Did Anyone buy a Konica Minolta camera recently?

[#juan]

Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
January 19, 2006
Konica Minolta Announces Withdrawal Plan for Camera Business and Photo Business

Tokyo, January 19, 2006 – Konica Minolta has long been a leading company in photo imaging business covering wide range of imaging from input to output. In addition, we have provided inspiring products and services by fusing our unique technologies.

In camera business, we have expanded picture-taking opportunities by developing innovative technologies such as the world's first autofocus cameras. In 1962, our camera, well-accepted for its high reliability, boarded on the US's first manned spaceship "Friendship 7." Also, ever since introduction of the world's first body-integral autofocus SLR camera, Maxxum/Dynax series, in 1985, SLR cameras have become more popular among picture-takers, and we have succeeded in selling 16 million units of interchangeable lenses since then.

The message is that Konica Minolta are out of the camera business.

link

 

[#juan]

I'm a little upset because I just bought my wife a K/M digital camera to take to Europe with her in September. The one I bought, I thought, was just a little above the pack of point and shoot digitals out there, in that it has 8x optical zoom and five megapixels. Now it is an orphan.

 

[Wetcoast40]

RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

I wouldn't worry about it too much. K/M will find a buyer for their camera operations and no doubt the usual support will continue. I expect more of the digital camera builders will have to consolidate in the not too distant future. There are too many players to survive in a market where pricing is now 50% or less than it was two years ago. Trust me, this is just like the computer business.

 

[#juan]

Wetcoast40

Thanks for the moral support but there is more. About fifteen years ago I bought my wife a top of the line Minolta SLR film camera. Since that time, at birthdays, I've bought her every lens and attachment available, several telephotos wide angles, several zooms, macros, etc. I was kind of hoping that Minolta would bring down the price of their digital SLR because all those lenses would fit the digital camera. Oh well.....

 

[Wetcoast40]

RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

If I remember correctly, there are only two different fitments for SLR cameras. In other words, your lenses will fit other bodies, digital or otherwise. At trip to your neighbourhood camera store should confirm this. I hope I'm correct because I would like to upgrade to a digital SLR myself and I don't want to be buying flash and lenses, etc all over again.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Re: RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

If I remember correctly, there are only two different fitments for SLR cameras.

Now, *that* is very interesting, I've never heard that before, and I'll certainly follow up on that. What I learned a year ago when I was researching these matters was essentially that no digital SLR manufacturer's lenses could be made to fit any other manufacturers camera, and usually even the old lenses for the film SLRs from the same manufacturer wouldn't really work properly.

I've had a Canon AE-1 since 1976, and when it came time to get a digital SLR I looked very closely at Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Konica/Minolta. Canon was originally at the top of the list, but when it appeared that the set of lenses I had for the AE-1 wouldn't work properly with any of Canon's digital SLRs, that pretty much levelled the playing field. The decision finally came down to Canon versus Nikon, and the real choice came down to Canon's 8+ megapixel sensor and the 18-55 mm standard lens, or the Nikon with the 6+ megapixel sensor and the 18-70 mm standard lens. The lens won; I got a Nikon D70s.

However, I have a superlative 135mm f2.5 Canon lens for the old AE-1, and an 85-210 mm f3 Tamron zoom lens with the fitment for the AE-1. Man, if I could get fitments to use one or both of those with the D70s...

 

[Dexter Sinister]

I was kind of hoping that Minolta would bring down the price of their digital SLR because all those lenses would fit the digital camera. Oh well.....

They still might, just to clear out inventory, or you might be able to find a very good and only slightly used one for cheap now that they're all orphans. Don't surrender all hope quite yet, you may still find a helluva deal on a K/M dSLR camera body that'll serve your wife well for another 15 or 20 years and enable her to put all those attachments to good use. Besides, Wetcoast40 is right, somebody's going to buy K/M's camera operations, so while there won't be any new K/M products, there'll be support for existing ones.

Double besides, you know your wife loves you, and the fact that the photo gear you've bought her over the years might end up being superfluous will not affect that. If you play it right, in fact, your concern over the obsolescence of all that stuff might earn you some big points... :lol:

 

[#juan]

Dexter wrote:

Double besides, you know your wife loves you, and the fact that the photo gear you've bought her over the years might end up being superfluous will not affect that. If you play it right, in fact, your concern over the obsolescence of all that stuff might earn you some big points... :lol:

Hey, I earned a few big points on Sunday when I bought a nice dinner in celebration on our 40th wedding anniversary. She says she'll hang around for at least another ten years anyway and see how it goes. I can't believe it's been that long.

 

[Wetcoast40]

RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

Juan, if you've survived 40 years with the same woman, a simple little problem like this camera issue is a "piece of cake". That's coming from a 44 yr. veteran.
Cheers!

 

[Wetcoast40]

RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

Guys, one of reasons that older (much older) lenses may not work on newer (non digital) cameras is that there are electrical contacts on my camera body that line up with electrial contacts on the lenses. I know that my old SLR had no electrical contacts (no auto focus feature/light reading sensor)
My 10 year old Pentax has both electrical sensors and a bayonet mount system. My two telephoto lenses are Takamar but the mount and contacts match up. With all the after-market lenses around, I would be surprised if there aren't several brands that would fit my camera. However, as to digital, I would defer to an expert. I've noticed in my advancing years that I am getting lazier and I'm quite happy to shoot my photo with my 5 meg pocket HP 707. It's easier to pack around and simple enough for my wife to use effectively. If I want something special, out comes the Weight-Lifter special Pentax.

 

[#juan]

Wetcoast40

The unplanned obsolescence of the camera equipment has never been a problem with Jan and I. Dexter and I have talked about astrophotography on occasion, and about cameras. I have put off buying a digital SLR and now we will wait and see what happens with KM. In any case, my son and I have pretty much decided that a decent webcam is likely the best choice for deep sky work. For planetary work, a camera like the digital Rebel piggybacked on the telescope is probably best. I picked the digital Rebel only because most of the astrophotography software can talk to that camera.

PS - There is now software that will talk to all the real cameras out there. The digital Rebel was just the first.

 

[Wetcoast40]

RE: Did Anyone buy a Koni

You are a few light years ahead of my skills.
Good luck!

 

[#juan]

Wetcoast

Almost all of the few skills I have, were learned by trial and error and by rote. Nothing special here.