Minolta DSLR

this is going to interest only those keen on photography but anyways...

for the longest time, Minolta die-hard loyalists like myself have been asking "When is Minolta going to introduce a DSLR?".. we've waited patiently, but ever so often we'll break down, lament how Minolta has "let us down", threaten to dump all our Minolta gear (a frightening array built up over the years) and switch to the rival brands which have come up with one after another of these pro digital cams, seemingly with little effort and at temptingly great value..

but still we hung on.... and finally.. THIS!



announced at this year's PMA Convention... due in Fall 2004.... looks so sleek..... so perfect looking... except for that ugly long row of text at the top.. grr..... why can't they just leave it as "Minolta"?? funny font too..... sigh..

so far, we don't know enough about this camera except for the bit of info released.... (see more info on sites like this one)..

"The new camera is tentatively named the Maxxum 7 Digital and it will be based on the Maxxum 7 film body (the Dynax 7 outside the U.S.). It will be a 6.0 megapixel camera with an APS sized image sensor and it will be fully compatible with the Maxxum system including all Maxxum 35mm lenses."

There is also an anti-shake technology in the camera body - not in the lenses - which allows every lens used with the camera to have this anti-shake function! Isn't that so cool? :)

Just as I was about to calculate how much I should put aside every month from now on to ready myself for the hefty purchase once the camera is launched in "Fall 2004" (i.e. Aug/Sep), I suddenly realised that there is one huge concern I didn't actually think of earlier.... considering that it is only 6 megapixels (sounds like a lot but not all that impressive once you consider how quickly technology is changing nowadays), one worries if Minolta will promptly come up with Version 2.0 no more than 6 months later,

What will happen then? ... no doubt us Minolta fans will be hopping mad again..

sigh.. to save up or not to save up? that is the question...