Healthy Skepticism: Sell outs

[Ronnoco]

Minolta has sold their assets to Sony and Mamiya has sold their assets to Cosmo. There are a lot of unwarranted assumptions that this will mean improvement, greater viability and new design concepts, etc., but not necessarily so.

Years ago, Commodore Amiga produced a unique computer that interfaced easily with television video and was the only computer that was capable of 3D animation and editing in real time using very small drives. That is still the case. Due to bad marketing, the company went out of business and sold its assets to Escom in Europe. There were all kinds of positive predictions at the time, but Escom in a few years sold the Amiga assets to another company and there was no sign that anything was done with either the R. & D. that was sold with the assets or the patents.

So, bottom line is that perhaps Sony and Cosmo will put their purchased new assets to good use to benefit the marketing base created by Minolta and Mamiya, but it is certainly not a sure thing. Retain a healthy skepticism and watch for trends.

Ronnoco

[Photo-John]

Maybe you should have said "Buy Outs" instead of "Sell outs." The word, sSellout," has a second, very different meaning.

I agree with you about a wait-and-see attitude. Sony has a habit of patenting and locking up technology so that other people can't use it - whether or not they have any intention of using it themselves. But they have made a public announcement about their intention to use the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount for a Sony digital SLR. What that SLR is like and whether they decide to support the high-end or only the consumer remains to be seen. I wonder what will happen with all the wonderful pro Maxxum lenses. I can't see Sony continuing production of $3000-5000 lenses. But maybe they will.

I have no opinions about Cosmo and Mamiya. I honestly don't even know a thing about Cosmo. I'd never heard of them before the buyout announcement. I do wonder what will happen with the Mamiya line. I own an old Mamiya 6x7 and I've always thought they produced the best built medium format cameras. There's also the question of what this means to Mamiya USA, which is a separate company. Do they continue being the US rep for Mamiya, Sekonic, etc? Or does this mean that Mamiya will also be marketed differently in the US?

All of these changes are very interesting. This is an interesting time to be involved in photography. There's never been as much change in the technology as there has been in the past five years. I remember when I worked at a commercial photo lab and began seeing my first scanned, digital images. Digital cameras that could produce comparable - even usable images - seemed like science fiction. And here we are, about 9-10 years later and, in my opinion, digital has squashed 35mm film.

Anyone who is interested in the current consolidation on the camera business should check out my 2006 PMA final report because that's mostly what it's about: 2006 PMA Tradeshow - Final Report

[Ronnoco]

Maybe you should have said "Buy Outs" instead of "Sell outs." The word, sSellout," has a second, very different meaning.

Actually, it is really hard to say whether they were "buy outs" or "sell outs". Did Minolta iniitiate the situation because they were unprofitable or did Sony make them an offer they could not refuse? Also consider the relationship in the past that Minolta had with Leica and then with Konica and perhaps why KM versus MK? What was the profit situation at Mamiya? Were they losing profitability as well?

So, buy outs or sell outs, who really knows?

Ronnoco

[greghalliday]

What happened to the brand new Mamiya ZD? I assume it will still be marketed, but by whom? It is quite sad to see the stalwart of the medium formats perhaps going away.

Nothing against KM, but I hate Sony. Why a company invents and foists so many odd proprietary technologies on us (can you say Memory Stick) is beyond me.

[Ronnoco]

Nothing against KM, but I hate Sony. Why a company invents and foists so many odd proprietary technologies on us (can you say Memory Stick) is beyond me.

I certainly strongly agree with you on that point. Even worse, Sony is foisting copyright protection schemes on new technology which will limit and even make useless some recorders, large screen tvs, networks, and computers for streaming video, recording video or even showing some formats of video on home entertainment systems.

Ronnoco

[zrfraser]

I agree that Sony does start more things than they ever finish, and it has been a long time since I have bought anything of Sony (probably my first portable CD player in 1996). However, I don;t think they would be pushing the new Sony DSLR if they didn't have plans for it. I feel like they would probably put it on the back burner, and just forget about it. I want to think they have changed their ways, but who really knows. I just hope that they don't try and push memory stick only format. Memory sticks in these parts can be hard to find and expensive. I want to think they are going to make it, but until I see it I won't believe it.

I think it was more a buy out than sell out. KM was in trouble with lackluster profits, and Sony saw an oppurtunity to gain some technology and plans for a DSLR that there has been rumors about for awhile. It is almost like a merger in my opinion.

I want to wait for the Sony DSLR to come out, but if I know Sony then it will be outrageosly expensive, and have too many doo-dads that don't actually help in the picture taking process.

I don't know but the OLY Evolt line is looking interesting-Zack

[payn817]

I want to wait for the Sony DSLR to come out, but if I know Sony then it will be outrageosly expensive, and have too many doo-dads that don't actually help in the picture taking process.

Speaking of which, has anyone seen that horrid Izone thingy from Polaroid? It's an MP3 player and 5MP camera...lol

Anyway, think about where technology is heading. There are phones out there with megapixel cameras that have web browsers 3d gaming and mp3 players all in one unit.

Sony has stated it's intention over and over again. It's funny people spend so much time speculating. They are using the mount, so if you got glass (and body), ride it out and save, if the cameras suck, you will have saved enough by the time it is evident to buy a Canikon thingy. If the body rocks, you may have enough to buy it.

I LOVE my 5D and the D50, and rebel don't hold a candle to it, at least not in my eyes.

Remember people, it isn't the label on the camera that makes a difference, it is the person behind the camera.

[Photo-John]

Remember people, it isn't the label on the camera that makes a difference, it is the person behind the camera.

Unless it's a Hasselblad or a Leica ;)

[payn817]

Unless it's a Hasselblad or a Leica ;)

Everytime I hear (or see) "Hasselblad", it makes me think of a cape and fangs.

[Ronnoco]

Unless it's a Hasselblad or a Leica ;)

You probably did not know, but the Leica R series SLRs are modified Minolta XD 11s from the partnership between the two companies.

I have a XD 11 and it is an absolutely great camera.

Ronnoco