Konica Minolta withdraw from camera business

[Carbone]

This is big and sadening (for Minolta owners, at least)

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901konicaminoltaout.asp


Ray

[MikeH]

Ray,

:eek: :eek: :eek: You're right... it is a sad day.

I guess it's a sign of the digital times, but I can't get used to seeing companies like Samsung producing cameras - along with fridges, microwaves, computers, TV's, audio equipment, mobile phones and everything else electrical.

Mike

[NMarti]

Ray,
I had read that a while back they were going to merge but no mention was made of withdrawing. Makes me glad I didn't keep the 5D I originally purchased, although I'm sure something is being worked out with Sony to cover repairs. That same article had said they were using the KM image sensors in the new Sony 10 mp camera so the merge was not really a surprise but the total withdrawl does come as a shock.

[Carbone]

I'm with you Mike.. LG's mp3 players, sold where LG's freezer and vaccum are sold :)

Ray

[Mary]

On the PC Magazine/Ziff Davis Tech Show online at http://digitallifetv.com/blogs/digitallifetv/default.aspx last week they reported that Nikon would no longer be producing film cameras at least in the UK.:rolleyes:

[Carbone]

Well, I found out about it too, a few moments ago...

http://engadget.com/2006/01/12/nikon-kills-almost-all-analog-cameras-in-2006/


Ray

[Grant]

last week they reported that Nikon would no longer be producing film cameras at least in the UK




Close but not quite right:

In the SLR range they will be discontinuing F100, F80, F75, and F55 AF cameras and FM3A manual camera. There is still a demand for the F6 with pros and the FM10 with students. It seems that those that are entering the SLR market are entering choosing D50 and D70 those that have SLR are upgrading go to the D70 and D200. The only shame is the loose the F100 and the FM3A as they are both exceptional cameras.

I am told they will be manufacturing all Autofocus lenses plus these manual lenses

Nikkor 20mm f/2.8
Nikkor 24mm f/2.8
Nikkor 28mm f/2.8
Nikkor 35mm f/1.4
Nikkor 50mm f/1.2
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8
Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D

But will stop manufacturing large format lenses, enlarger lenses and all the other manual focus lenses.

[GaryK]

Guess I'll hang on to my old Minolta and my dads' Nikon.. for old times sake.:)

Now that Nikon is all but done with film, how long for the rest?

[Chuck S.]

Looks like the manufacturers of digital cameras have responded to the demand with....too much supply. Beneficial to us the consumers, until our favorite supplier bites the dust. I've always advised people to stick with the folks that were most prominent in film cameras, but the Konica/Minolta experience makes that advice suspect. I think Canon and Nikon are well-entrenched, and Sony is still putting out some attractive new products. The others? Well......guess we'll see.

Is the digital bubble history already?

:confused:

Chuck

[Grant]

Now that Nikon is all but done with film, how long for the rest?



http://home.fujifilm.com/news/n060119_2.html

[Carbone]

I don't know.. they use the word photography in such a way that they tend to make it something separate from digital photography. I thought that photography meant the more general signification of taking pictures. Fuji seems to imply that photography is only on silver film... strange, like they want to purify the term, or something.

Never liked Fuji cameras anyway. The only one we ever got was a pure waste of money (an automatic APS). It couldn't focus right, and the lens quality was very low, despite a significant selling price.

Ray

[bnk1953]

And I just ordered a Konica/Minolta 5D 2 days ago - to arrive on Monday- thru the mail - talk about bad timing.

[Carbone]

If there's a deal with Sony, perhaps you'll be ok for some years, should your camera requires replacement parts.

However, this move of Konica does not diminish the value of your camera. It'll still take beautiful pictures, and should make you a happy owner, I am sure!

Ray

[bnk1953]

Thanks Ray - It's just the initial shock. I've used Minolta's for quite a few years (20) - and have a number of lenses - one of the main reasons for going with the 5D. The way digital/computer things go - 3 to 4 is starting to be a max life span. Versus the old Nikon F series - I still have one that I inherited from a brother a long time ago - sits in the corner and I dig it out 2x a year to run it thru it's paces to keep it tuned - for film that probably will be leaving the scene also...... Ah the times..... they are a changing.
~bruce

[Ward Grant]

Never liked Fuji cameras anyway. The only one we ever got was a pure waste of money (an automatic APS). It couldn't focus right, and the lens quality was very low, despite a significant selling price.

Ray

I never used a Fuji camera, but I was a big fan of their film, especially their slide film, back when film did not draw blank stares when talking with someone under 20 years of age. I posted a similar story (but can not find now) a notice that this summer Kodak had discontinued their black and white paper (but was continuing to make black and white developers--never did understand that anomoly). I wonder how many photographers still actually use a darkroom anymore.

[Carbone]

I used their films as well. They were good! I mean they probably still are, but I don't shoot film anymore.

Ray

[GaryK]

It's nice to see Fuji standing by film and I'm sure they will for some time. The truth is though, the film market is shrinking (like it or not) and somewhere down the road the market will be hard to support.

I was at Kodak visiting (this time 2 years ago) and I was talking to a friend who worked in the warehouse. He told me that compared to when I worked there, film sales were but a fraction of the good old days.

The cameras were moving like hotcakes but there is vrtually no aftermarket sales. Now ..well ... Kodak is "restructuring" again.:(