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Major camera manufacturers must spend millions on market research so we can assume that they understand the markets in which they are potentially selling their goods. Konica Minolta’s conclusion is that they cannot compete in the digital market and presumably believe there will be no film based market so they have given up film and digital camera manufacture. Tamron must also believe there will be no medium format film market so they have dropped Bronica. Nikon have stopped all film SLR manufacture and Large Format lens manufacture. Contax and others have gone. Canon and Nikon appear to have a strangle hold on the digital SLR market and are still asking for premium prices. There are some other names around including Olympus (digital) Leica (by the skin of their teeth, more binoculars than cameras), Voigtlander (back from the dead for the time being). Now, given £500.00 to spend would you buy a discontinued but new Konica Minolta 7D digital body to go with your existing Minolta 800si (film) and 5D (digital) cameras and lenses or would you buy a second hand mint- Nikkor 75/4.5 SW LF lens in Copal 0 shutter to go with your Walker Titan SF 45 camera? Would it perhaps be better to just spend the money on film,paper and Chemicals for your darkroom? Any thoughts? |
