Konica Minolta is history

I guess this 'might' be the future for Pentax with a sale to Samsung. Time will tell. Like the recent Nikon news this has been a bad month for film news.

From a discussion with a Canon salesman, the low end SLRs will used cropped sensors with future mid to higher end cameras with full frame sensors. This could be sales BS but it does make sense. After all the pro spec 'cropped sensor' cameras cannot take the 'crop' lenses used on the 300d, 350D and 20D.
 
As a fan of Minolta cameras and lenses, I have 5 of their cameras, I am saddened. But I wouldn't have been able to help them stay health. Thus is business in this world economy. Does anyone have any info on Olympus? I would like to buy from someone other than the big two and it appears that the O is the only one left, digitally speaking. Zeiss is out of my range and who know about Leica.
 
Richard, do not forget that Pentax has a few DSLR and total lens compatibility. Like you I am now an orphan with new purchased XD11, Maxxum 600si, Maxxum 7, 7D and plenty of manual and AF lenses. The thought of letting go of my Kiron and Minolta Rokkors is difficult. Maybe time to start thinking of the future and break up purchases into "collector/user" and "consumables". I am still looking for an 85mm in both mounts.

Luke
 
Truly a sad day for all Minolta fans. 🙁

From the press release it seems that Sony will continue to build DSLRs with the Maxxum lens mount so at least there is a future for any photogs who own and use Maxxum lenses. But I wonder what will become of Minolta's Anti-Shake technology?

Those of us who still use and love the old MC/MD mount have been so far behind the product cycle for so long now that this latest news probably won't affect us. Still, I can't help but wonder how the news might affect the value of used Minolta gear...?

Man, I was all set to buy a Maxxum 5 DSLR, too. Bummer.
 
Sad for sure.

Interesting since I have had the feeling that Sony wasn't in all that good a shape either. But of course Canon nor Nikon would want to support KM mounts.
 
unohuu said:
Richard, do not forget that Pentax has a few DSLR and total lens compatibility. Like you I am now an orphan with new purchased XD11, Maxxum 600si, Maxxum 7, 7D and plenty of manual and AF lenses. The thought of letting go of my Kiron and Minolta Rokkors is difficult. Maybe time to start thinking of the future and break up purchases into "collector/user" and "consumables". I am still looking for an 85mm in both mounts.

Luke
Click to expand...

Keep the MD/MC... it's been out of production for almost 20 years now. Even if KM was to completely disappear, it wouldn't affect your XD-11.

As for the AF mount stuff... who knows. Maybe Sony will pull a rabbit out of it's hat.
 
Luke,
Given that I have the Minolta A/F lenses for the Maxxum 4, I'm thinking of the 5d. K-M stuff is durable so I don't think I'll need to replace it. I, too, am looking for an 85mm in MD mount.
 
GeneW said:
Looks like my next scanner will be Nikon ...

Gene
Click to expand...

Since Nikon is mostly out of the film business I don't expect any new film scanners from them 🙁
 
cbass said:
But I wonder what will become of Minolta's Anti-Shake technology?
Click to expand...

Me thinks that is Sony's AS technology now. More interestingly, what will become of the relationship between Sony and Zeiss. Sony will have Minolta's lens business too.
 
Socke said:
Since Nikon is mostly out of the film business I don't expect any new film scanners from them 🙁
Click to expand...

As long as they are still making the scanners for existing film Nikon should be "ok".. failing that, it could be, similar to how Microtek took over some of the Polaroid scanners (particularly their excellent 120 film scanner) that the Minolta scanners or technology might get bought out by one of the smaller companies.

Dave
 
I don't see the disaster - did I miss something?

K-M hasn't been a real "player" in years. It is, itself, the merged result of two mediocre companies. My brother worked for Konica (medical imaging) for a number of years and could regale you all with his stories of corporate incompetence.

Before we go all overboard would someone tell me what we will actually "miss" with K-M out of the business?
 
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