Minolta Dimage EX 1500 add-ons (1999)

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In 1998 Minolta released their quite popular Minolta Dimage EX 1500 digital camera with interchangeable lenses. A wide lens and a zoom lens were available back then. This camera evolved from the Minolta Dimage V. Nowadays however it seems that the wide lens was sold in fewer quantities than the zoom lens as it get's harder and harder to find. Oh, I am drifting off it seems, ok, back to topic. In 1999 Minolta had plans for add-ons for their EX 1500. They teamed up with the MetaCreations Corporation and produced a 3D module for the EX 1500. The module contained the MetaFlash 3D technology to easily produce 3D models of photographed items. In my opinion this was more aimed at professionals like geologists, archaologists, scientists etc. To my understanding the camera took 5 to 12 images of an object and it took the computer software approx. 3 hours to create a 3D model. They showcased it at Comdex Fall 1999 and PMA Spring '99 (read more about it in the digital camera section).

Minolta also released a flash adapter that plugged in between the EX 1500 and the lens to give the user a hot shoe flash-mount on top and a standard PC-contact sync connector in the front. Well, to conclude this, Minolta survived but MetaCreations didn't.