Konica Minolta to Sell Cheaper Digital SLR

By Geoff Duncan July 15, 2005

Konica Minolta, currently a small player in the heavily competitive digital camera market, announced today it will begin shipping new, inexpensive single lens reflex (SLR) digital camera next month, following Olympus, Pentax and (more recently) Canon and Nikon into what’s becoming the hottest market segment for digital camera sales.

The camera will be marketed as the Maxxum 5D in North America, Dynax 5D in Europe, and under the name "alpha sweet" in Japan. The lightweight camera offers 6.1 megapixel resolution, an integral 2.5-inch LCD display, CCD-shift ant-shake technology, high-performance autofocus, plus compatibility with both existing Maxxum lenses and Konica Minolta’s forthcoming line of DT lenses. The camera will be priced at about 100,000 yen ($890) for the body only; lenses and accessories will be sold separately.

Professional and semi-pro photographers as well as photo enthusiasts tend to prefer SLR cameras because they offer higher quality and flexibility than consumer-oriented point-and-shoot cameras, SLR cameras offer greater focal depth and image quality, in part because they can utilize interchangeable lenses and accessories, including filters and telephoto lenses.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

How to remove location data from your iPhone photos

How to transfer photos from an iPhone to an iPhone

We all love making memories, and a great way to collect those memories is to take a quick snap of a gorgeous landscape, a party in full swing, or a particularly incredible meal. The Apple iPhone now also adds a location to your pictures, meaning it can collate those images together into a location-themed album, or show you all the shots you've taken in a specific location. It's a fun little addition, and it's one that adds a lot of personality to the Photos app.

Photography

‘Photoshopped’ royal photo causes a stir

The Princess of Wales with her children.

[UPDATE: In a message posted on social media on Monday morning, Princess Kate said that she herself edited the image, and apologized for the fuss that the picture had caused. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote, adding, "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."]

Major press agencies have pulled a photo of the U.K.’s Princess of Wales and her children amid concerns that it has been digitally manipulated.

Photography

Nikon sale: Get up to $700 off select Nikon cameras and lenses

nikon d780 review product 1

Crutchfield has a huge sale on many different Nikon cameras with some of the best camera deals that we’ve seen in a while. With nearly 30 different items in the sale, the best thing that avid photographers can do is take a look for themselves. However, if you want a little insight before you dive in, take a look at what we have to suggest below.

What to shop for in the Nikon sale
Nikon makes some of the best DSLR cameras around with our overall favorite -- the -- available for $2,197 reduced from $2,297. The camera is perfect for both photographers and videographers with a 24.5-megapixel full-frame image sensor. Its rugged magnesium-alloy body is weather-sealed against dust, dirt, and moisture so it’s great for all occasions. The Nikon EXPEED 6 image processor is optimized for low-light performance while maintaining long battery life with an autofocus sensor module with support for 51 focus points. You just need to add a lens to reap the benefits with features like the 273-point phase-detection AF system detecting and tracking subjects throughout the entire frame.