From: munfai@ncb.gov.sg (Choo Mun Fai)
Subject: About Minolta Camera Company
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 01:38:14 -0500

Minolta : "Does what it knows and knows what it's doing".

The word 'Minolta' is a loose acronym for Machinery and Instruments OpticaL 
by Tashima - coined by its founders, Mr Kazuo Tashima.

"Knowledge not reflected in conduct is meaningless ; and so are acts not 
substantiated by knowledge" - so goes the saying by Confucius. This very 
saying is found on Mr Kazuo Tashima's favourite calligraphic work and is 
perhaps the very maxim which has inspired him in his founding and subsequent 
development of the Minolta company.

It began in 1928 when Kazou Tashima established the Japan-German Camera 
Company which made cameras using German lenses and shutters. Kazou Tashima 
graduated from Keio University in economics and worked in his family's 
trading company, engaging in Middle East trade. He made frequent trips to 
Europe and with the help of a cousin in Paris, made contacts which proved 
vital to the new company he was to set up.

The Japan-German Camera Company started off with 30 workers in a small 
factory on the banks of the Muko River between Kobe and Osaka. The first 
camera was introduced a year later, called 'Nifcalette' - based on a folding 
lensboard design. Within 18 years, the company has expanded to 3 plants. 

The rapid expansion was prompted by Kazuo Tashima to have all cameras made 
in Japan. At that point in time, optical equipment were ordered from Europe. 
Tashima was told by his cousin in Paris that optical instrument were the 
most difficult of all precision machines to make and that the Japanese could 
not manage it. Tashima was determined to succeed and out of that 
determination was born the precision industry - the 'Minolta Camera Company' 
which we know today.

The first camera to bear the name 'Minolta' was produced in 1933. 3 years 
later, Minolta's first twin-lens-reflex camera, the 'Minolta Flex' was 
produced. The next year saw the introduction of the 'Auto Semi' and 'Auto 
Press Minolta' - which was Japan's first coupled-rangefinder camera. In 
1946, Minolta achieved another milestone when the 'Minolta Semi II' was 
produced - the first ever Japanese camera with a coated lens. In 1948, the 
'Minolta 35' was produced, followed by the 'Minolta Memo' in 1949 which 
featured a lever-type file advance (instead of a knob) and in 1950 was the 
'Konan 16' - a 16mm precision sub-miniature camera.

After developing their exclusive apochromatic lens coating, Minolta 
introduced the first 'single-lens-reflex' camera - the 'Minolta SR-2' in 
1958. In 1962 a 'Minolta Hi-matic' was taken in space on board 'Friendship 
7' by Mr J. Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth.

Minolta has been very innovative in the development of their SLR cameras. In 
1962, they introduced the 'SR-7' which boasted the world first built-in Cds 
exposure metering system and in 1966, their famous CLC (Contrast Light 
Compensator) in the 'Minolta SR-T 101' camera. In 1972, the company looked 
west seeking a technical co-operation with Ernst Leitz GmbH which resulted 
in the production of the Minolta 'CL' camera.

Minolta pushed earnestly towards automation and in 1977 gave the world the 
first multi-mode auto exposure SLR - the 'XD-7'. From then onwards, the 
company never looked back incorporating more and more sophisticated features 
in their SLR cameras. Most notable is the current top of the line 9xi with 
1/12,000th sec shutter speed and a host of other highly sophisticated 
features including fuzzy logic technology based on 16-bit micro-computer 
built into the camera.

The company also diversified into other industries including office 
automation such as photocopiers, laser printers and fax machines as well as 
precision measuring instruments for use in medicine and industry (chroma 
meters, enamel paint and even lipstick and jaundice meter and spot 
thermometer). Minolta also makes a famous line of light meters and colour 
meters. Minolta is also a notable developer and producer of planetariums.

Research and development played an important role in the growth of the 
company. Minolta also proved itself to be a responsible corporate citizen. 
In 1992, Minolta established the 'Minolta Environment Policy' whose goals 
are to minimise environment impact caused by manufacturing, marketing, usage 
and disposal as well as encourage environment-related research. Minolta's 
cameras now come in cardboard boxes made of recycled paper and recycled 
cardboard cushions instead of foam cushions.

The successful Minolta Camera Company has come a long way from when Tashima 
first pioneered his ambitious vision 67 years ago. One thing is for sure - 
Tashima's missionary zeal to make a success of the Japanese industry and his 
belief in Confucius saying which, simply put, can be interpreted as "Do what 
you know and know what you are doing", are still very much alive amongst the 
ranks of this dynamic corporation.


(Copyright : Photo Asia, June 1994 issue under the segment "Movers and Shakers")





Choo Mun Fai                        e-mail : munfai@ncb.gov.sg
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