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Sony plans dSLR launch this Summer
By Mike Pasini, The Imaging Resource
(Friday, January 20, 2006 - 21:30 EST)

It won't take Sony long to capitalize on Konica Minolta's technology for its first dSLR, according to a Sony executive. The company's first dSLR should hit the streets this summer.

Macworld is reporting that Sony Executive Vice President Yutaka Nakagawa, who is also president of the company's digital imaging group, has said Sony is on track to introduce its first dSLR this summer in Japan and shortly after in other markets.

Citing its difficulty in developing cutting edge sensor technology despite a strong tradition of other technical innovations, Konica Minolta announced their withdrawal from the digital camera race on Thursday. But the company had already announced an agreement to jointly develop a dSLR with Sony and the two companies have been working together on the project since July 2005.

On March 31, Sony will acquire the remaining assets it needs from Konica Minolta to complete the "development, design, production and so forth of new digital SLR cameras based on and compatible with the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount system with a view to marketing these models this summer," according to Konica Minolta (see below).

The Macworld story also quotes Nakagawa as saying the company eventually hopes to "achieve a market share of around 20 percent of the digital SLR market."

Original Source Press Release:

Partial Transfer of Certain Assets Related to Digital SLR cameras

Since July 2005, Sony Corporation (Sony) and Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc. (Konica Minolta PI) have been working on the joint development of digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras. Sony, Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. and Konica Minolta PI are pleased to announce that they have decided to transfer a certain portion of Konica Minolta PI's assets related to digital SLR cameras to Sony, and at the same time, that Konica Minolta PI will consign its customer service operation for Konica Minolta cameras and related products* to Sony. Agreement to this effect was reached today.

Under this agreement, on March 31 2006, Sony will receive certain assets from Konica Minolta PI that are necessary for the development, design, production and so forth of digital SLR cameras compatible with Konica Minolta PI's Maxxum/Dynax lens mount system.** Sony will accelerate development of new digital SLR cameras based on and compatible with the Maxxum/Dynax lens mount system with a view to marketing these models this summer.

On the basis of its ongoing selection and concentration, Konica Minolta Group will concentrate on its core business technologies field and its strategic optics and display devices field and withdraw from camera business*** as of March 31, 2006. At the same time, Konica Minolta PI will partially transfer certain assets related to digital SLR cameras to Sony.

From April 1 2006, Konica Minolta PI will consign the customer service operations for Konica Minolta cameras and related products* to Sony, and Sony will implement service operations from that date onward.

* Konica Minolta, Konica and Minolta brand film cameras, digital still cameras, lenses, accessories etc.
** An original lens mount system to connect camera body and lens adopted in Konica Minolta Maxxum/Dynax series SLR cameras
*** Excludes production of digital SLR cameras and interchangeable lenses for Sony

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