Replacement A700 ... this year or forget it?

[Greg Beetham]

Yep the Chinese market is potentially massive, but I saw somewhere that most of the economy is still rural so still a few hurdles yet for the vast majority....I thought Sony had some manufacturing stages there and sold cameras there, then I heard that they moved assembly back to Japan, then I heard that Sony had built a new sensor fab but not certain where exactly, I don't think you get much change from 1 bill for a sensor fab, I'ts all very inscrutable...as usual.
Greg

[Dusty]

If Seagull really would produce this camera, it should be 10MP. 6 is too last season. There is no need for SSS, and no need for lens info besides f-stop, which the camera should have no problem incorporating into the EIXF. There could be the option to put your lens info into the camera via a menu option, just for the EXIF. After all, the most important EXIF info is time, date, ISO and f-stop. If you're familiar with your lenses you should be able to accurately guess which one you used.

Keep the old style (universal) hot shoe as well. All the old MD users have those flashes.

Assuming reasonable prices, I'd buy one or 2, as I have a plethora of MD lenses going to waste and would like to put them to use. Then I can readily train my youngsters on 'classical' photography.

They should actually be able to stuff a sensor and related electronics into an X700 body, which I believe the either have the rights to or a license for, and keep the MLU and DOF buttons. Just add a CF slot and LCD, plus a USB port, and you may have to thicken or slightly enlarge the body just a bit, but you still get a handy package.

It could work. selling to old MD users and emerging markets.

Dusty

[peterottaway]

Dusty it's a long way from the A700 replacement, but I would be interested for the same reason as you in that I have a fair number of Minolta MD lenses. Nice to dream anyway.

Given that the optical/transmission characteristics of the MD's are well known, then the support chips to the sensor plus the firmware could be tuned to their characteristics and so reducing any PP problems.

[Greg Beetham]

With the lens thing, they could have the MC MD lens database onboard, just like they do for the AF lenses, only this one could be visible in the menus and you just scroll down and select the one you have currently fitted.
Greg
ps. Or even better you could pre-establish via the menus an owner selection list from the complete list, so that when you need to change the current lens....the list that is displayed is only the ones that you own and you can add or delete lenses from the owners list.

[Javelin]

I know it's not FF but Novoflex just released adaptors although pretty pricey for Alph and MD lenses to go on Micro 4/3's


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091101novoflex.asp

[pakodominguez]

I know it's not FF but Novoflex just released adaptors although pretty pricey for Alph and MD lenses to go on Micro 4/3's


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091101novoflex.asp

Thisis actually a better solution if you want to give a digital life to your MC/MD lenses:
http://digitalrokkor.altervista.org/news.html
then, you have to deal with Canon colors...

Regards

Pako