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| Type | Corporation TYO: 4902 |
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| Founded | Osaka, Japan (1873) |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
| Key people | Yoshikatsu Ota, President & CEO |
| Industry | Imaging |
| Products | Office equipment medical imaging, graphic imaging, optical devices, and measuring instruments |
| Revenue | ▲1,067 billion yen (2004) |
| Employees | 33,400 worldwide (as of July 2005) |
| Website | konicaminolta.com |
Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. (コニカミノルタホールディングス Konika Minoruta Hōrudingusu?) is a Japanese manufacturer of office equipment, medical imaging, graphic imaging, optical devices, and measuring instruments.
The company operates worldwide and has several regional Headquarters in:
Japan (Japan, Tokyo, Kantō)
America (The United States, Ramsey, New Jersey).
Europe (Germany, Langenhagen, Lower Saxony)
Asia Pacific (Australia, Sydney)
All regional Headquarters support several national operating companies or subsidiaries.
For details of all supported countries in each regional Headquarter, please refer to the Konica Minolta website.
Contents |
History
Company history
Konica Minolta was formed by a merger between Japanese imaging firms Konica and Minolta, announced on January 7, 2003 with the Corporate Structure completing the re-organisation in October 2003.12 Different group companies, such as the operations in the headquarters and national operating companies began the process around the same time, however the exact dates vary for each group company.
Konica Minolta uses a "Globe Mark" logo that is similar, however not identical to the logo of the former Minolta company.3 It also uses the same corporate slogan as the former Minolta company - "The Essentials of Imaging".
On January 19, 2006 the company announced that it was quitting the camera business due to high financial losses. SLR camera service operations were handed over to Sony starting on March 31, 2006 and Sony has continued development of cameras that are compatible with Minolta autofocus lenses. Konica Minolta withdrew from the photo business on September 30, 2006. 3,700 employees were laid off.4
Konica Minolta closed down their photo imaging division in March 2007. The color film, color paper, photo chemical and digital mini-lab machine divisions have ceased operations. Dai Nippon Printing purchased Konica's Odawara factory, with plans to continue to produce paper under Dai Nippon's brand. Seapac acquired the Konica chemical factory.
Camera history
Manual focus 35mm film SLRs
Minolta had been a competitor in the 35mm SLR market since the development of the manual-focus (MF) SRT and other models in the mid-1960s. Minolta positioned most of its cameras to compete in the amateur market, though it did produce a very high quality MF SLR in the XD-11. Minolta's last MF SLR cameras were the X370 and X700. Shanghai Optical Co. (Seagull) purchased tools and production plant from Minolta at different times, making some X300 series for Minolta branding, and continues to release MD mount film SLRs compatible with the old system under the Seagull name.
Autofocus 35mm film SLRs
Until the sale of Konica Minolta's Photo Imaging unit to Sony in 2006, Konica Minolta produced the former Minolta range of 35mm autofocus single-lens reflex cameras, variously named "Minolta Maxxum" in North America, "Minolta Dynax" in Europe, and "Minolta Alpha" in Japan and the rest of Asia. This range was introduced in 1985 with the Minolta Maxxum 7000, and culminated with the professional Maxxum 9 (1997) later made in a titanium body (9Ti) and technically advanced 7(1999). The final Minolta 35mm SLR AF cameras were the Maxxum 50 and 70 (Dynax 40 and 60), built in China.
Digital cameras
Until recently, Konica Minolta had a line of digital point and shoot cameras to compete in the digital photography market. Their DiMage line included digital cameras and imaging software as well as film scanners.
They created a new category of "SLR-like" cameras with the introduction of the Dimâge 5. This camera mixed many of the features of a traditional SLR camera with the special abilities of a digital camera. It had a mechanical zoom ring and electronic focus ring on the lens barrel, it used an electronic viewfinder (EVF) showing 100 per cent of the lens view, it added many high level features such as a histogram and made the cameras TTL-compatible with Minolta's final generation of flashes for film SLRs. The controls were designed to be used by people familiar with SLR cameras. However, the lens was not interchangeable, and the cameras not a true alternative to an SLR camera. The model 5 had a 1/1.8" sensor with 5 megapixels, and the fixed zoom was equal to a 35-250mm (relative to 24x36mm format). The models 7, later 7Hi and A1 had 2/3" 6 megapixel sensors and the lens then achieved 28-200mm equivalent coverage, for which it was designed. The A2 and A200 increased the sensor resolution to 8 megapixels and these models remain popular for semi-professional use as 'glove box' or travel standbys.
They innovated with the A1/A2/A200 by being the first manufacturer to integrate a sensor-based, piezoelectrically actuated anti-camera-shake system. Before the closure of the Photo Imaging unit, the Dimâge lineup included the consumer-priced long-zoom Z line, the low-end E/G lines (the G series finally incorporating former Konica models), the thin/light X line, and the advanced A line.
Digital SLRs
Minolta made some early forays into digital SLRs with the RD-175 in 1995 and the RD-3000 in 1999 but were the last of the large "Big Four" camera manufacturers to launch a successful digital SLR camera using a current 35mm AF mount in late 2004. The RD-175 was based on the Maxxum/Dynax 505si 35mm film SLR and used three different 1/2" CCD image sensors - two for green and one for red and blue - supplied with images by a light splitting mechanism using prisms mounted behind the lens. The RD-3000 used Vectis APS film lenses and again used multiple CCDs - this time two 1.5MP 1/2" sensors stitched to give a 2.7MP output image. It wasn't until late 2004 (after the merger with Konica) that they launched the Dynax/Maxxum/α 7, a digital SLR based on the very successful Dynax/Maxxum 7 35mm SLR body. The unique feature of this camera is that it features an in-body Anti-Shake system to compensate for camera shake. However, by 2004 Canon and Nikon had a whole range of digital SLR cameras and many serious photographers had already switched, thus leading Konica Minolta to withdraw from the market and transfer assets to Sony. The only two Konica Minolta digital SLRs to reach production before the company's withdrawal were the Dynax/Maxxum 7D and the Dynax/Maxxum 5D (which is an entry-level model that shared the 7D's sensor and Anti-Shake technology).
In early 2006 Sony announced its Sony α (Alpha) line of digital SLRs, (based on Konica Minolta technology) and stated they were scheduled to launch production in the summer of 2006. The Sony Alpha 100, announced on June 6th 2006, is generally agreed to have been a Konica Minolta design based on the 5D with minimal Sony input. The range of 21 Sony lenses announced at that time also included only revisions of earlier Minolta designs, or models which had been in development, rebadged and with minor cosmetic changes. The Sony Alpha range has remained compatible with all Minolta AF system lenses, and most accessories, from 1985 onwards.
In 2000 Minolta announced the introduction of Super Sonic Motor (SSM) focusing to a limited number of new lenses. This dispensed with a mechanical drive between camera and lens, but only SLRs made from 1999 onwards (the Dynax/Maxxum 7 and later) were compatible, the professional Dynax 9 requiring a factory upgrade to operate. Sony announced a program in 2008 to fit more future lenses with SSM and these designs may, therefore, not be compatible with 1985-1999 SLR bodies.
Business equipment History
Multifunctional Devices
For some time after the merger between Konica and Minolta, both product lines continued to be sold, while research and development efforts were underway to create new products. The first Konica Minolta badged products were almost entirely "Konica" or "Minolta" products however, as they were the next generation products being produced by both companies before the merger. These products included MFPs such as the Konica Minolta bizhub C350 (a "Minolta" design, also badged as the Konica 8022 and Minolta CF2203), and Konica Minolta 7235 (A "Konica" design).
Successive models included greater integration between the two sets of technologies, and current products such as the bizhub C451 (pictured below in this article) contain many technologies from both histories. Some products such as the bizhub 501 are more noticeably an engine design from one company rather the other, however the system itself, including operation, features and RIP technologies are in the "new style" that holds little legacy from either former company.
As with many MFP manufacturers, some of the market segments are not produced directly by the manufacturer. In Konica Minolta's case, many smaller SOHO MFP products (such as the bizhub 130f, wearing Minebea marks in hardware and in software drivers) are produced by third parties. By the same token, many other companies also re-badge Konica Minolta products under OEM agreements.
Printers
As the printer operations of the former Konica company were limited to "printer models" of MFP models, or re-badged printers from other manufacturers, while the printer operations of the former Minolta company were strong since the purchase of QMS (completed in 20005 after increasing influence and shareholding by Minolta), printer operations were initially not affected greatly by the Konica Minolta merger.
Due to the increased complexity of both MFP and printer devices, Konica Minolta increased technology sharing between the two lines of products. In many regions, this has led to the integration of the Printer products company in to the Business equipment products company.6
Business companies
Konica Minolta has spun off business units into separate companies.
Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
Offering document solutions for evolving office environments focused on colour, digitalisation, high-speed and networking.
Location of head office: Tokyo, Number of employees: Approx. 19,600
Worldwide headquarters are also located in: Germany (Konica Minolta Europe), USA (Konica Minolta US), Australia (Konica Minolta Australia) and China (Konica Minolta China). These headquarters are responsible for sales and support of the Konica Minolta companies in each country within their region, including distributors and the dealer networks.
Main products: MFPs, Copiers, printers, facsimile machines, microfilm systems and related supplies.
Konica Minolta Business Technologies is a member of The Linux Foundation7
Multi-functional peripherals (MFPs)
Pursuing advanced imaging markets Konica Minolta's digital multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), branded the "bizhub" series, are equipped with multiple functions (copying, printing, faxing, scanning), and can integrate into any corporate network environments. They allow users to consolidate the administration of office equipment connected to a network by using a series of network management software programs and even to manage and share both scanned data and computer-generated data. The bizhub concept enables users to adopt flexible work styles, freeing them from place and time constraints. Their colour output boasts the highest image quality and speed in the industry and leads the office equipment market where the boundary between colour and monochrome products is blurring. In the light-production printing market, they help improve operational efficiency by providing highspeed monochrome copiers and MFPs with superior durability and image quality which are best suited to print on demand (POD).
Konica Minolta Printing Solutions
Advanced generation of compact, lightweight and high-performance color laser printers. The market for color laser printers continues to expand, fuelled by the rapid shift of business documents from monochrome to color. Konica Minolta's color laser printers - branded the "Magicolor" series and using toner technology inherited from QMS/Qume - feature superb image quality and compact design, as exemplified by what was then the world's smallest and lightest color laser printer with 2400dpi photographic quality, the Magicolor 2430DL of 2005. This printer also offered direct output from digital cameras using PictBridge and EXIFII Print Order Management technology, via USB. The Magicolor series covers from entry level home/office models like the 2430's successors, to large print stations for corporate environments.
As of May 2007 Printing Solutions (Europe) business was merged with Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Europe) as part of radical reforms within the company.
Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
With the rich experience and the latest technology in optics, KONICA MINOLTA OPTO, INC. has been developing most advanced optical components, units, and systems for various application, and has been supplying to the many customers in the world.
Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
Manufacturing, sale, and related services of film and processing equipment for medical and graphic imaging. Konica Minolta Opens Software Development Center in India through Partnership Agreement with HCL Technologies8
Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc.
Manufacture and sales of measuring instruments for industrial, and medical fields: 3-D digitizers, Polygon editing software, Spectrophotometers, Colorimeters, Display color analyzers, Illuminance meters, Luminance meters, Spectroradiometers, Spot thermometers, Oxygen saturation monitors, Jaundice meters, etc.
Sponsorship
- MotoGP: Makoto Tamada (2005 - 2006), Shinya Nakano (2007).
See also
References
Specific references:
- ^ Konica Minolta announce integration of management (merger)
- ^ Digital Photography Review: Konica and Minolta agree on merger
- ^ Konica Minolta Logo definition/explanation
- ^ News release details-News Releases | KONICA MINOLTA
- ^ Minolta/QMS final merger
- ^ Konica Minolta Printing Solutions Europe integrated in to Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe
- ^ News release details-News Releases | KONICA MINOLTA
- ^ News release details-News Releases | KONICA MINOLTA
General references:
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This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. |
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- Dynax 4/Dynax 3/Maxxum 4 Instruction Manual
- Maxxum 5D Brochure
- Robert E. Mayer, Minolta Classic Cameras (a Magic Lantern Guide)
- Konica Minolta Corporate Profile 2005
External links
- Konica Minolta official site
- Minolta Landmark Cameras 1928-1998 - 113 models listed with large images
- Konica Minolta's official corporate history overview (includes both Konica and Minolta historical points also)
- Konica Minolta Printing Solutions France
- Konica Minolta Cup Welsh Rugby Union tournament
- Photoclub Alpha - owners' club website and magazine
