Jan 19, 2006, 05:01
Konica Minolta have announced their complete withdrawal from the camera and photo market! Their DSLRs will now be made and sold as Sonys. Announcement here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/060119...ltaout.asp
So, this may also be bad news for Nikon as presumably once Sony is marketing its own DSLR it won't be so keen to sell sensors to the competition.
Pentax have already joined forces with Samsung so that probably won't be an isssue for them, though with both current Pentax cameras now available as rebadged Samsungs maybe they will go the way of KM - and we'll lose two old names and gain two new ones (Sony and Samsung). The only thing that makes me think Pentax will continue to produce DSLRs themselves is their presence at both PMA and Focus on Imaging 2006 at the end of next month. Surely this must be because they intend staying in the business?
Jan
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/060119...ltaout.asp
So, this may also be bad news for Nikon as presumably once Sony is marketing its own DSLR it won't be so keen to sell sensors to the competition.
Pentax have already joined forces with Samsung so that probably won't be an isssue for them, though with both current Pentax cameras now available as rebadged Samsungs maybe they will go the way of KM - and we'll lose two old names and gain two new ones (Sony and Samsung). The only thing that makes me think Pentax will continue to produce DSLRs themselves is their presence at both PMA and Focus on Imaging 2006 at the end of next month. Surely this must be because they intend staying in the business?
Jan