Konica Minolta is a brand name that hasn’t been heard of for a while–not in the world of photography, at least. After some more or less successful digital cameras such as the A2 and the X31, the company vanished from the photographic market and retreated to the print market. (Sound familiar?) Well, thanks to the patent spotters over at Egami, we now have signs that the company may actually be coming back to the world of photography.
It seems that technicians over at Konica Minolta are currently developing various lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system, one of them being an 8-17mm f2.8 wide-angle (see picture above). If that should turn out to be true, then the company would head straight back to its olden days of glory. Both Konica and Minolta (when they were still two seperate brands) were known for their cameras and lenses, such as the Konica Hexar AF, the Minolta CLE and their respective series of M-mount lenses. Konica and Minolta products from the 70ies through the 90ies are sought-after items by collectors and enthusiats alike.
Via 43rumors