[ ] · · ფოტო სიახლეები, სიახელეები ფოტო სამყაროში

[nachkebia]

კონიკა მინოლტა იყიდია სონიმ და კონიკა მინოლტა როგორც ასეთი აღარ არსებობს (bye bye black bird)

Konica Minolta withdraw from camera business
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06011901...aminoltaout.asp

Konica Minolta has long been a leading company in photo imaging business covering wide range of imaging from input to output. In addition, we have provided inspiring products and services by fusing our unique technologies.

In camera business, we have expanded picture-taking opportunities by developing innovative technologies such as the world’s first autofocus cameras. In 1962, our camera, well-accepted for its high reliability, boarded on the US’s first manned spaceship “Friendship 7.” Also, ever since introduction of the world’s first body-integral autofocus SLR camera, Maxxum/Dynax series, in 1985, SLR cameras have become more popular among picture-takers, and we have succeeded in selling 16 million units of interchangeable lenses since then.

However, in today’s era of digital cameras, where image sensor technologies such as CCD is indispensable, it became difficult to timely provide competitive products even with our top optical, mechanical and electronics technologies.

In photo business, represented by the silver-halide photography such as color film and color paper, we have produced Japan’s first photographic paper in 1903, and Japan’s first color film in 1940, thus pioneering joy of photography for more than a century. In 1984, we introduced the world’s first compact washless photofinishing system known as a minilab system. The minilabs contributed to the expansion of worldwide photographic market by making photos closer to consumers and amazingly shortening delivery time.

However, traditional silver-halide photographic market is shrinking astonishingly by the surge of the worldwide digitization. In such a changing world, profits for camera and photo businesses worsened in recent years, and it became necessary to drastically reform business structure for the further growth of Konica Minolta. Ever since we decided and announced restructuring guidelines of our businesses on November 4, 2005, we have been considering practical and detailed plan, and we would like to announce our decision made today as follows:

[nachkebia]

Rare photo sets $2.9m sale record



A rare print taken by US photography pioneer Edward Steichen has set a world record for the highest price paid for a photograph auction.

The Pond-Moonlight - taken in New York in 1904 - was sold for $2.9m (£1.6m), more than doubling the previous record.

The 41x48cm photo shows a pond in a wooded area with light coming through the trees and reflected in the water.

The only other two copies in existence are in museum collections. The buyer's identity has yet to be disclosed.

But no doubt he or she feels that owning a piece of photographic history is more than worth the record-breaking price-tag, the BBC's Elettra Neysmith says.

The photograph was put up for sale by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has another copy in its collection.

Stephen Perloff, the editor of the Photograph Collector, a newsletter about the photography art market, said before the Steichen auction that it would be a "moment of history", the Associated Press news agency reports.

Steichen began experimenting with colour photography in 1904.

He was one of the first Americans to use the autochrome - a revolutionary method of producing colour photographs.

The previous record for highest price for a photograph at auction was set last November by Richard Prince's Untitled (Cowboy). It sold for $1,248,000 (£719,000).