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A sad day for Minolta A mount

Started Feb 11, 2022 | Discussions
wtang
wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
A sad day for Minolta A mount
3

The end of an era. Although existing A mount lenses will still be around for a long time. My Minolta 70-210mm beer can was built like a tank. And my Minolta 500mm Reflex was a fun unique lens.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/4434262301/sony-japan-lists-all-a-mount-lenses-as-discontinued-on-its-online-shop

Regards,
Warren
https://www.pbase.com/wtang

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount
1

Indeed .

Last nail in the coffin .

On the plus side I've saved a load of money on lenses I've bought recently such as the Minolta 300mm f/2.8 G , the Minolta 400mm f/4.5 HS APO G and Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8 . These have come down a heck of a lot in the last few years .

I've upgraded my a900 and a77ii to an a99ii so all my old Minolta lenses have just had a new lease of life .

My 500mm Reflex does better on the a99ii than it did on the a900 , and it was a bit long sometimes on the a77ii , so I can see it getting more use again .

I'm just in the process of seeing which one cut the mustard !

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
Hike Pics
Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount
3

That's about a 37 year run. And it's been a great durable mount. I have about 15 lenses and have never had one go bad. I have a certain fondness for that famous screwdriver sounds as it zips to focus.

Sure it might be a little slower than what's out now. But, so am I!

ibbz
ibbz Regular Member • Posts: 192
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

I think Sony should’ve gone out with a bang

like Nikon with the F6 and made the most advanced 35mm AF camera and added a Konica / Minolta logo to it, as a limited Edition.

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

ibbz wrote:

I think Sony should’ve gone out with a bang

Sony ? Do you mean Minolta ?

Sony still sell camera's, they just chose to concentrate on E mount rather than A mount .

like Nikon with the F6 and made the most advanced 35mm AF camera and added a Konica / Minolta logo to it, as a limited Edition.

They did .

It's called the Minolta Dynax 7 " limited ".

https://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/onebody/7lim

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
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ibbz
ibbz Regular Member • Posts: 192
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

I meant Sony - they should’ve gone out with a bang to commemorate their A Mount, when they decided to discontinue it.

Minolta isn’t Sony

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

ibbz wrote:

I meant Sony - they should’ve gone out with a bang to commemorate their A Mount, when they decided to discontinue it.

They did .

It's called the Sony a99ii .

Minolta isn’t Sony

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
ibbz
ibbz Regular Member • Posts: 192
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

Wonderful photos my friend !

really enjoyed them!

in my original post I wrote most advanced 35mm SLR much like the Nikon F6. Rather than Digital.

but the A99ii is special

neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount
1

ibbz wrote:

Wonderful photos my friend !

really enjoyed them!

Thank you .

in my original post I wrote most advanced 35mm SLR much like the Nikon F6. Rather than Digital.

Mentioning 35mm is why I thought you meant to write Minolta and not Sony .

The thing is , AFAIK , Sony has never had anything to do with 35mm film cameras so has never had the tooling to make one .

To have done that they would have had to almost start from scratch with R&D .

It would cost a lot of money , especially for setting up production for a one of unit , and a technology that has no future for them .

Nikon making the F6 wasn't them going out with a bang as it was just the next pro body after the F5 .

At the time they probably expected it to be their last pro 35mm , but needed it to continue their professional support , especially as digital hadn't already replaced film at that time .

The rest is history .

I've recently bought a Dynax 9 that has had the upgrade done to it so it can use SSM and SAM lenses as well as having ADI flash support , it's the most I've ever spent on a film camera !

Between that and the Dynax 7's that I have , their the best available A mount film cameras there are . ( it's not the Dynax 7 limited I have , just the usual ones . Functionality wise , there's no real difference )

To be honest , I think the only was Sony could improve these cameras is if they add the AF units into the film cameras .

I don't see how it could match the a99ii as that also used on sensor PDAF combined , a film camera can't do this .

So I'm not sure how much better than the Minolta 7 or 9 Sony could do , especially as a first attempt at 35mm .

but the A99ii is special

It is a special camera , and as A mount is gone , it's the best they'll ever do .

I've also the a77ii and all the A mount cameras I've ever had , film and digital and a ton of lenses , So Sony and Minolta might have called it quits with A mount , but I should be fixed up for good .

I think I'll be dead before my A mount gear !

Any way , if you want to see a pro grade alpha 35mm , this is the closet you'll get .

A Minolta α9 with SSM upgrade and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm ZA f/2.8 .

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
ibbz
ibbz Regular Member • Posts: 192
Re: A sad day for Minolta A mount

You’re quite right in what you say.
I guess being a Minolta guy I’d have liked to see something like this.

I also wish that the Konica Hexar AF could be released as a Digital version but I doubt that Sony have the rights to use the Konica or Minolta branding.

your Dynax 9 is sublime! I’ve been pondering whether to get one.

I have the Maxxum 7 with the 85, 100 macro, 50 f1.4 and 24 f2.8. I also have a few M42 lenses I use with it such as the Helios 44-2 and the Pentacon 135.  The lens I’d love to get would be the STF as portraiture and travel portraiture / photography is my thing.

enjoyed your gallery again - lovely galleries

here’s some Maxxum 7 shots with (now sold) 50mm f2.8 macro and Rollei Retro 80s and Astia 100

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