Minolta AF 28-75mm f/2.8 D

Double Edged Sword When you have great lighting, this lens puts out a gorgeous image sooc w/o post. However, you absolutely must use a lens hood because it flares like crazy with anything back lit. My copy is softer at 2.8 at 70mm than my mino 70-200 f4 beer can wide open at 70mm. Forget about getting close to a subject's face on full frame. The MFD is about a yard. For the money, the Tamron 28-75 2.8 macro is a very serviceable, sharp lens and will cost you less. The Tammy is more versatile, weighs less and can be used as a rather bulky but doable walk around. This mino is too big for walk around. I would say you could use it for events, but it focuses VERY slow and it hunts like a witch in low light, so I'd imagine it would ruin your reputation if you tried to shoot a wedding reception with it, but I haven't tried that so I could be wrong. Compared to my other minoltas, which are just "d" lenses, it focuses about half as fast. If you are a collector and you want an old lens that can inspire you with it's beautiful color and contrast with good bokeh for a zoom, you will really enjoy this lens. If you want a reliable work horse that won't give you a back ache of you carry it all day, get the Tammy. I felt like I always had to do more work in post with the Tammy though, even with well composed, well lit shots, but I didn't miss as many shots in low light/indoors either, so.... For a $300-$500 lens in this zoom range and speed those are the two best options I've found. Choosing one is just a matter of deciding which trade offs you're more comfortable with and how much you want to pay.

A zoom with prime image quality I've always lusted after a Zeiss 24-70, but this is a much better value. I'm frankly shocked at the IQ, and I dare anyone to tell the difference between it and the Zeiss. It's a constant aperture lens, so you can shoot at f 2.8 throughout the entire zoom range. It's bulletproof, all metal and glass, oozing with quality and gravitas. Big 72 mm filter ring lets in lots of light, and the bokeh is the best of any zoom I've seen. The clear heavyweight champion for A mount zooms in this range. Between this and the beer can, there's nothing you don't have covered. While the "secret handshake" 28-105 is good, and a better walk around range, its IQ doesn't hold a candle to this. I use on E mount, with the LA-EA4R Monster Adapter mod for the Sony LA-EA4 adapter. The Monster mod does 2 things: it removes the adapter's mirror (improving IQ and letting in another crucial half stop of light), and it enables the Sony camera body's built in eye autofocus (IAF), including animal IAF, for these older A mount AF lenses. The fact that the Monster mod allows you to save literally tens of thousands of dollars on E mount lenses is really the tip of the iceberg, even though that alone should be sufficient for most users of E mount bodies. But the real value is getting the luscious, dreamy vintage IQ of these world class lenses, and being able to use all the modern IAF technologies of your mirrorless camera. That's why you'd want these A mount lenses. And this one is the high water mark for this zoom range. You'd literally have to spend 10x more to get an E mount equivalent, and I guarantee you'd prefer the IQ of this anyway.

More From the Minds at Minolta Minolta made many great lenses including the professional grade AF 28-70 F/2.8 G lens. Considering this lens was introduced in the 1990's, today it functions very well on the SONY A-mount a99 SLT. Heavy, but great Minolta optics. Lacks the auto focusing speed and special coatings of today's lenses, but takes great pictures. Alternative to this lens is the SONY 24-70 F/2.8.