Tokina & SONY/Minolta

[DonSchap]

I wrote to THK Customer Service, inquiring as to whether or not Tokina had any plans to expand their mounts to the SONY/Minolta camera body. Here is the correspondence I sent on 3/27/2007.

Schap, Don wrote:

As a perspective Tokina customer, I am wondering why Tokina has not made a commitment to SONY/Minolta mount lenses at the recent photo shows. Your current lenses would seem to be quite an amazing addition to the SONY line.

While Canon and Nikon are good cameras to use, my inclination is to the new SONY line of DSLRs. It seems rather pointless to not have your fine lens available for these impressive cameras.

I know, I for one would love to have the AT-X 840 AF D and the AT-X 535 PRO DX in my current lens bag. Without image stability in these lenses, only SONY’s “in the body” stability seems to make any sense.

Could you please advise when the SONY-Mount will be available? Tomorrow would be fine.

Thank you,
Don Schap
Photographer-at-large

and what I received, as of 3/30/2007.

Don;

At the moment, Japan has not announced any plans to make Tokina lenses in anything other than Canon and Nikon mounts.

Glenn Nash
Technical Service Representative
THK Photo Products





Apparently, you will have to enlist the older Tokina-glass with the Minolta-mount for the time being. The older glass is not adapted (internally-coated) for reflections from digital sensors, so focusing could be tricky from time to time, with some light angles.

Even though this statement is the "here and now", I suspect they won't want to miss out on that "SONY-money" once the camera line really gets rolling. ;)

[kombizz]

I DO have three Minolta body (film cameras). After that coward withdrew of Minolta Manufacturer from the main stream, I was very disapointed from them.
I DO have loads of Minolta equipments. I love all of them and still use them.
After that event, sometime I wonder if REALLY Sony cares about Minolta customers.
Are they going to make the second or third generation of Minolta DSLR with higher resolution? or they concentrate on their own DSLR?
Anyhow I am sorry, and I feel you are not alone in this confusion.

[Riley]

Don
are you aware that Tokina and Hoya are indeed the same firm now
and that Hoya have interests in Pentax
maybe thats why

[DonSchap]

Don
are you aware that Tokina and Hoya are indeed the same firm now
and that Hoya have interests in Pentax
maybe thats why


I'm not privy to the boardroom, but I do know that if you are making "third-party" lenses, you do try to spread them out among as many of the major camera manufacturers as possible, to make that business profitable. I know I'm interested in their glass, but I'm not going to a Pentax-system ... just to make use of it. :(

You usually commit to one camera manufacturer. My division between two systems (Canon and SONY/Minolta) is an abberation and was made during a time where the choices were kind of tight. That, happily, is no longer the case.

Tokina has been "third-party" and carried the Minolta-mount for many years. I can understand some bad feeling, because Minolta bit the dust ... but it has been resurrected in the SONY A100, so it was a momentary sag and the mount remains unchanged ... except for the extra three control contacts.

[DonSchap]

You know ... the only people suffering are the customers, Tokina. I'm not sure why there isn't a licensing agreement between you & SONY, but how about changing that?

Thanks

Psst: Just in case they are reading this ...

I have taken the liberty of writing an e-mail, once again, asking for an official corporate response to this question. I would like them to know that there is some interest in this effort. It may only be me that I know of, at the moment, but believe me, I'm interested. :D

[coldrain]

You would not be interested in the 12-24mm f4, or the new 11-16mm f2.8, on your Sony?

[DonSchap]

You would not be interested in the 12-24mm f4, or the new 11-16mm f2.8, on your Sony?

Of course ... I do believe that was exactly what I was getting at. Although in light of the f/2.8 ... going to f/4 seems a bit regressive, don't you think? I mean, throwing away an f-stop of light for ...?

Personally, I would love to have access to the 50-135mm f/2.8, the 16-50mm f/2.8 and the 10-16mm f/2.8 ... that's one heck of a low light bag, if linearity and focus is properly preserved at the widest aperture.

Admittedly, carrying those three lenses is probably a pretty hefty lug and not something I'd be to thrilled about. Better get an assistant ... or a caddy. ;)