Minolta

Minolta — history

Minolta began in Japan in 1928, when Kazuo Tashima founded a company to produce cameras and opened a factory in what is now Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The company grew into a major maker of cameras, lenses, and other optical products. Its Rokkor lenses became one of the best-known parts of the Minolta camera system.

During the 1970s, Minolta offered two lens levels in North America. Rokkor-X was the premium line, while Minolta/Celtic offered genuine Minolta lenses at lower prices. Minolta joined with Konica in 2003 and ended its own-brand camera business in 2006. Sony acquired the related DSLR business, but that later transfer does not change the original Minolta identity of vintage Celtic lenses.