Minolta AF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 D APO

For the money probably the best option in this range I own probably a dozen Sony/Minolta/Tamron lenses for my Sony a65 and I probably have read reviews of most AF lenses for a Sony/Minolta mount. Is all the pixel peeping and research worth the effort? Dunno but I can't help myself! I bought the Sony 75-300mm kit lens with my a65. I have taken my favorite pictures of all time with it but I was dissatisfied with its sharpness. Plus, when I bought a cheap Minolta 35-70mm and a cheap Minolta 35-80mm lens I discovered the famed 'Minolta colors' which I prefer over the Sony's. That's a lot of background into me buying a 100-300mm APO as the best option for the aforementioned color and sharpness. Dyxum reviewers give it favorable ratings assuming you get a good copy (there appears to be a fair amount of variance in the quality of the reviewed copies). My copy is fine and the sharpness is very good. I also got sucked into the hype surrounding the 'legendary' Minolta 70-210mm f4 'beercan' lens so I bought an excellent copy of one of those too. Comparatively, the 100-300mm APO goes head-to-head against the 'beercan' in sharpness. Is that a testament to the quality of the APO or the overblown hype surrounding the 'beercan'? Realistically, the 'beercan' is a solid choice but its sharpness won't make your eyes bleed. Neither will the APO's but it will easily satisfy most serious amateurs using an APS-C camera. Where the 'beercan' and 100-300mm APO differ in image quality is the colors. Both have wonderful colors that pop but the 'beercan' colors are more classic 'Minolta' and reminiscent of film from the 80s versus the more contemporary colors of the 100-300mm APO. Preference is a matter of taste but I'll have to admit I tend to prefer the 'beercan' colors. Though unless I'm viewing identical pictures side-by-side there's no disappointment in 100-300mm APO's colors at all. One minor grumble is chromatic aberration. While the chromatic aberration is only visible thus far while I'm pixel peeping crops, I expected more from an "APO" designated lens. The sample photo I linked below is an example of one with 'hidden' chromatic aberration. I plan to keep this lens as my walk-around lens in this range. Image quality is superior to the budget Sony 75-300mm kit lens plus I think the 100-300mm APO handles better. Price-wise they may be roughly equivalent used though the Sony is easier to find on eBay and sometimes sell for 1/2 or less the price of a Minolta 100-300mm APO. If you're on a very tight budget, the Sony under $75 is a no-brainer. Much over $100, go Minolta. The 'beercan' is a budget option too. I haven't done much pixel peeping paired with my Tamron 1.4x teleconverter but image quality looks fine and offers similar range on the long end. The pair cost a little bit less than my 100-300mm APO. Personally, I am not wowed by the way the 'beercan' handles. If you have a lot of money to throw at this range, you'll be snickering at everything I said and naturally buy a Sony or used Minolta "G" lens. Enjoy the extra heft! If you want an example of a handheld image I took with the 100-300mm APO go to http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/11258895096_3a56d464a6_k.jpg. Exif: @300mm 1/500 f8 ISO 500 For the record, I've got the original non-D version but it's optically identical to the D.Read full review

A superb lens for the Sony Alpha series Digital Cameras With Sony having bought Minolta's camera and lens part of the business, the new Sony Alpha series incorporated Minolta Camera's technology into their Digital Cameras. Best outcome of this is that all the Minolta Maxxum lenses can fit perfectly onto the new Sony Digital Cameras. Two great advantages of these : 1. 20 year's worth of Maxxum Lenses are instantly available to be purchased for the Sony Cameras. 2. The Maxxum lenses, like this one, are superbly made glass lenses, with great optics. (Many of the current lenses are suprisingly not made of glass!). 3. A really wide range of used Maxxum lenses are available on ebay for excellent prices ! While most Minonlta Maxxum lenses are nice, be careful when buying used. Be willing to pay extra for those that come with the original box - as this means they were properly cared for, and spent most of their life safely stored in the original box. Look patiently for someone selling clean Maxxum lenses, like this one, for a good price. The 75-300mm lens is great for Portrait Photography and for Nature photography. For Portraits, you will get very sharp focus of the subject, while the background & foreground will be blurred. To maximize this effect, stand a little further back from the subject, and zoom in. This is a beautiful lens, and I am thoroughly enjoying using it with my new Sony Alpha A55 ! Thank You for reading and rating my review.Read full review

Good all around telephoto lens I bought the Konica Minolta 100-300mm lens to take photos of my grandson racing his dirtbike.I had always wanted a telephoto for other shots.I have had very good experiences using this lens,taking a few rolls at his races.It is easy to use and produces great pictures.I have even tried faster speed film with great results.Also taking shots of our dog who usually won't let you get close to get good pictures.I have really been pleased with this purchase with this purchase and would highly recommend this product,buying slr camera accessaries are a lot cheaper now than before digital cameras came along.Like with anything else the only downside is buying film and getting it developed