14 DAY TRIAL // After numerous innovations in photography, such as the first autofocus camera, the first SLR with an integrated autofocus system (Minolta Maxxum 7000) and the more recent Dynax7D/Maxxum7D and Dynax5D/Maxxum5D, with the Anti-Shake system which stabilizes all the lenses, the Japanese company Konica Minolta, founded in 1928, has announced its pullout from the photographic field.
A press release from Konica Minolta said that all the assets and the technologies related to cameras would be transferred to Sony, which will start manufacturing its own digital SLRs.
However, owners of Konica Minolta cameras and lenses should not despair, since the new DSLRs from Sony will have the same mount as the Maxxum/Dynax cameras. In addition, Sony will also take over the camera service operations for Konica Minolta, Konica, Minolta brand cameras and related equipment.
Konica Minolta has also announced the gradual production reduction for photographic film and paper, March 31, 2007, being the final date.
The same thing is valid for the minilabs, for these, the final date being March 31, 2006. Maintenance and customer services will be consigned to Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
Although Konica Minolta is going through some rough times, we cannot refrain from thinking at the new DSLRs produced by Sony.
A SLR camera with Sony's proprietary CCD and CMOS technologies, fitted with the Anti-Shake technology and benefiting from Konica Minolta's lens family could become a powerful competitor on a market dominated almost entirely by Canon and Nikon.