Minolta glass

[Greg McCary]

So I been looking around at Minolta glass, prices are all over the place. Right now on the a850 I have the Sony 28-75mm, not the fastest but it's sharp and gets the job done. This leaves my wanting wide. The 17-35mm is on the short list and I am selling unused gear to pick one up. That leaves me needing a nice zoom. Maybe in the 70-300mm range.
Any ideas on some bargain glass that can get it done? I have the Tamron 18-270mm for the a77, it's ok but it can get some CA in the shots.
What's a good zoom for the a850 and don't think Greg's going to the Super Bowl. Maybe a local basketball game.

[OldClicker]

Here is a cut & paste of an old post with some ideas. - Terry:
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Here are some possible lenses stressing value (all used 'legacy' Minolta):

Minolta 50mm f/1.7 $100
Minolta 35-70 f/4 $50
Minolta 70-210 f/4 'beercan' $175

$325 total that would surpass my talents for years.

I went with the Minolta 50mm f/1.4 for $218 instead of the f/1.7 and picked up the 28-75mm f/2.8 for $328 for better low light (indoors) and a little wider with the zoom. I also found that I really liked macro and splurged for a beautiful Minolta 100mm 2.8 Macro for $346 – a steal. I find I seldom use anything other than the beercan for the back yard and the macro for close-ups.

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All of the old Auto-Focus (AF) Minolta lenses - also known as the a-mount or, now, the alpha-mount - will work on your A200. Older Manual-Focus Minolta lenses with the SR-mount (mostly labeled MD or MC) will not fit on the camera. Here is a data base of the AF lenses.

Minolta/Konica Minolta/Sony Alpha lens data

And this one has most everything for the Minolta Maxxum/Sony a-mount systems.

A-mount lens database (lenses for Minolta and Sony DSLR cameras)

The kit lens is certainly capable of taking great photos, but it is not the best - even among the lower grade lenses. If you work with it, learn its limitations and how to get around them, you will have learned a lot about photography. Most alpha owners pick up a Minolta 50mm f/1.7 early on because they can be cheap and provide a good low-light start. Some used lens places:

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Produ...&GBC=&GCC=&KW=

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Produ...&GBC=&GCC=&KW=

Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic - Adorama Camera Store

Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic - Adorama Camera Store

http://www.photographyreview.com/Com...2847/KBID/3790

And, of course Ebay (but be careful).

Here are a few Guides - take them for what they’re worth.

eBay Reviews & Guides

eBay Reviews & Guides

eBay Reviews & Guides

eBay Reviews & Guides

eBay Reviews & Guides

eBay Reviews & Guides
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[Greg McCary]

Thanks Terry the 50mm 1.7 was part of the trade but the apeture is stuck wide open and oil on the blades. I also got a 28mm 2.8 that works fine. The 50mm is on the short list. Have you used eithier the Sigma or Sony 17-35mm. I aim to pick one of those up so I can go wide on the a850 without reducing mpix with the 8-16mm.

[Anbesol]

I think the best telephoto bet for bargain price would be the 70-210 f/4. The Tokina 80-200 f/2.8 is also usually found well priced (right now ebay has it for like $650, not worth that, I've seen it on there ~$400-$500).

[Nod]

A friend of mine has the Tamron SP 70-300 F4.5/5.6 Di LD USD and it is a super lens. I believe B&H and Adorama both have it for around $450 new. It has a 4.74 rating @ Dyxum. Worth a look.

[ELS]

Hello Terry:

WOW! that sure is one huge list of lenses....!

I'm new here as a poster and member and I am very impressed so far, with everyone and everything..

I hope this site picks up a lot of new - vibrant activity from current and new members, in the near future...

Greg McCary introduced me to this site, and that is a nice thing... :thumbsup:

I am enjoying my stay here and hope to be a valued member to contributions and other things here too..

I recently acquired a Sony NEX-5N camera system...

I "love it" .....

Thanks for sharing a wealth of information here...

Have a nice day,

Ed

[Greg McCary]

Yes I am looking at the beer can. I have a lot of bookmarks now.lol

[ELS]

Yes I am looking at the beer can. I have a lot of bookmarks now.lol

Hi Greg,

Yeah, I have not (yet) had any personal experience using the "Beer Can", (I used to drink out of glass bottles, don't drink anymore) -but - seriously back to the lens discussion, I watched a video recently that had very high claims that the Minolta 70-210 f/4 (called it the "Beer Can") - saying it was a great, sharp lens.

Hope you find one soon....

Thanks for reading,

Have a nice evening...

Ed

[OldClicker]

Hi Greg,

Yeah, I have not (yet) had any personal experience using the "Beer Can", (I used to drink out of glass bottles, don't drink anymore) -but - seriously back to the lens discussion, I watched a video recently that had very high claims that the Minolta 70-210 f/4 (called it the "Beer Can") - saying it was a great, sharp lens.

Hope you find one soon....

Thanks for reading,

Have a nice evening...

Ed

Just a note - remember that the 'beercan' is up to 25 years old. It is a wonderful lens (especially its bokeh), but it does not have all the modern coatings of a newer lens. A high contrast image will almost certainly result in purple fringing. Used within its limitations, you can't beat it for $200-250. - Terry

[NoKnees]

Yes, that is quite a good list... As with a lot of used lens purchases, you may need to try a couple copies of a given lens before you find a good one. There are a lot of the beercans out there, most are very good, but not all. The nice thing with that lens is that it will play nice with a 1.4x TC and still AF well.

My favorite walk around lens on the a900 is the Minolta 28-135mm. Some refer to it as the "Secret Handshake" lens I think... Anyway, it's a heavy metal and glass object that is quite nice. $300-$350 for good copies... Sometimes as cheap as $250 on ebay.

I used the 'ol Minolta 17-35mm a bit and it was a good range on full frame, but a Sigma 12-24mm dropped into my lap so I swapped it out... The Minolta didn't need to be stopped down as far to be sharp, but it didn't go as wide...

Everything else has been mentioned already...

[PWhite214]

The 'beercan' is long and heavy, but I still use it often when walking around in a wooded area. Here is a link to the "Beercan Thread" from 2008. Maybe we should resurrect it . The Beercan (70-210 f/4) thread..

I have had several Minolta Maxxum 300mm zooms, I preferred the 100-300 over the 70-300. I still have a 100-300 xi and a 100-300 APO. The others were sold or traded. I am not sure why I still have the xi lens. I'll likely trade it off for something someday.

I do enjoy using the old Minolta glass.

Phil