Konica Minolta Debuts Maxxum 5D Digital SLR

Konica Minolta has announced its
Maxxum 5D digital SLR camera, little
brother of the Maxxum 7D. The 6-Mpxl
Maxxum 5D incorporates the company's
Maxxum Anti-Shake technology with CCD
Shift mechanism to compensate for blurring
caused by camera shake, both of
which are compatible with all Maxxum AF
(auto focus) lenses. The 5D offers resolutions
up to 3008 x 2000, supports RAW
and JPEG file formats, and is compatible
with a variety of memory cards.

Its 2.5-in. LCD screen has easy-to-use
screen menus and setup option. The 5D
features an Advanced SLI engine for highspeed
image processing as well as Konica
Minolta's CxProcess III image-processing
technology to render fine image detail and
optimizes color saturation. Its Digital Subject
Program Selector automatically designates
an optimum exposure and imageprocessing
program for five commonly
used scenes (portrait, sports action, landscape,
sunset, and night portrait).

Price on the Maxxum 5D digital SLR:
$1449 MSRP; street price of $899 (body
and lens) and $799 (body only).

Konica Minolta also has introduced
three new DT (Digital Technology) interchangeable
lenses for the Maxxum line
of digital SLRs”?AF DT Zoom 18-70mm
F3.5-5.6(D), AF DT Zoom 11-18mm F4.5-
5.6(D), and AF DT Zoom 18-200mm F3.5-
6.3(D). The three DT lenses employ a new
optical system specifically designed for
the Maxxum cameras, which incorporates
an APS-C size CCD image sensor. The
lenses will be available by the fall of
2005. Price: AF DT Zoom 18-70mm F3.5-
5.6(D): $269.99; AF DT Zoom 11-18mm
F4.5-5.6(D): $849.99; and AF DT Zoom
18-200mm F3.5-6.3(D): $699.99.

In addition, Konica Minolta has
reached an agreement with Sony Corporation
to “begin joint development of
advanced and feature-rich digital SLR cameras,”
and that these cameras will be based
on and compatible with Konica Minolta's
Maxxum/Dynax lens-mount system.

Konica Minolta brings to the table its
autofocus and auto-exposure technologies
nourished through development of
its Maxxum/Dynax series, as well as
mechanical electronics technologies for
SLR cameras, and 16 million units of
lenses shipped worldwide.

Sony, meanwhile, brings its own
strengths to the deal, inclucing numerous
technologies and devices for digital-imaging
equipment, such as CCD and CMOS imaging
sensors, image-processing technologies,
and lithium ion batteries. The company also
stresses its stengths in product planning,
total design, and high-density mounting.

KONICA MINOLTA PHOTO IMAGING
www.kmpi.konicaminolta.us

SONY CORPORATION
www.sony.com