.
    http://blog.jasonknauer.com
  • andymillsonandymillson Registered Users Posts: 147 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    :cry

    Very sad news, but like most long term KM users, I won't be jumping ship any time in the near future. We can only hope that the Sony move will keep the line going, even if it is rebadged to the Sony label!

    I really like my 7D and will continue to use it as long as it continues to work

    Maybe we'll see a flood of unwanted KM gear going cheap on ebay! :):
    A Brit among the HAWKEYES
    Canon 5D Mk III
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  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    andymillson wrote:
    :cry
    I really like my 7D and will continue to use it as long as it continues to work

    Maybe we'll see a flood of unwanted KM gear going cheap on ebay! :):

    We can only hope.............
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Minolta SRT 100 was my 1st SLR as well :cry
    Benjamin
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  • JCDossJCDoss Registered Users Posts: 189 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Blurmore wrote:
    ...Personally I think it will end up more like Contax, who Kyocera dumped swiftly after realizing the small market potential of Pro 645 and rangefinder products.

    The net result of the merger might be AS in the Sony mini-cams and not much more.
  • andymillsonandymillson Registered Users Posts: 147 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    Better News
    The message posted here appears to be more optimistic than others seen on the net today

    http://konicaminolta.com/releases/2006/0119_02_01.html

    Andy
    A Brit among the HAWKEYES
    Canon 5D Mk III
    Canon 24-105L IS USM; Canon 16-35 f/2.8L USM; Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II
    Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM; Bigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM
    My Galleries
  • graeme_7799graeme_7799 Registered Users Posts: 39 Big grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    i remember back in the day when i had a Minolta 7000 AF SLR, and it was the first autofocus slr to date apparently. it was also my first slr, and i'm glad i switched to canon. theres no chance in hell they will go outta business so i'm not too worried.
  • DanielBDanielB Registered Users Posts: 2,362 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2006
    that sux...... my first slr was a Minolta SRT-101.... still have the little devililoveyou.gif
    Daniel Bauer
    smugmug: www.StandOutphoto.smugmug.com

  • piercepierce Registered Users Posts: 66 Big grins
    edited January 20, 2006
    I'm wondering if maybe Sony is interested in Minoltas' moving CCD image stabilizer as a way of circumventing and beating Canon's optical system. presumably they get the patents to this, and can use it for camcorders as well as still cameras.

    its certainly cooler to have a body based stabilizer that works for all lenses, at least if it works well.
  • ed_hed_h Registered Users Posts: 191 Major grins
    edited January 20, 2006
    Sad, my first camera that i could call my own and not a hand me down from my parents was the Minolta Autocord. My first SLR was the ST 101 which unfortunately i left sitting on the car after taking surf shots at Waimea Bay.
    ed
    A dog is for life, not just Christmas
    http://www.dogshome.org.au/
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