A point to ponder and some history

Thanks for the comments, and content

Bill

1) I think more people might find this forum if it was just the "Minolta" forum instead of the Konica Minolta forum. I know I never thought to look under "K" for a forum about Minolta cameras.

2) Yes, there are a lot less posts in this forum. But if you look at the other forums so many of the posts are "my camera is better than your camera", "which multi thousand dollar body should I add to my collection of unused camera bodies next", "wow, this x hype from company y will finally make me a good photographer", "I am better than you are because I just spent thousands of dollars on the very latest body/lens"... etc. Personally I kind of appreciate the slower pace of this forum even if it isn't maxed out with meaningless shatter.

3) I think many members that post here share an appreciation of some excellent classic film/digital cameras that also have some deep sentimental value if not a huge dollar value.

4) I also believe that many members of this forum have been around photography a lot longer and have an appreciation that extends further than the latest hype. And the members that post here without the history of some of the others have more appreciation for actual photography than of all the latest hype.

I own 8 or so 7/8/9 series Maxxum bodies, ones that I couldn't afford when they were new, and my favorite body is still the Maxxum 7000 my father bought in 1985 and I used exclusively for well over 10 years. There is a lot of solid metal in the 7000 camera which can be purchased for under $20 today that the later bodies are missing. The same with the original Maxxum lenses. When I play with my Maxxum 7 or Maxxum 9 bodies I have found that they really aren't a whole lot more capable than the 7000 when it comes down to actually taking pictures. All of that hype from the trade rags back in the day was really just that... hype. It worked because Iusted after all those beautiful fancy and expensive bodies I could never afford back then. This has taught me a good lesson that I do my best not to forget when reading about the A1 (or what ever body) today!

I'm just trying to keep this soap box open. Making a place that someone could believe has some members willing to offer a comment to a singular post. If no one offers comment to others, no one will come here. Everyone needs an audience, even if the audience is just one.

Bill

BTW every forum has the " mine is better than yours"... I know more than you... been there dont that, etc. Since the demise of the Minolta and KM camera system.. this forum is free from most of that hype.. BTW there are New Minolta cameras out there.. they are Minolta in name only and contain Zero Minolta DNA.

It wouldn't be the first time a cameras manufacturing has been outsourced or even just anothers companies camera rebadged. Look at a Leica CL vs a Minolta CLE... the smart money bought the CLE at half the price of the CL with its very expensive Leica badge fixed to it. Many Leica deciphels consider the CL the best electronic automated range finder film camera ever sold under a Leica badge.

EvilOne wrote:

Ive been coming here for 15 years. I started out in the Minolta forum, then went to the Konica Minolta forum.\ and the to the Sony Alpha forum.

This forum was a hot bed of activity with , at times a record 100 new threads in 24 hours. We even maxed out the post count in a single thread , which was/ is 150 post before the thread is locked.

I always felt it important to respond to peoples threads and post in an effort to keep the forum alive. even with so much activity in the past.

It saddens me to see a once thriving community go almost lights out. I think Ive always felt that way about any forum I participate in. I'm always interested in the people behind the cameras, where they live and what is their world like. I find lots of topics within the photographic frame work to share photos and offer content about the shot, how it was captures etc.

My point is, it seems Ive been alone, for the most part in trying to keep these older forums alive. I know Minolta and Konica are no more but many of us have a lot of this gear, or have had history with the Minolta and Konica brand.

Like this Post, I'm just adding some content to this particular forum in the hope some might jump on board.

Not looking for arguments or a reality check. Most would blow by this post because it is too long. Ive always been an internet motor mouth.

Bill

Seriously?

I was coming back to this forum to be an avid participant when I was tossed sideways by your criticism over the use of a "buck" as describing what we paid for our cameras some 18 years ago.

I then realized why I and others quit applying any input here.

Your outright exchange here is why I could careless about posting here anymore;

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4019971

You've been on this forum 8 years and have 308 post... If you took the time to read the last sentence of my post, you would seen I'm not looking for argument, or controversy. You came into this thread for one purpose.. to trash me and it. You certainly are transparent.

Welcome back.

Bill