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the old Minolta AF lenses in manual mode with Sony adapter
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:52 pm    Post subject: the old Minolta AF lenses in manual mode with Sony adapter Reply with quote
Hei, folks
I've buyed a used Sony la e a 3 adapter ring for my Sony a7ii cameras.
now I'm shooting only with a rokkor md 50 1.4. It very good but with the new adapter I can use also the cheap Minolta AF lenses in manual mode. Not only minolta, also Tamron - Tokina ecc.

Minolta af zooms are similar to modern lenses, contrast are very good.

Any ideas for a good minolta zoom or fixed lens for street?
a list of best zooms minolta af ?


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
https://www.dyxum.com/lenses/index.asp


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here is a link to all the manual focus lenses.
http://minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/index.html



and the af lenses with I think some reviews:
https://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/lenses.php?ov=1

You can find reviews through google beware Dyxsm reviews are mostly APS-C check you get Ful frame for a7II


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The only Minolta AF lenses I have have no aperture ring. Does the adaptor have one?


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes with Sony la ea3 - la ea4 adapters you can change Aperture in the camera as Fe lenses


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: the old Minolta AF lenses in manual mode with Sony adapt Reply with quote
fujicorry wrote:
Hei, folks
I've buyed a used Sony la e a 3 adapter ring for my Sony a7ii cameras.
now I'm shooting only with a rokkor md 50 1.4. It very good but with the new adapter I can use also the cheap Minolta AF lenses in manual mode. Not only minolta, also Tamron - Tokina ecc.

Minolta af zooms are similar to modern lenses, contrast are very good.

Any ideas for a good minolta zoom or fixed lens for street?
a list of best zooms minolta af ?


Ten years ago (well, eleven) I've written a book about these lenses, albeit in German language (http://artaphot.ch/minolta-sony-af/alpha-systembuch). Some of that information is available here as well: http://artaphot.ch/minolta-sony-af/objektive

My favourite Minolta AF lenses are:

* AF 2.8/20mm
* AF 2/28mm
* AF 1.4/50mm
* AF 2/100mm
* AF 2.8/200mm APO
* AF 2.8/300mm APO
* AF APO Converter 1.4x
* AF 4-4.5/28-135mm
* AF 2.8/80-200mm APO
* AF 2.8/70-200mm APO G SSM (same optics as the Sony AL 2.8/70-200 G SSM)

The follwing are very useable, but not really excellent:
* AF 2.8/28-70mm G
* AF 3.5-4.5/28-85mm (both versions)
* AF 3.5-4.5/35-105mm (I)
* AF 4/70-210mm
* AF 4.5-5.6/75-300mm (I)

The AF 1.4/35mm back then certainly was better than the Nikkor AiS 1.4/35mm (I've been using both lenses myself), but according to todays standards it's just mediocre.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy wrote:
The only Minolta AF lenses I have have no aperture ring. Does the adaptor have one?


I use a LA EA4 and that adjusts aperture, it's a great bit of kit.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:05 am    Post subject: Re: the old Minolta AF lenses in manual mode with Sony adapt Reply with quote
[quote="stevemark"]
fujicorry wrote:
Hei, folks


The AF 1.4/35mm back then certainly was better than the Nikkor AiS 1.4/35mm (I've been using both lenses myself), but according to todays standards it's just mediocre.


I wonder why would that be ?


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 12:56 pm    Post subject: Re: the old Minolta AF lenses in manual mode with Sony adapt Reply with quote
kiddo wrote:
stevemark wrote:

The AF 1.4/35mm back then certainly was better than the Nikkor AiS 1.4/35mm (I've been using both lenses myself), but according to todays standards it's just mediocre.


I wonder why would that be ?


The Nikkor 1.4/35mm basically was calculated in the 1965-1970 time frame (introduced 1971). The lens was optimized at least once (around 1975). The Minolta AF 1.4/35mm was introduced in 1988, as far as I remember. The first 1.4/35mm with a really good performance at f1.4 was the Sigma (2013) - that one was a real eye-opener. Roughly twenty years of progress between each of those three lenses ...

S


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lloydy wrote:
philslizzy wrote:
The only Minolta AF lenses I have have no aperture ring. Does the adaptor have one?


I use a LA EA4 and that adjusts aperture, it's a great bit of kit.


laea3 adjusts aperture too but you can't use autofocus mode with minolta Lenses. it supports only sam system.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I also have the la ea4 adapter and a bunch of inexpensive [and some not so inexpensive] minolta af lenses. Moments before looking at this I had the minolta af 200mm 2.8 apo out to try to capture the remarkable markings on my 11 month old tabby. He has been instrumental in saving my [and my wife's] sanity in these crazy covid times. If you afford one of these get one.. I can unequivocally recommend the small light cheap 35-70 "macro". I paid 27 for the last one I bought. Also crazy good in the bang for buck realm is "the beecan" 70-210. These are a bit more, with patience, maybe 60-80 last I checked. There are a buttload of other ranges and quality varies considerably. Minolta IMHO went more and more for cheap plastic lenses with convenient zoom ranges but marginal optics. Read up on each variation before you jump in. I recently purchased the new la-ea5 adapter but it only works with a smattering of vintage minolta af lenses. Brian Smith photography gives the specifics. I got it to improve AF speed of the sony A 70-400 OSS II G which is by far my most expensive and best lens. It helps some and improves IQ as it eliminates the pellicle.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
jamaeolus wrote:
Also crazy good in the bang for buck realm is "the beecan" 70-210. These are a bit more, with patience, maybe 60-80 last I checked.


Here in Switzerland often the beercan is offered for CHF (UDS/EUR) 10.--, and nobody wants it. Sometimes also the big beercan (Minolta AF 4.5-5.6/75-300mm I) can be found for 10-20 CHF.

Just to give you an idea how good the beercan is: @ f=135mm it outperforms any of the vintage 2.8/135mm I own, including the Leica R 2.8/135mm (2nd computation) and the Carl Zeiss CY 2.8/135mm. Of course the f2.8 primes are faster. lighter and have a nicer bokeh - but when it comes to resolution and lateral CAs, the AF (MD) 4/70-210mm wins.

Not so well known is the first (full metal) version of the Minolat AF 4.5-5.6/75-300mm ("big beercan"). It performs very well in the 150-200mm range (very little CAs). At f=300mm it is comparable in resolution and lateral CAs to the Nikkor AiS 4.5/300mm ED. Not a perfect lens, but much better than the common 100-300mm f5.6 zooms from 1985. The Minolta AF 4.5-5.6/75-300mm (I) was very expensive when new (CHF 1090.-- in 1986).

S


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have quite many Minolta AF lenses from 20 to 500mm and use them besides on my A850 on the A7R II in combination with the LA-EA4 as well.
My latest addition for travelling (compromising size/weight and picture quality) was the AF 24-105 F3.5-4.5 D and AF 100-300 F4.5-5.6 D APO combination (latest series of Minolta AF zoom lenses, the first one is available with Sony branding as well).
Both available for something like EUR 100.- each.
Quite useful to cover almost everything, particularly when biking or hiking and picture quality isn't bad at all.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 4:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sony A7rii LA-EA4l MINOLTA 200MM F2.8 APO


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I own most of the beer can models oi have a collection, the ones I think that are overlooked the
35-105
100-200
Both great lenses the 100-200 is great for fast track days at trackside focuses like a crazy demented thing


I have the 100 f2 it's an amazing lens
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