Minolta built cameras from 1928 to 2006, earning respect as genuine innovators rather than followers. They pioneered autofocus SLRs with the groundbreaking Maxxum/Dynax 7000 in 1985, revolutionizing photography overnight. Their film cameras combined excellent build quality with clever engineering - the X-700 and SRT series remain hugely popular with film shooters today. Known for outstanding optics (their Rokkor lenses are legendary), reliable bodies, and features that actually mattered to photographers. When Minolta merged with Konica and eventually sold to Sony in 2006, their legacy lived on - Sony's A-mount system is built directly on Minolta's foundation, and those old Minolta AF lenses still work perfectly on modern Sony bodies.
