Being a long time Minolta shooter I finally picked up the very popular Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm f4 lens. What surprised me the most about this pristine lens was picking it up at a local camera store for about fifty bucks less than what they are currently going for on EBay. With the handing over of Konica Minolta’s camera division to Sony, these classic lenses seem to have increased in price within the online resale world. The 70-210mm f4 known by many as the ‘beer can’ is one sharp lens. Big, but sharp; more like a keg then a ‘can’. F4 throughout the focal length, it’s a bit bulky but well worth hauling around. I’ve placed it next to the exceptional 18-70mm kit lens that comes with the Sony Alpha 100 to compare size."
The lens was put to the test at a recent youth soccer game and I found it quite pleasant to use despite its size. Of course a monopod helped. On the Alpha there is the added benefit of gained focal length increasing to around 105-300mm, perfect for sideline shooting. This example was taken wide open at f4 with a focal length around 250mm (digital equivalent). The 10mp sensor of the Alpha really makes this lens a joy to use. The sturdy construction and wide focus grip allow for quick adjustments and comfortable handling of this lens.
When using it in manual focus mode, however the narrow focus ring at the front of the lens is a bit annoying. I would have liked a wider ring for better gripping.
The lens was put to the test at a recent youth soccer game and I found it quite pleasant to use despite its size. Of course a monopod helped. On the Alpha there is the added benefit of gained focal length increasing to around 105-300mm, perfect for sideline shooting. This example was taken wide open at f4 with a focal length around 250mm (digital equivalent). The 10mp sensor of the Alpha really makes this lens a joy to use. The sturdy construction and wide focus grip allow for quick adjustments and comfortable handling of this lens. 
When using it in manual focus mode, however the narrow focus ring at the front of the lens is a bit annoying. I would have liked a wider ring for better gripping. 
2 comments:
I love that lens and use it on my 600si all of the time. Have fun with it!
I will. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
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