What to expect from the "mind" of Minolta re. Canon's and Nikon's "stabilized" lenses has been answered. The company has decided to manufacture body/lens systems (based on a modified Maxxum 9) under license from Canon.. believing that Canon's approach is proven and effective, and in the language of a terse announcement, "... preferring to devote its own resources to a technology that will literally point the way to the future of photography!" The deal includes licensing Minolta's new technology to Canon, but only after a 5 yr. "lead" by Minolta in actually marketing its new equipment.

Canon's reasons for accepting such an arrangement can be readily understood by perusing the following excerpts from a not-yet-published article from the professional journal "Advances in Electro-Optics - Theory/Research":

(Be forewarned that my source, who is one of several editors for AEOTR, states that the original article, while written for peer-review within the scientific community was, "sketchy", because of Minolta's proprietary concerns, and at best, "more-than-difficult" for lay-understanding.)

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""Minolta, in the tradition it has established as the introducer of new concepts in photography, will shortly announce the availability of equipment whose function would have been neither possible nor believeable previously!

Recent discoveries in the fields of quantum physics (particle detection/ energy field precession), and computer technology (miniaturization/ accelerated theory analysis), have provided the basis for the experimentation with and development, by Minolta engineers, of "Chaos-Theory Projective Imagery".

In a working validation of the theory of "simultaneous time" as opposed to the more conventional "sequential time" paradigm, it has been proven possible to see not WHAT IS THERE at-the-apparent-moment, ...but what WILL BE THERE at a pre-selected "moment" IN THE FUTURE (thus "Projective Imagery").

This claim, startling indeed to all but those privy to the most esoteric research programs, has been made public as the initial step in Minolta's "Peace First!" program .. in which the long standing obligation to make the military organizations "first beneficiaries" of new technologies, is rejected. With global-linkage of cooperative "Earth-citizens" a reality, Minolta believes that new technology will be put more quickly to humankind's benefit by those standing to gain most from its peaceful application - a "reversal" of the nuclear scenario.

The methedology is based on several hypotheses sufficiently proven to serve as "principles of operation". In a (very rough) approximation of "predictive auto-focus" as it is understood today, the "paths" (actually energy wave precessors) of particles composing the "present" image, are back-traced, using modified chaos theory. The resulting "history" is weighted in concert with the several phenas of "other-particles" history, and a "projection" constructed (again, chaotically). Results are "digitally" stored (similar in name only to currently available storage ...much advanced tecnology is utilized). Images are satisfyingly accurate, and clearer than all but the best film-capture/digital-scan prints of today.

The system current operational, while utilizing current glass optics to feed "what IS" information to the "partical path" and "energy pre-wave" analyser circuitry, is somewhat limited in depth-of-(what WILL BE)field. Progress has been made, however, and expectations are that the marketed version will give approximately 4X the depth of field of a given focal length conventional lens operating at a focal-ratio of 8. No provision is planned for shallower-field use. Cost will be thereby reduced, and the information-gathering function not compromised. (In a humurous aside, a nearby lab technician, having overheard discussion preceding this article's being written, noted that the current "shallower" version worked fine for him...most of the action being expected to be fairly close to the "rail" when focusing on the finish-line at an empty horse racing track.)

The area still requiring the most development is the "time-focus" function. The estimated image capture "moment" still is not completely reliable, although all test shots have been "projective" and accurate re. "position" focus.""

(...etc.)

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The article continues at length, with increasing use of arcane terminology that left nothing any clearer (at least to this reader). I have here shared those parts at least partially understandable to me, and I hope, to you.

I think that you will agree that "mind-boggling!" is an understatement. The potential of this type of camera is intriguing and frightening. But I suppose, like all "advances", to our grandkids this will all be "ho-hum".

Gotta go now... Want to get to the YWCA before they open for the day. Hope to get some nice "projective" nudes in the empty locker room!

(...and gotta get this post in "under-the-wire"!)

-- Larry H. Smith (LarryHS@webt.net), April 02, 2000

Answers

Looks like you missed the midnight April 1 deadline ;)

-- Scott Flathouse (seflathouse.pampa@celanese.com), April 02, 2000.

this IS a joke, right?.....right?

-- Jerry Hazard (hazard01@earthlink.net), April 03, 2000.

..must write this quickly...my house is surrounded by swat-looking guys with guns, and a bullhorn. They've got big "M's on their jackets, and are yelling something about "industrial espionage!?"

Jerry,...Right!, Right!

Scott,...My message was posted before midnight on April 1st in MY time zone (Pacific). It was so-labeled on the Minolta Mailing List, to which it was also sent, andwhere it appeared immediately. The "Greenspun Network" list-server apparently gave it an East-Coast date, and also somewhat delayed its posting.

Shawn,... don't hesitate to delete this if you want to. I've had a few chuckles as have a few people who responded privately. Wish I had gotten it posted sooner, but had no time.

-- Larry H. Smith (LarryHS@webtv.net), April 03, 2000.

...nah, this is a neat post. :-)

When we're 10000 posts strong, I'll set it to expire...shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), April 03, 2000.