 Steve Warren |
No More Maxxums!! I'm sure I'm not the only Minolta fan here, so this is pretty bad news. Minolta (or Konica-Minolta) has announced that they will transfer all of their camera operations to Sony. If anyone was waiting for the next generation of DSLR from Minolta will have to get a soon-to-be-announced Sony DSLR that will have a Maxxum mount. Verryyy interesting... http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901konicaminoltaout.php
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BetterPhoto Member |
Makes ya want to cry, don't it?
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Michelle Ross |
that doesn't really even touch what I want to do LOL .. . I'm very sad . .. I have alot of money(maybe not to some but for me) wrapped up in minolta products and every camera we own is Minolta. .. to think of starting over is not appealing. . .
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Steve Warren |
You're right. I am in the same boat. I have a 5QD, 5000, 9000, and 3 lenses. The idea of going to Canon or Nikon kills me. From what I understand, Sony should give full support to Maxxum owners. I know the camera used doesnt matter much in the final image, at least with film, but the idea of shooting with a camera from a company that makes movies, computers, and video games rather than concentrating on optics and imaging is a little off-putting.
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Glen Taylor |
IMHO, I don't think Sony really gives 'full support' to Sony camera owners, let alone Minolta owners, if all the complaints out there are true. Repair obligations to obsoleted brands usually don't constitute a high priority. Sony may just contract the job out to a third-party entity as other manufacturers have done when leaving the market, but it's hard to maintain oversight with such arrangements. The contractors are usually free to determine what constitutes 'owner abuse' or a 'satisfactory repair'. In any event, parts inventory may quickly become an issue.
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Michelle Ross |
The repair issues are what I'm concerned about most . .. I have the 7D and it still has at least one year warranty on it . . . will Sony honor that and will it be a priority to them. .. not that film users aren't as important but if I had a film camera I wouldn't be so upset. ..but it took me almost a year to determine the digital route I wanted to take and in loyalty and happiness to prior Minolta products I held out and waited for the Maxxum 7D to be released. . . I was so close to going with the Canon Digital Rebel. .. It's not just the lenses though either that I will be replacing . . . it's the smaller things like the remote cord, accessory flash, etc that will annoy me to have to replace. .. I will say though I've been contemplating a backup camera and Minolta just hasn't seem to be moving at a progressive pace so I was considering getting a 20D as a backup . .. then I decided I didn't want to have to replace all that other stuff too so again out of loyalty to Minolta had pretty much decided to get another 7D when I could afford it . . . and then this . . . so I guess before it's all said and done I'll be joining the ranks of the other numerous Canon users that are here and on every other forum I frequent. .. I had a sony MAvica and loved it . .. I'm just not sure that Sony will totally support this merger when it comes to repairs.
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BetterPhoto Member |
At least I won't have to replace my whole flash system. THANK YOU PROMASTER.
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Steve Warren |
I'm in the same boat Michelle. having Minolta film equipment made me want to hold out and save my pennies for a 7D. I'm a low-light fan and love the possibilites of a built-in anti-shake, but the new Nikons are starting to look VERY good! The funny thing is, I was just reading a rumour about a Maxxum 7Di that would be an 8MP model to compete more directly with the 20D. I cant afford to switch 3 bodies and 3 lenses right now, especially if whatever value my Minolta stuff would have for a trade-in is further eroded. I'm gonna take a chance and stick with them, if for no other reason than I can't really afford a total replacement of all my photo hardware right now. It does worry me though, If I had the money, that Nikon D200 would have my name on it.
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Michelle Ross |
And I think the Canon 5D would have MY name on it hehehe. .. I hadn't heard about the 7Di but had heard rumor of a Maxxum 9D. ..
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Justin S. |
I personaly think Sony taking over Minolta is going to be a great thing. Minolta slr users will get the benefits of Carl Zeise lenses which is a very good glass (right up with Nikon's Nikkor glass). Also, We'll have a mojor corperation like Sony Pushing for newer and better products at a faster pace than what Minolta could and possibly a more readily available stock than what minolta was producing. Sony Is going to give more options to Minolta users like better glass lenses, and better digital sensors like CMOS. personaly I just hope Sony keeps The compact flash cards Minolta was using rather than Sony's memory sticks and memory stick duo that are so slow and not so user friendly.
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Michelle Ross |
I'm wanting to think this merger will be a good thing. .. but just not sure I'll be hanging around to find out . . . however. . . as I've mentioned before. . .I'm thinking I've read that our sensors are already sony sensors(in the 7D). .. but I too hope they don't change the compact flash to memory sticks. .. I have 4 cards. .. if they do that then I really will have to go Canon.
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doug Nelson |
Minolta products have been the sleepers of both 35mm and digital. It seems that a company cannot remain profitable on sleepers. Optics have been excellent, equalling and occasionally surpassing others. Film and digital SLR's have received good comments on viewfinder brightness and ergonomics. Since the cameras and lenses are pretty much decent quality, use and enjoy what you have. Any other maker's all electronic marvels will bite the dust at the same time your Minolta does. If you happen to have manual focus SRT bodies and Rokkor lenses, use them and enjoy them. Repair shops can fix them. On the minus side, some of the X-series film SLR's have developed multiple problems. Minolta pretty consistently failed to deliver the hoods to fit their manual focus lenses, or to make them available separately. Minolta made the premium grade (price to match) CLE rangefinder. They failed miserably to support a fine product with parts and repairs. Other makers should learn from their mistakes. Do not be taken in by Sony's shameless use of the Carl Zeiss name (even if they probably did buy the rights to its use). Carl Zeiss has been dead since about 1888, and had nothing to do with the design of these zoom lenses.
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Steve Warren |
Justin, You m ake a good point. Althuogh I'm not crazy about an electronics maker making my next Maxxum, Sony DOES have a ton of cash to sink into R&D. Doug, you make a great point as well. Anyone who has ever used Minoltas have compared them favorably against the Canikon models. And getting a 20D or D200 that would probably last just as long as a new 7D doesnt reall appeal to me. Now rumors of a 9D and/or 7Di to be announced at PMA are running rampant. I guess only time will tell, but I'm still planning to stick with Minolta, Or Konica Minolta, or Sony. As long as my lenses fit, they can call themselves whatver they like. I did pick this up from a thread on DPReview though... http://www.dailytech.com/article.phpx?newsid=397 If the article is true, then maybe we have hope.
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Will Turner |
"Althuogh I'm not crazy about an electronics maker making my next Maxxum, Sony DOES have a ton of cash to sink into R&D." They do. Whether they use it is another story entirely. Designing and servicing a reliable SLR to be used out-of-doors is quite different from a DVD player or TV set. I'm not certain they've realized yet that SLR camera owners have an entirely different expectation on reliability and durability than the typical point-and-shoot owners. An SLR that dies shortly after warranty expiration isn't going to cut it. Sony has had a lot of trouble in their service/repair operations, judging by reports coming in from current owners. In a review done a few months back, they ranked worse than K-M in camera repair service and support, which isn't saying a heck of lot. Stories of having to order parts from Japan, etc. emerged. And the news of the Sony sensor failure for those brands who used Sony sensors 2002-2004 didn't encourage me. Sony seemed to be getting some heat from owners who had paid $200 or more to replace sensors before the company finally announced the free out-of-warranty repair program.
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Jon Close |
Maxxum owners/fans take note: The new Sony Alpha SLRs are scheduled for release this summer.
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