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Minolta AF 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 RS
The Minolta AF 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 RS camera glass has a zoom range from wide angle to short telephoto. It provides a good balance between size, weight, and image quality. It has an autofocus feature, but can also be used manually if desired. The lens is made up of multiple glass elements, which help to reduce distortion and improve image sharpness. It has a lens coating that helps to reduce flare and ghosting, which can be a problem in some lighting conditions. The build quality is good, which means it is durable and can withstand regular use. The aperture range is f/3.5-4.5, which allows for good depth of field control. The lens provides good resolution, which means that images are sharp and detailed. There are alternative lenses available, but this one is a good option for those who want a versatile lens that can be used for a variety of photography genres. It was manufactured some time ago, so it may not be as readily available as newer lenses. Overall, the Minolta AF 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 RS photographic lens is a good choice for those who want a reliable and versatile lens for their camera.
Sure, happy to add my thoughts!
Positives:
– Superior color and quality of optics compared to kit lens
– Heavy all metal construction feels sturdy and high-quality
– Good value for the price ($65 including shipping)
– Fast shipping time (2 days)
Negatives:
– APSC sensor crop factor limits the wide angle capabilities
– No front or rear lens caps included
– Lens hood is loose and does not stay on well
– Some nicking on the front screw threads (although this does not impact image quality)
Conclusion:
Overall, the Minolta AF 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 RS is a great walking around lens for those looking to upgrade from a kit lens. The all metal construction and superior optics are definite positives, while the lack of lens caps and loose hood are minor drawbacks. Just be aware of the crop factor if using with an APSC sensor. For the price, this is a fantastic deal.
Optical design
Average brightness in this league Has 7 aperture blades, mid-grade lenses usually have this amount of blades. Having rounded blades provides out of focus circle shape closer to a circle.
Physical characteristics
85 mm long, requires consideration if you want to carry in the camera bag. Weights 490 grams so plan ahead, carry only if really necessary.
Related stuff
Adapter
Sony LA-EA4
With this adapter you can use your Sony a mount lens on Sony E (NEX) APS-C and full frame camera body
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dyxum.com –
14 dyxum.com user rated as 4.34/5
Ebay.com –
Ebay.com rated as 4.8/5
Ebay.com May 02, 2019 –
Minolta Maxxum classic lens in todays digital world. Minolta Maxxum classic lens in todays digital world. With digital camera prime and zoom lenses for digital cameras costing more than the camera body itself it is nice to see that vintage and classic lenses from Minolta film cameras with auto focus “A” mount can still be used on todays Sony camera at a fraction of the cost while getting great lenses that are both fast primes and zooms. Todays Pro series of lenses sell for top dollars for the casual photographers or those on a budget wanting pro quality lens the Minolta Maxxum series of lens provide a welcome way of expanding the lenses range from wide to telephoto at reasonable with little to no trade of in image quality. and features.The Lenses I own for use on my Sony a-55 SLT digital camera are the Minolta Maxxum 50 mm f 1.7, 28-70 macro,35-85, the 80-200 zoom, 100-300 zoom all great film lenses purchased on E-bay at low prices in todays high prices world.
Ebay.com Jan 25, 2017 –
Budget lens This lens can’t compare to the minolta 24-105 for sharpness. It does excel at avoiding the heavy vignette of the 24-105. It is so cheap that it might be a good lens for a hiking trip or something where you don’t want to bring your best glass. It is also smaller and lighter.
Ebay.com Oct 17, 2011 –
Get them if you can. I am not a professional photographer but I would advise all owners of Sony Alpha DSLR to seek and obtain old Maxxum lenses especially 1st gen. It shows great foresight on part of Sony to keep Minolta amount and design Alpha’s to accept old lenses. Which perform better than ones that come with DSLR i.e. like mine 18-55mm SAM. That was the main reason I decided to buy Alpha. Sony has Zeiss lenses and if money is no object than by all means get them. Had previous life experience with Zeiss on old Praktica camera and lenses made then in DDR – unbeatable quality. I got my 1st gen Maxxum when it came out and quickly traded stock 50mm lens for what I think should be called ‘mini beercan’ 35-70mm, later got 2nd gen ‘beercan’ 70-210mm. Both great lenses and both produce amazing pictures. In retrospect I should have gotten ‘secret handshake’. Well, there is eBay for that and I will be looking for a deal. This one, I call ‘medium beercan’ 28-85mm it is extremely versatile and build like a tank – metal parts and glass lenses. Some minor inconveniences of old design are easily compensated by quality of images. Sony should get those designs out of mothball and they will have sure hit on their hands. it is old and, surpirse, it is better than new.
Ebay.com Apr 05, 2012 –
Phenomenal lens for the money; BUY ONE! As the very happy owner of a Sony A-850 full frame DSLR (and happy also with my Sony A-700), I wanted to take advantage of its ability to accommodate first generation Konica-Minolta lenses, which are, in a word, “superb.” The 28-25mm f/3.5-4.5 is a beauty, providing tack-sharp images from end-to-end with stunning, true-to-life colors. In addition, the zoom range is ideal for just about 70% of my image-making applications (landscape/portraiture). My near-mint copy of this excellent lens is built like a tank (all metal!)and therefore has a nice “heft” to it. I must point out, however, that the weight of the lens perfectly complements the A-850 body, as though the two were made one for the other! On my APSC sensored Sony A-700, the lens’ zoom range effectively becomes 42mm-127mm: a rather oddball range, yes, but certainly useable for many applications (portraiture immediately come to mind). Again, the sharpness (I utilize 100% crops often) and – particularly – the COLORS are simply outstanding! For the money, I doubt that there is another lens “out there” with this zoom range that can match this one! Get one! You’ll be happy you did!
Ebay.com Dec 01, 2010 –
Great walking around lens for a song Since I bought this lens to replace the 18-70mm kit lens, I have not taken this lens off my Sony A200 camera.The color and quality of the optics are far superior than my kit lens. This is a heavy all metal lens not plastic and weighs more than a pound so their is more weight to carry around. The only drawback for this lens is that if you are using DSLR with APSC sensor, this lens will become a 42-127.5mm for the Sony. On the low end, 42mm is not wide enough for Landscape pictures in some situation. The lens is cleaned and free of any scratches, mold and dust. It does not come with front and rear lens caps. The lens hood it comes with is for the 29-100mm Minolta lens and it very loose and does not stay on very well. There are 2 nicks with metal exposed on the front screw threads, but that is okay since I can hide them when using a UV filter.
Overall, this is a good deal for $65 including shipping and I got it in 2 days.