The sale of Konica-Minolta's Digital SLR assets to Sony doesn't spell the end for fans of the Dynax/Maxxum lens mount.  In fact, it's new hope.  Although Konica-Minolta will be withdrawing from the film and consumer digital camera market, they will continue to produce and develop digital SLR cameras and interchangeable lenses for Sony.  This arrangement seems similar to the Lenovo/IBM buyout rather than a fire-sale of patents and technology.

The advantage of vertical integration for Sony can be seen in the elimination of the middle-man.  With the exception of Canon and Sigma Digital SLRs and the Nikon D2H, Sony manufactures the CCD and CMOS sensors for all other digital SLRs.  Historically, Konica-Minolta was at a price disadvantage because it could not buy sensors with the same bulk-quantity discount that Nikon could.  This new agreement changes that.  Now that Konica-Minolta engineers are vertically integrated under Sony, they will have access to lower-cost sensors.  Consider this: the CMOS sensor used in Nikon's $5000 flagship D2X digital SLR is very similar to the sensor used in the $1000 Sony DSC-R1. What Konica-Minolta brings to Sony is the decades of experience producing the optics and mechanics of a professional grade digital SLR system.  Minolta was one of the few camera companies who manufacture their own optical glass and Konica-Minolta pioneered the use of body-based auto-focus, wireless flash, and CCD-based image stabilization technology.

Sony's goal is to "eventually" capture 25% of the digital SLR market.  The combination of Konica-Minolta camera and optical experience with Sony's sensor manufacturing capabilities, and its impact on delivering cameras with more bang-for-the-buck is a strong first step in making Sony's goal a reality.