Konica-Minolta sold to SONY!--big news!!!

[waileong]

The blood bath has begun. As one pundit predicted, the industry is finally seeing a shakeout.

Too many players-- Samsung, KM, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Oly, Pentax, Etc-- fighting for the same pie. Just like any other established market, the top 3 players will control more than 75% of the market, the remainder will be niche players.

KM has now been voted out. The tribe has spoken. Who will be the ultimate survivor?

Stay tuned.

 

[eow]

The only name i can think of next ....
pentax+samsung=pensam or taxsung

 

[zcf]

In view that most other DSLR makers depend on Sony for their CCDs, I'm extremely curious how it would affect the competition. To join Canon, Sony will be the other camera manufacturer to produce their own CCDs as well as cameras. In fact, Sony will have an edge over Canon in terms of leading the competition because other cameras are dependent on Sony to supply the latest technology for CCD. Good news for existing KM mount.

Only possible negative point I can think of is price. I'll be watching the resale market closely.

Time to stock up old lens? Buy Buy Buy!

 

[Fishking]

zeiss make nikon F mount lens liao. so what leica doing next...
KM will still make lens as before (made in malaysia and china), but cam body will be made by sony shanghai, china


both QC are quite bad, I think canon and nikon will still hold the position of market as before.
but now nikon may not get CCD from SONY lah. NIKON must make CCD for himself or ask FUJI to help, quite sad for KM supporters and nikon supporters.

 

[sulhan]

Wow...

What a great merger in key competency technologies...

- CCD - Sony
- Marketing - Sony
- Lens - KM
- Anti-shake - KM

rgd,
sh

 

[Voyage]

If you read the news properly, in short it means ....

All Items, DSLR & future Lenses will not be brand "KM"

KM, this Brand is no more, withdraw from the market! Like Contax.

Only "Sony" Branded DSLR & "Sony" Branded Lenses will be on the market to replace KM.

A very Sad Story for me, my first SLR is a Minolta, though i use canon now, I've always like very much what Minolta has to offer!:cry:

 

[Drudkh]

After the completion in transfering KM's camera dept to Sony, will Sony stop selling their CCD/CMOS to Nikon for their DSLRs? :think: Nikon DSLR market is dying soon? :think:

 

[Drudkh]

If you read the news properly, in short it means ....

All Items, DSLR & future Lenses will not be brand "KM"

KM, this Brand is no more, withdraw from the market! Like Contax.

Only "Sony" Branded DSLR & "Sony" Branded Lenses will be on the market to replace KM.

A very Sad Story for me, my first SLR is a Minolta, though i use canon now, I've always like very much what Minolta has to offer!:cry:

Why are you sad? Unless you hate Sony lah. if not, I can see the future is bright. Sony will still be using what KM had built up for DSLR, very unlikely Sony will start from scratch right? There will still be KM mount DSLRs coming up as well as lenses. The only thing I'm curious is will future Sony lenses for DSLR be using CZ glasses? :think:

 

[eow]

time to mingle around in the sony forum liao....

 

[Fishking]

only fuji can help nikon lah!

they say that S4PRO use F6 body as frame... something must have happened as a trading.

 

[shinken]

Wow...

What a great merger in key competency technologies...

- CCD - Sony
- Marketing - Sony
- Lens - KM
- Anti-shake - KM

rgd,
sh

Sony's marketing muscles is definitely formidable. And gaining a larger share of the market (by automatic inclusion, since combining 2 markets) could translate to more funds, which could translate to more R&D, and probably even better sensor technology. Plus Sony already has an established relationship with Carl Zeiss, which produces the lens for their compact digicams. I won't be surprise if CZ offers lens for the new Sony mount at all.

If only Leica will join in the fun.

 

[caterham7]

5D will be the last KM DSLR then
what about the rumoured 9D?
could it become the first Sony DSLR?
sad to see this happen to KM when they just recently catch up with the rest of the DSLR competitors

 

[zcf]

After the completion in transfering KM's camera dept to Sony, will Sony stop selling their CCD/CMOS to Nikon for their DSLRs? :think: Nikon DSLR market is dying soon? :think:

I think they will still sell the CCD, they still need the volume, the bigger the volume the lower the price of CCD/CMOS. It's just a matter of how much will they charge other competitors.

 

[Drudkh]

only fuji can help nikon lah!

they say that S4PRO use F6 body as frame... something must have happened as a trading.

possible... but have to wait and see.

 

[Fishking]

like memory stick story, sony will anounce they still use KM mount, but must use sony made new KM lens or new sony-zeiss lens. old lens can not lah,,,, something else. sony only want to make money in the market.--so many testimony there.

 

[hafele]

After the completion in transfering KM's camera dept to Sony, will Sony stop selling their CCD/CMOS to Nikon for their DSLRs? :think: Nikon DSLR market is dying soon? :think:

Haha ... Force Nikon to find their way out ? They will probably look for Fuji then, they have been co-op for quite some time

 

[zcf]

5D will be the last KM DSLR then
what about the rumoured 9D?
could it become the first Sony DSLR?
sad to see this happen to KM when they just recently catch up with the rest of the DSLR competitors

May be that's one of the reason Sony will take over KM, they will only buy business which have potential for future development. And KM can ask for a good price from that.
If KM5D not selling well, Sony may pick up KM at a bargain price.

 

[Drudkh]

1st time i see 37 ppl browsing this forum. :bsmilie:

 

[Eyesthruthelens]

like memory stick story, sony will anounce they still use KM mount, but must use sony made new KM lens or new sony-zeiss lens. old lens can not lah,,,, something else. sony only want to make money in the market.--so many testimony there.

I'm not surprise if older lens not compatible with new DSLR from Sony.. They always think their technology or products are better and can command a higher price :angry:

 

[shinken]

Haha ... Force Nikon to find their way out ? They will probably look for Fuji then, they have been co-op for quite some time

Certainly hope so, though unlikely. Nikon will have everything to gain, but not Fuji.

What's in for Fuji if Nikon has the body that Fuji uses, and lens that Fuji uses, sensor that uses?