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stephentaylor
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Reged: 02/07/2007
Posts: 116
What is the best lens for Minolta AF?
      #565753 - 07/11/2007 21:23

Hello. Can anyone tell me what are the best lenses for the Minolta Dynax series? Would they be Miolta lenses themselves, or something like Sigma?

My fave camera is my manual Pentax S3 and I have three SMC Takumars with it. I believe that these are amongst the best lenses ever made (lovely results) so hence my question, what's the Minolta AF equivalent in terms of quality?

I'm referring to standard sizes really, sat 28-105 ish, 50mm, 200 mm etc. Thanks...


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Roger_Provins
Made-it Man


Reged: 22/10/2005
Posts: 2784
Loc: Gloucester, UK
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: stephentaylor]
      #565868 - 08/11/2007 05:16

These would be difficult to beat ..

Sony - AF 50 F1.4
Minolta - AF 28-70 F2.8 G
Sony - AF DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6
Minolta - AF 200 F2.8 G APO HS

... but there are many choices from over 400 different types of A mount lenses that have been made.

--------------------
Rog


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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian


Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 3950
Loc: East Yorkshire,
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Roger_Provins]
      #565995 - 08/11/2007 11:29

I suppose the budget is a major factor here.

Can you afford the `best` lens?

And it all depends on what you want the lens for ?

so many ?`s

I have the Sigma 10-20 EX, 18-50 EX, 28-300, 400 amd the tamron 90mm. These all fit my needs and at the moment are the best I can afford.

Would love the Minolta 300f2.8

--------------------
She (Avro Vulcan XH558)Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.


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stephentaylor
member


Reged: 02/07/2007
Posts: 116
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #566043 - 08/11/2007 12:28

Hi, thanks. Ultimately it is my goal to produce images of the highest sharpness and clarity (that is, once I have learned how to take a good photo) that I could produce very decent prints from; I'd also like to have a go at listing some images on a library like Alamy for example. I know that my manual focus Takumars will do that, but of course I'm limited in terms of action/movement.

You mention the 28-300 and 400. Are they Sigma?

Reality is that I'm certain I can't afford the best lens, but I have to start somewhere. My Dynax 500si (not bad at all) has I think the standard 35-70mm. I wondered if this was a good lens or not.


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Roger_Provins
Made-it Man


Reged: 22/10/2005
Posts: 2784
Loc: Gloucester, UK
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: stephentaylor]
      #566055 - 08/11/2007 12:43

Quote:

My Dynax 500si (not bad at all) has I think the standard 35-70mm. I wondered if this was a good lens or not.




If it's the f4 constant maximum aperture version then yes.

Here is a good database for all Minolta/Sony lenses.

--------------------
Rog


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stephentaylor
member


Reged: 02/07/2007
Posts: 116
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Roger_Provins]
      #566173 - 08/11/2007 15:53

Thanks. What does constant maximum aperture mean?

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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian


Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 3950
Loc: East Yorkshire,
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: stephentaylor]
      #566202 - 08/11/2007 16:32

Quote:


You mention the 28-300 and 400. Are they Sigma?






All the first 4 are Sigma.

The 400 is a fixed focul length and is 17 years old.

--------------------
She (Avro Vulcan XH558)Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.


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Mojo_66
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Reged: 25/05/2006
Posts: 3246
Loc: Lancs
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Gordon_McGeachie]
      #566254 - 08/11/2007 18:57

A lot of people love the beercan, Minolta 70-210 f4.

--------------------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mojo_black/

Edited by Mojo_66 (08/11/2007 18:57)


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Malcolm_Stewart
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Reged: 11/07/2005
Posts: 2361
Loc: Milton Keynes, UK
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: stephentaylor]
      #566564 - 09/11/2007 12:53

Quote:

Thanks. What does constant maximum aperture mean?




Very many zoom lenses save on bulk and weight by allowing the maximum aperture to decrease as the lens is zoomed from short to longer focal length. If you're using a separate meter (quite rare these days) a lens whose max aperture varies as you zoom is a pain to use, because the smaller apertures vary as well. It hardly matters with TTL metering, but as you've seen, it is used as a descriptor when defining different versions of similar lenses.
It doesn't necessarily indicate a lens with superior definition at all focal lengths.

--------------------
Malcolm Stewart


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Dom_Rivers
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Reged: 03/04/2007
Posts: 417
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Malcolm_Stewart]
      #572613 - 21/11/2007 22:20

A shout out here for the Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5 and the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, both make a "walk around" lens that is a cut above the the usual quality.

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Dorset_Mike
It's about time mine changed


Reged: 11/05/2006
Posts: 1671
Loc: Poole, Dorset.
Re: What is the best lens for Minolta AF? [Re: Dom_Rivers]
      #572964 - 22/11/2007 20:40

My preference is for the Tamron 17-50/2.8, a bit cheaper than the Sigma 18-50/2.8. I used to prefer Tokina on my Minolta 7000 film SLR, but as they don't make much for the A mount now I've gone for Tamron; always been wary of Sigmas given their chip problems on some Minolta cameras due to them being reverse engineered. I believe the same problems occur with Sony DSLRs.

Cheers MIKE

--------------------
Cheers, MIKE

Save oil, bring back steam.



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