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Minolta AF 300mm F/4 APO G (HS)
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PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2015 12:55 pm    Post subject: Minolta AF 300mm F/4 APO G (HS) Reply with quote
Although you can use this lens also MF I preferred to use it in AF-mode on my Sony A850 (full frame) for this shots. So it's a real 300mm lens on this camera and works as designed.
As every year the grey geese take care about their families at this time of the year. As I am living in a bird protected aera also recognized by the WWF there are plenty of geese around to shoot (amongst many other protected bird species).
You may click on the pictures for larger views.






No tripod was used. JPG's straight from the camera. Only re-sized for the forum. Not cut, i.e. full size pictures. ISO at 400 for very short exposure times.

For those of you interested in the lens (pictures borrowed from the internet):



The lens was introduced 1994 if my memory serves me right and the recommended resale price was at approximately 4.000 USD this time. Mine was a little bit cheaper, as bought second hand. Wink
Anyhow, I like this lens very much and it is relatively easy to handle for free-hand shooting, especially for birds and other animals. It has also a big rubber ring for manual focusing, but this is protected by a metal ring on the shown pictures to avoid the manual blocking of the AF movements. There is also a special designed converter available (as you may see on the second picture mounted) but I do not have one. It is more convenient to mount the lens on a APS-C camera to increase the focal length to 450mm and that is free of charge without the loss of picture quality and fastness of the lens. Due to it's MF capabilities I can also use it on my Lumix MFT and get a 600mm lens on this camera. As I have the Novoflex Minolta AF to Leica M adapter I am very flexible on that as Leica M neither on NEX nor on MFT are of any problem when used in MF-mode. With the respective Sony adapter it could also be used in AF mode on NEX.

Last edited by tb_a on Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:15 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2015 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here is an other one with the above mentioned outfit:



And a 100% crop (NO PP whatsoever - JPGs OOC):



PostPosted: Wed May 06, 2015 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Same as before:

Full picture:



100% crop:



PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks excellent lens for wildlife! Smile


PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
These are truly amazing photographs. The clarity and focus accuracy gets my attention immediately.

1. Was the AF feature used for these photos?

I am also wondering, Had Sony implemented the compressed RAW format when they produced the A850, or was that something that saw light only with the introduction of the A7 cameras.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
wayno wrote:
These are truly amazing photographs. The clarity and focus accuracy gets my attention immediately.

1. Was the AF feature used for these photos?

I am also wondering, Had Sony implemented the compressed RAW format when they produced the A850, or was that something that saw light only with the introduction of the A7 cameras.


Of course I used it as designed including AF. Wink

However, the A850/900 camera is a 100% Minolta camera as it was already developed by Minolta prior to the take over by Sony. I do not know what Sony is doing with the A7 as I have for the foreseeable future no need for this camera, though I believe this cameras are also nowadays still developed by ex Minolta people. Before the take-over of the complete Minolta camera division, Sony have been nowhere in terms of camera development. So Minolta actually turned Sony into a serious camera producer.
This shown pictures have been shot as JPGs and are coming directly out of the camera opposed to RAW and converted afterwards using Lightroom or similar software. I've just resized the JPG's for presentation here with IrfanView.
As according to DPreview and alike the quality is even better when pictures are taken RAW and converted afterwards, you are viewing here the "worst" quality. Wink


PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Today I've made some test shots in order to check for it's usability as MF lens on APS-C where it has an angle of view of 450 mm compared to FF. So it's MF 450/4. Wink
The pictures are from my Ricoh GXR-M on a Novoflex Minolta AF to Leica M adapter which has the ability to operate the aperture as well.

However those pictures show the lens at fully open aperture; inspired from the thread: http://forum.mflenses.com/why-is-performance-wide-open-important-t73155.html

The sharpness and contrast doesn't really change if used stopped down, nor have I seen any diffraction issues, not even if closed totally to F32.

All herafter at F4 at apprx. 10 m distance:



100% crop of the first one above:



Typical purple fringing test picture:



The lens is very handy usable as MF lens as well. It's therefore my new favorite 450 mm lens for my Ricoh. Wink

BTW, I couln't find any major disturbing shortcomings. If you are able to find them, please keep them at yours. Smile Smile

Cheers,


PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This lens is a gem. Infact all Minolta higher end tele-photo lenses were very good.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Today I wanted to shoot some storks with this lens on my Sony A850 and here is the result:

#1


#2


#3


#4


Cheers,
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