I started my early SLR days growing up on the Minolta brand name and over the years the camera's served me well Back in the old days if your learned on a fully manual camera and collected nice optics, it would be hard to pry my wallet open to purchase a new body with just a few added niceties.
By the mid 80's the big players had taken on a new mindset regarding camera marketing... you needed a new camera body every few years and all the new technology would be zipping ahead to make even the most dim witted aspiring amateur photographer produce great images or so they told you via slick marketing.
Canon and Nikon would end up on top of the dog pile, with Minolta and Olympus playing catch up in terms of sales, but still moving forward with innovations.
When I decided to make the move to digital my Minolta roots pulled at me and the retooled Konica Minolta 7D was in my sights, but the $ 2000 + price tag (body and lens), pushed me along to Olympus. But I never forgot that sweet sound and feel of the 7D, with its Magnesium body ! Turns out Konica Minolta lasted only a few years and sold the whole platform to Sony, this later mutated into the current Sony line still using the mount and contact system developed by Minolta for its auto focus 35 mm line.
Flash ahead almost 10 years cruising on Craigslist I spotted a 7D for sale in Carlsbad (about 90 miles south of LA), the owner purchased new and it was far to much camera for him, with the original box and packaging + 2 lenses. He was in the Navy and had purchased it wholesale at the base exchange for under $1000. Living fairly far from the major areas of both San Diego or Los Angeles he could not get anyone to make the drive. His asking price was less than $ 150 !
Till next time ......
