Konica Minolta bails out of wet photography

[Bob Crabtree]

Konica Minolta is pulling out of the wet photography market. In an announcement made today - more than 100 years after it produced Japan's first photographic paper - the company outlined its plans for withdrawing from the camera and photo arenas, a move that will see over one-tenth of its 30,000 workforce out the door by October next year.

Get the full story over in this HEXUS.headline and let us hear your views on this news and other changes that are likely to come about in the fast-accelerating move towards digital photography and the digital home.

[BUFF]

As a Minolta user for nearly 30 years this is sad news.
However, the longer that I think about it the more positive that I become.
Minolta always made good & often revolutionary cameras (e.g. first multi-mode & AF SLR cameras) but their marketing was poor particularly in the consumer rather than specialist photo market. That is an area that Sony is good at & has far more resources for than KM.
The combination is potentially far more of a competitor to CaNikon than KM on it's own.

I can imagine that with the increased electronics in digital & shorter product cycles that there is an advantage to being more closely involved with the developments there (i.e. Sony's sensor business).
Reading from the press releases it looks like at least in the short term KM will be manufacturing DSLRs/lenses for Sony as an oem & long term the MAF lens mount is secure.
KM supposedly had 2 new DSLRs to launch at PMA so presumably those may now turn up with Sony badges instead.

With Samsung already having a badged Pentax DSLR anyone care to wager that they may follow ...

[Funkstar]

Yeah i would say that pentax cameras will become Samsung in the not too distant future.

I was quite surprised when i first heard about KM, but then not so surprised when i read the piece on DPReview. I never realised KM had an agreement with Sony and they were transfering assets etc. I think this is a good move. If KM can concentrate on the glass side of things and let Sony do the electronics, it could be a good partnership i think.

[BUFF]

Yeah i would say that pentax cameras will become Samsung in the not too distant future.

Wouldn't surprise me at all.
Already most consumer digicams are made by a couple of factories in China & just branded for different people (Kodak etc.). A no. of traditional camera companies have said that they can't make money at that end of the market & were going to concentrate on higher offerings.