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The whole problem with the Maxxum/alpha/Dynax branding stems from the fact that Minolta were not decided on a name of the whole system. Thus, Minolta dubbed the mount 'A' and the flashes were marketed as Maxxum/alpha flashes in America/Japan respecitvely.
When Minolta released the 7000i in 1989, they finally decided on a name of the system, 'Dynax,' under which it was to be marketed worldwide, but since names such as 'Minolta Maxxum Dynax 7000i' or "Minolta Dynax a-7000i' would have been unwieldy, they decided otherwise and marketed the system under three different names (Dynax, Maxxum and alpha).
As a result, the system did not receive a name. Unlike Canon, which started branding their cameras as 'EOS' right from the start, but unlike Nikon or Pentax, which were simply continuations of manual focus systems.
As for the differences between the bodies in various regions, it goes much deeper. For example, IIRC, most companies did not include (or disabled) AF confirmation beep in the bodies released in USA because of patent issues. Some models were differently specified and were not directly comparable, and were available in different versions (colour being the most obvious) depending on region. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.153.194.14 ( talk) 15:15, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
ISTR there were many 3rd party lenses available, Vivitar being one of the more common. Tabby ( talk) 18:02, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
"after Konica Minolta was sued by Hewlett-Packard for patent infringement" -- never heard of this. Google gives nothing. What's that about? 9000org ( talk) 15:45, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
OK, this was added by 65.35.229.99 21:09, 4 August 2009, and doesn't seem to have any bearing in reality. Removing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 9000org ( talk • contribs)
Okay, since people have been asking about more models, informations, and order to the article on this talkpage before... Wanting to get something as comprehensive, precise, intuitive, tidy, and well-arranged as Template:Canon EOS film cameras and Template:Konica Minolta/Sony DSLR cameras particularly for a similar Minolta A-mount film cameras template (even if I'm not able to wiki-code something as neat and impressive as those two templates myself), I've spent the last three days googling hard, reading many, many reviews and doing lots and lots of copy-pasting on the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum line. What's hardest to find for such a nifty table are the discontinuation date for all the models.
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as the nifty, official Canon Camera Museum online for the Dynax/Maxxum line because Konica Minolta have sold all of their patents and know-how related to A-mount bodies and lenses to Sony in 2005 who've used it to create the digital Sony Alpha line (which, to a large degree, is pretty much the continuation of the Dynax/Maxxum body line with digital backs), but because Sony act like they've invented their Alpha system from scratch, they don't give a damn about providing any film camera history. Many rumors on the web suggest there once *WAS* something akin to the online Canon Camera Museum for the Minolta A-line film cameras at konicaminoltaphotoworld.com, but having sold their patents to Sony, that site was closed down in July 2006. Looking at the last Wayback snapshot dating immediately before the close-down, it appears all information on the site was restricted to official customer accounts. Two prior snapshots dating 9 June 2004 ("Minolta Analogue Camera History") and 8 July 2004 ("Minolta Analogue Camera History part II") show some indication to the desired information, but again, official customers only. On the other hand, there's also a Wayback snapshot dating February 2011 of a very limited official specs list on ca.konicaminolta.com (one month later, the list had disappeared). Only 7 very late (fifth-generation and sixth-generation) Maxxums are listed at all: 9, 7, 70, 5, 50, 4, and 3, none with any release or production end date, even on their own dedicated sub-pages.
So, my main sources for the following were:
More good sources on the Minolta A-mount camera line that can be used for further improvements of this article as well as those articles for every single camera:
So, without further ado, here's the proper classification of Dynax/Maxxum cameras that I've arrived at with all the above sources, in order to be adopted into this article and the relevant articles for each model:
Oooookay...so with all of the above and some background information of reading lots and lots of reviews and some educated guesses, I'm trying to create something *VERY* tentative that remotely looks like the Canon EOS timeline template above. From about the mid-1990s or the fourth generation onwards, the level of sophistication with Minolta Dynax/Maxxum cameras grew more complex than the three levels of Flagship aka professional/Enthusiast aka semipro/Entry-level, hence from then on I've adopted a more sophisticated hierarchy resembling similar evolutionary changes in the Canon EOS timeline.
So I'd suggest that this evolutionary diversification particularly of the Professional and Entry-level should be treated just like in the Canon EOS timeline table: Rather than splitting up the three-level hierarchy on the left, just stack up the individual model boxes on top of each other *WITHIN* their respective level, just like they did it at the Canon EOS timeline, depending upon each camera's level of sophistication. Plus, I think the generation number of each model could be communicated with colors, just like they've used them for features such as Pellicle mirror, APS-format, and Panorama function at the Canon EOS table.
Most of all: We need additonal editors power here to get rid of those many question marks in my list up there! Do you guys know more searchable/googable trade catalogues of the 80s and 90s so we can get more reliable end-of-manufacture dates for every camera? Plus, there's still so much more to the sources I've given above to be ported here and into the dedicated sub-articles on every single camera.
I think we should also for a large degree model our Minolta A-mount article here on Canon EOS, as the two were very similar and each other's main competitors at the time (something which should be mentioned in both article leads), only the EOS article looks in a much better shape at the moment. One short introduction on the background behind the A-mount and how it came about in the mid-80s and a general overview (not more than maybe five(?) paragraphs) of the line's and Minolta's history (how the A-mount compared in market penetration to Canon EF/EOS, I think Minolta's A-mount had very different market penetration success with their entry and professional level cameras each where only one of the two was really selling or was readily available in stores), how Minolta began to team up with Konica from the mid-90s on, how around 2000 Minolta licensed the first Dynax/Maxxum bodies off to Kodak who'd just slap digital back-ends on them for crude digital cameras that never really got off the ground in sales figures (or was that Canon with their EOS's?), the Minolta-Konica merger in 2003 and how it led to a few transiational ("Dimage"?) models before they've sold the entire system to Sony which have turned it into the Sony Alpha system.
Next up, my above list or table of A-mount film SLRs. I don't even think we should have much on every camera model in this overview article here. That's what dedicated own articles are for. Maybe a little about each generation's innovations and charactestics here, but not too much.
Finally, a dedicated Minolta A-mount timeline template at the bottom of this and every A-mount SLR camera article, like the ones for the Canon EOS series and the Sony Alpha series. Please, somebody with proper wikicoding skills do one with my above information already!
Having mentioned original introduction prices above, would there also be room for today's used prices somehow somewhere? I mean that can also serve as a hint as to how those models differ in level of professionality and how the Minolta engineers thought ahead on some models or only built short-lived toys or steady and trusty, but uneventful entry-level cameras with others, right? From my experience, the first three generations (except the 9xi) can all be found in full working condition easily for about 10-20 bucks on eBay today, any it's with the fourth generation, the si cameras, that things get really interesting in used camera prices today. As Minolta was really branching out and heavily expanded their range between top and bottom A-mount cameras with the fourth generation, their used prices nowadays depend upon what level of sophistication each model sits at from the fourth generation onwards. All entry-level cameras (except maybe the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 600si Classic for its intuitive handling that avoids the complex LED menu wherever possible and has everything available at a simple button push or wheel jog, and either the 9 or 7 has inherited this nifty feature form the Classic) still go for as low prices as most models of the first three generations, as the entry-level fourth to sixth generation cameras are generally regarded mere cheap plastic toys today. I think the 800si as the high-end flagship of the fourth generation still can cost you a low three-digit amount, and the (next to Canon EOS-1N and Canon EOS-1V) highest-ever developed film SLR, absolute *POWER-OF-THOR* cameras Dynax/Maxxum 9 and 7 still cost you a four-digit amount. -- 79.242.203.134 ( talk) 01:54, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
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The whole problem with the Maxxum/alpha/Dynax branding stems from the fact that Minolta were not decided on a name of the whole system. Thus, Minolta dubbed the mount 'A' and the flashes were marketed as Maxxum/alpha flashes in America/Japan respecitvely.
When Minolta released the 7000i in 1989, they finally decided on a name of the system, 'Dynax,' under which it was to be marketed worldwide, but since names such as 'Minolta Maxxum Dynax 7000i' or "Minolta Dynax a-7000i' would have been unwieldy, they decided otherwise and marketed the system under three different names (Dynax, Maxxum and alpha).
As a result, the system did not receive a name. Unlike Canon, which started branding their cameras as 'EOS' right from the start, but unlike Nikon or Pentax, which were simply continuations of manual focus systems.
As for the differences between the bodies in various regions, it goes much deeper. For example, IIRC, most companies did not include (or disabled) AF confirmation beep in the bodies released in USA because of patent issues. Some models were differently specified and were not directly comparable, and were available in different versions (colour being the most obvious) depending on region. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.153.194.14 ( talk) 15:15, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
ISTR there were many 3rd party lenses available, Vivitar being one of the more common. Tabby ( talk) 18:02, 26 April 2008 (UTC)
"after Konica Minolta was sued by Hewlett-Packard for patent infringement" -- never heard of this. Google gives nothing. What's that about? 9000org ( talk) 15:45, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
OK, this was added by 65.35.229.99 21:09, 4 August 2009, and doesn't seem to have any bearing in reality. Removing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 9000org ( talk • contribs)
Okay, since people have been asking about more models, informations, and order to the article on this talkpage before... Wanting to get something as comprehensive, precise, intuitive, tidy, and well-arranged as Template:Canon EOS film cameras and Template:Konica Minolta/Sony DSLR cameras particularly for a similar Minolta A-mount film cameras template (even if I'm not able to wiki-code something as neat and impressive as those two templates myself), I've spent the last three days googling hard, reading many, many reviews and doing lots and lots of copy-pasting on the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum line. What's hardest to find for such a nifty table are the discontinuation date for all the models.
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as the nifty, official Canon Camera Museum online for the Dynax/Maxxum line because Konica Minolta have sold all of their patents and know-how related to A-mount bodies and lenses to Sony in 2005 who've used it to create the digital Sony Alpha line (which, to a large degree, is pretty much the continuation of the Dynax/Maxxum body line with digital backs), but because Sony act like they've invented their Alpha system from scratch, they don't give a damn about providing any film camera history. Many rumors on the web suggest there once *WAS* something akin to the online Canon Camera Museum for the Minolta A-line film cameras at konicaminoltaphotoworld.com, but having sold their patents to Sony, that site was closed down in July 2006. Looking at the last Wayback snapshot dating immediately before the close-down, it appears all information on the site was restricted to official customer accounts. Two prior snapshots dating 9 June 2004 ("Minolta Analogue Camera History") and 8 July 2004 ("Minolta Analogue Camera History part II") show some indication to the desired information, but again, official customers only. On the other hand, there's also a Wayback snapshot dating February 2011 of a very limited official specs list on ca.konicaminolta.com (one month later, the list had disappeared). Only 7 very late (fifth-generation and sixth-generation) Maxxums are listed at all: 9, 7, 70, 5, 50, 4, and 3, none with any release or production end date, even on their own dedicated sub-pages.
So, my main sources for the following were:
More good sources on the Minolta A-mount camera line that can be used for further improvements of this article as well as those articles for every single camera:
So, without further ado, here's the proper classification of Dynax/Maxxum cameras that I've arrived at with all the above sources, in order to be adopted into this article and the relevant articles for each model:
Oooookay...so with all of the above and some background information of reading lots and lots of reviews and some educated guesses, I'm trying to create something *VERY* tentative that remotely looks like the Canon EOS timeline template above. From about the mid-1990s or the fourth generation onwards, the level of sophistication with Minolta Dynax/Maxxum cameras grew more complex than the three levels of Flagship aka professional/Enthusiast aka semipro/Entry-level, hence from then on I've adopted a more sophisticated hierarchy resembling similar evolutionary changes in the Canon EOS timeline.
So I'd suggest that this evolutionary diversification particularly of the Professional and Entry-level should be treated just like in the Canon EOS timeline table: Rather than splitting up the three-level hierarchy on the left, just stack up the individual model boxes on top of each other *WITHIN* their respective level, just like they did it at the Canon EOS timeline, depending upon each camera's level of sophistication. Plus, I think the generation number of each model could be communicated with colors, just like they've used them for features such as Pellicle mirror, APS-format, and Panorama function at the Canon EOS table.
Most of all: We need additonal editors power here to get rid of those many question marks in my list up there! Do you guys know more searchable/googable trade catalogues of the 80s and 90s so we can get more reliable end-of-manufacture dates for every camera? Plus, there's still so much more to the sources I've given above to be ported here and into the dedicated sub-articles on every single camera.
I think we should also for a large degree model our Minolta A-mount article here on Canon EOS, as the two were very similar and each other's main competitors at the time (something which should be mentioned in both article leads), only the EOS article looks in a much better shape at the moment. One short introduction on the background behind the A-mount and how it came about in the mid-80s and a general overview (not more than maybe five(?) paragraphs) of the line's and Minolta's history (how the A-mount compared in market penetration to Canon EF/EOS, I think Minolta's A-mount had very different market penetration success with their entry and professional level cameras each where only one of the two was really selling or was readily available in stores), how Minolta began to team up with Konica from the mid-90s on, how around 2000 Minolta licensed the first Dynax/Maxxum bodies off to Kodak who'd just slap digital back-ends on them for crude digital cameras that never really got off the ground in sales figures (or was that Canon with their EOS's?), the Minolta-Konica merger in 2003 and how it led to a few transiational ("Dimage"?) models before they've sold the entire system to Sony which have turned it into the Sony Alpha system.
Next up, my above list or table of A-mount film SLRs. I don't even think we should have much on every camera model in this overview article here. That's what dedicated own articles are for. Maybe a little about each generation's innovations and charactestics here, but not too much.
Finally, a dedicated Minolta A-mount timeline template at the bottom of this and every A-mount SLR camera article, like the ones for the Canon EOS series and the Sony Alpha series. Please, somebody with proper wikicoding skills do one with my above information already!
Having mentioned original introduction prices above, would there also be room for today's used prices somehow somewhere? I mean that can also serve as a hint as to how those models differ in level of professionality and how the Minolta engineers thought ahead on some models or only built short-lived toys or steady and trusty, but uneventful entry-level cameras with others, right? From my experience, the first three generations (except the 9xi) can all be found in full working condition easily for about 10-20 bucks on eBay today, any it's with the fourth generation, the si cameras, that things get really interesting in used camera prices today. As Minolta was really branching out and heavily expanded their range between top and bottom A-mount cameras with the fourth generation, their used prices nowadays depend upon what level of sophistication each model sits at from the fourth generation onwards. All entry-level cameras (except maybe the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 600si Classic for its intuitive handling that avoids the complex LED menu wherever possible and has everything available at a simple button push or wheel jog, and either the 9 or 7 has inherited this nifty feature form the Classic) still go for as low prices as most models of the first three generations, as the entry-level fourth to sixth generation cameras are generally regarded mere cheap plastic toys today. I think the 800si as the high-end flagship of the fourth generation still can cost you a low three-digit amount, and the (next to Canon EOS-1N and Canon EOS-1V) highest-ever developed film SLR, absolute *POWER-OF-THOR* cameras Dynax/Maxxum 9 and 7 still cost you a four-digit amount. -- 79.242.203.134 ( talk) 01:54, 4 September 2017 (UTC)