Minolta

Minolta Co., Ltd.
ミノルタ

Type	Private (1928-1949), Public (1949-2003)
Traded as	TYO 7753 (1949-2003)
Industry	Manufacturing
Fate	Merged with Konica into Konica Minolta Minolta US Photographic trademark abandoned and claimed by JMM Lee Properties LLC (2015)
Successor	Konica Minolta
Founded	November 1928; 97 years ago (November 1928) (as Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten) Osaka, Japan
Founder	Kazuo Tashima
Defunct	August 5, 2003; 23 years ago (2003-08-05)
Headquarters	3-13, 2-chome, Azuchi-Machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-8556, Japan (1998)
Products	Cameras, film cameras, lenses, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, laser printers

Minolta Co., Ltd. (ミノルタ, Minoruta) was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, camera accessories, binoculars, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten (日独写真機商店; meaning Japanese-German camera shop).^[1][2] In 1931, the company adopted Minolta for their cameras, an acronym for the German phrase "Mechanismus, Instrumente, Optik, und Linsen von Tashima".^[3] Between 1937 and 1962 they became known as Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō K.K. (千代田光学精工㈱, meaning Chiyoda Optics and Precision Industry Co., Ltd.) before adopting the Minolta name as their final company iteration. The Minolta 'Rising Sun' logo was designed by Saul Bass in 1981. Minolta made the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system with the Alpha α/Maxxum 7000/AF in 1985.

In 2003, Minolta merged with Konica to form Konica Minolta. On 19 January 2006, Konica Minolta announced that it was leaving the camera and photo business,^[4] and that it would sell a portion of its SLR camera business to Sony as part of its move to pull completely out of the business of selling cameras and photographic film.^[5]

Between 2015 and 2016, Konica Minolta lost the rights to the Minolta US trademark for photographic equipment in a trial against JMM Lee Properties LLC, citing Trademark abandonment.^[6] Assuming control of several Minolta Trademarks in photographic industries by 2017, JMM Lee began licensing the name to Elite Brands Inc.^[7][8] This is an example of zombie trademarking^[9][10]

Relying initially on imported German technology, Nichi-Doku turned out their first product, a bellows camera called the Nifcarette, in March 1929. By 1937, the company reorganized as Chiyoda Kogaku Seikō, K.K. (Chiyoda Optics and Fine Engineering, Ltd.) and built the first Japanese-made twin-lens reflex camera, the Minoltaflex, based on German Rolleicord designs.^[11]

In 1947, the Minolta-35 was introduced. It is originally based on the Leica LTM rangefinder design, but added significant alterations and improvements.^[12] Produced alongside Minolta's own LTM lenses and accessories and using standard 35mm film in cassettes, the standard lens offered was the Super Rokkor 1:2.8 50mm.^[13][14]

In 1950, Minolta developed a planetarium projector, the first made in Japan, beginning the company's connection to astronomical optics. John Glenn took a rebadged Minolta Hi-Matic rangefinder aboard the spacecraft Friendship 7 in 1962, and in 1968, Apollo 8 orbited the Moon with a Minolta Space Meter aboard.^[15] This was also used by the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon.^[16]

In the late 1950s and 1960s, Minolta competed in the medium-format roll film camera market with the Autocord series of TLR (twin-lens reflex) cameras. A prototype Medium format SLR-style camera was developed called the 'SR-66', however it never became commercially available, among others^[17][18]

Minolta was the first Japanese manufacturer to introduce a natively produced bayonet lens mount to its SLRs.^[19] In 1958, Minolta introduced its SR-2 single lens reflex 35mm camera, the beginning of the SR-series spanning 17 years of production. In 1966 Minolta introduced their first SR camera with TTL metering, introducing it as the new series 'SR-T'. Minolta cameras were largely targeted towards enthusiasts and amateurs. Albeit regarded as some of the most innovative SLR's of their time, Minolta was often seen less favourably than its professional competition, such as Nikon and Canon. Minolta SLRs were often criticised for lacking or being slow to include professional features, e.g. Motor Drives, interchangeable pentaprisms, and removable backs. . In 1985 Minolta introduced the first commercially successful autofocus SLR line with the Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum series.^[20][21][22]

In 1972, Minolta drew up a formal cooperation agreement with Leitz.^[23] Leitz needed expertise in camera body electronics, and Minolta felt that they could learn from Leitz's optical expertise. Tangible results of this cooperation were the Leica CL/Minolta CL, an affordable rangefinder camera to supplement the Leica M range. The Leica CL was built by Minolta to Leica specifications. Other results were the Leica R3, which was in fact the Minolta XE-1 with a Leica lens mount, viewfinder, and spot metering system, and the Leica R4 was based on the Minolta XD-11. Additionally, five Minolta lenses were repackaged as Leica R lenses: the Minolta 24/2.8 MC Rokkor-X optics are found in the Leica 24/2.8 Elmarit-R, and similarly for the Minolta 35-70/3.5, 75-200/4.5, 70-210/4, and 16/2.8.^[24]

In 1977, Minolta introduced the XD-11 (sold as XD in Japan and XD-7 in Europe), the first multimode 35mm SLR to include both aperture and shutter priority in a single body. It was also the first camera to employ a computerised chip, which in shutter priority mode overrode the chosen speed if necessary to give a correct exposure, thus offering the first-ever 'Programmed mode'. The XD-11 was the last attempt by Minolta to enter the professional and semiprofessional 35mm SLR market until the Maxxum 9 in 1998. Significant elements of the XD's design were implemented in Leica's R4 - R7 series of SLR's.^[25]

Minolta obtained the research to develop autofocus technology from Leica during their partnership in the 1970s^[26][27] In 1985, Minolta introduced a new line of autofocus (AF) SLR cameras.^[28] In North America, they used the name Maxxum; in Europe, the cameras were called Dynax; and in Japan, they were named Alpha (α). They were the first commercially successful autofocus SLR's, which propelled Minolta camera sales at the time.^[29]

Unfortunately for Minolta, its autofocus design was found to infringe on the patents of Honeywell, a U.S. corporation. After protracted litigation, in 1991 Minolta was ordered to pay Honeywell damages, penalties, trial costs, and other expenses in a final amount of $127.6 million.^[30]

Minolta made one last attempt to enter the amateur and professional market with the Maxxum (Dynax) 9 in 1998, followed by the Maxxum 7 in 2000, which used a full LCD readout on the rear of the camera. Though well received by the photographic press, the 7 and 9 did not sell to expectations or achieve any significant breakthrough with their intended customer base, who had largely gravitated to the Canon or Nikon brands. All of these cameras were eventually discontinued in favor of the less-expensive Maxxum 50 and 70, which were sold under the Minolta name until 2006, when Konica Minolta ceased production of all film cameras.^[4]

While Minolta was the inventor of the modern integrated AF SLR, it took Konica Minolta a long time to enter the digital SLR market, a delay that may have proved fatal. Konica Minolta was the last of the large camera manufacturers to launch a digital SLR camera (Maxxum/Dynax 5D and 7D) using the 35 mm AF mount. During July 2005, KM and Sony negotiated on a joint development of a new line of DSLR cameras,^[31] where it was believed that Konica Minolta and Sony would market their DSLR line to the masses (much like the joint marketing and development of Pentax and Samsung K10/GX10 DSLRs).

Minolta entered the highly competitive 35mm compact camera market in the 1980s and transitioned from older rangefinder designs to "point-and-shoot" (P&S) electronic autofocus/autowind cameras.

According to a press release by Konica Minolta they "Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Inc. ceased its Camera Business Operations as of 31 March 2006, and ceased the entire customer services for Konica Minolta cameras and related products as of 31 December 2010"^[32]

In an effort to strengthen market share and acquire additional assets in cameras, printing, and optical equipment, Minolta merged with another long-time Japanese camera manufacturer, Konica Ltd., in 2003. The new corporation is called Konica Minolta^[33]

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• 1928: Kazuo Tashima [ja; ja; 田嶋一雄] establishes Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten ("Japanese-German photo company," the precursor of Minolta Co., Ltd.).
• 1929: Marketed the company's first camera, the "Nifcarette" (ニフカレッテ).
• 1937: The Minolta Flex is Japan's second twin-lens reflex camera (after the Prince Flex by Neumann & Heilemann).
• 1947: Introduction of the long lived 35mm rangefinder camera Minolta-35
• 1958: The Minolta SR-2 is Minolta's first single-lens reflex camera.
• 1959: The Minolta SR-1.
• 1962: John Glenn takes a specially modified Ansco-logoed Minolta Hi-Matic camera into space aboard Friendship 7. The company changes its name to Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.
• 1966: The Minolta SR-T 101 SLR camera is one of the first with TTL (through-the-lens) full aperture light metering. The first is Topcon RE Super from 1963.
• 1972: Minolta signs an agreement to cooperate with Leica in SLR development;
• 1973: The Minolta CL is the first fruit of this agreement.
• 1976: The Leica R3 is introduced. Minolta produces the R3, R4, and R5 models in the Leica R series. Subsequent cameras are built in Germany by Leica themselves.
• 1977: The Minolta XD-11 (N. America only, XD-7 worldwide) is introduced, the world's first 'multi mode' SLR offering M, A, S modes, with a 'Program override' in S mode effected by a computer chip, the world's first Program mode. This same year, Minolta also introduced the Minolta XG series starting with the Minolta XG-7.
• 1981: Implementation of Minolta's invention and patent of TTL (through-the-lens) OTF (off-the-film) exposure metering: the Minolta CLE is the first 35mm rangefinder camera to feature TTL metering and aperture priority autoexposure. The Minolta X-700 manual-focus SLR is introduced; this model is sold until 1999 and is enormously successful. The Minolta XD-11 (Model E) is the first Minolta product branded with an updated logo (in caps), which was in use until the 2003 merger with Konica.
• 1985: The Minolta Maxxum 7000 Alpha Mount Camera becomes the world's first autofocus 35mm SLR with in-camera autofocus motor.
• 1987: Honeywell files lawsuit against Minolta for patent infringement over autofocus technologies.
• 1991: Minolta's autofocus design was found to infringe on the patents of Honeywell. After protracted litigation, Minolta was ordered to pay Honeywell damages, penalties, trial costs, and other expenses in a final amount of $127.6 million.^[34]
• 1992: Minolta settles out of court with Honeywell.
• 1994: The company changes its name to Minolta Co., Ltd. because it no longer is primarily a camera company.
• 1995: Introduction of the Minolta RD-175, a 1.75-megapixel digital SLR camera.
• 1996: The Minolta Vectis camera is a completely new SLR system designed around the Advanced Photo System (APS) film format.
• 1998: The Minolta Maxxum 9 autofocus SLR is introduced. This system is targeted toward the professional photographer and has many features not duplicated by the competition.
• 2003: DiMAGE A1 introduced world's first sensor-based anti-shake, and was the final Minolta product branded prior to the Konica Minolta merger.
• 2004: Minolta and Konica officially merge to become Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
• 2005: The company announces joint venture with Sony on CCD and CMOS technologies.
• 2006: Konica Minolta announces it is discontinuing all film and digital camera production, ending a 78-year history as a camera manufacturer. Final models released were DiMAGE X1 and Z6. Konica Minolta Photo Image, Inc.'s (the camera business portion of Konica Minolta) assets regarding digital camera technology are transferred to Sony for continued development started from the joint venture.

• Rokkor
• Quality Micro Systems
• Konica Minolta
• Laboratory equipment
• List of Minolta products
• Sony α Sony Alpha DSLR

• Photoxels.com. Brief History of Minolta. Retrieved on 2005-11-29 from https://web.archive.org/web/20060206183204/http://www.photoxels.com/history_minolta.html.
• Sony Corporation announced a new brand for digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras which Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc. has developed.

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