Minolta AF 24-85 F3.5-4.5  reviews

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: psychni   review date: April-16-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAL 16-80 zeiss
Tamron SP90 2.8
SAL 70-300 G

positive:

Sharp in the center
Fantastic colors
Light and compact

negative:

Not sharp in the corners
Flare control

comment:

Have it for over 15 years.
This was my companion of a minolta 800si and the for a Dynax9..
What a camera!!!
When took the A700I replaced by the SAL16-80 zeiss and parked then.
Now is the standard lens for my new A900 but will replace soon with my already ordered SAL 24-70 2.8 (great expectations).
This is for this budget a fantastic lens!!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: mnerd   review date: February-28-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

KM 28-75 F2,8
Sony 18-135 F3,5-5,6

price paid:

150 USD (used)

positive:

+ weight, compact
+ colors
+ build

negative:

- price I'd paid, but lens is as new
- no ADI

comment:

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: derekw   review date: December-15-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 16-80
Minolta 35-105

price paid:

90 GBP used

positive:

Very sharp throughout the range.
Minolta colours
Virtually no PF

negative:

Rare
Not a D lens

comment:

This lens is so good that it holds its own with two of the best availabe lenses covering a similar range.

Just a touch soft at 24 f3.5, it becoms sharp at f4. At all other focal lengths and apertures it is sharp and very sharp above f5.6.

If you dont need 16-24 save yourself some serious cash and look for one of these.

At similar focal lengths and apertures it at least matches the two lenses mentioned above. A sleeping giant!!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: eddieitman   review date: November-11-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 35-70 F4
Tamron 17-50 F2.8
Minolta 35-105
Minolta 50mm F1.7
Sony 35mm F1.8

positive:

Well what a sleeper this lens is, I picked it up as part of a combo deal on a Dynax 303si with the 75-300 (new) and this attached to the camera .
My first impression was it looks quite nice similiar to new lenses being made by sony now but i thought it would not compare to the old Minoltas i have, Biy was i wrong
The colours certainly have the Minolta Pop to them and bokeh is very nice with rounded blades producing nice circles at F8 even
I actually prefer this lens to the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 superb lens
It is very resistant to flare and can produce good results even when pointing directly at the sun.
Its quite and fast

negative:

I did not get one earlier

comment:

A rather surprising lens that i had overlooked definite keeper

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Alfmeister   review date: October-03-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-55mm f3.5/5.6

price paid:

60 USD

positive:

Sharp, relatively light and built to last.

negative:

None.

comment:

My favorite lens. Good range even on an APS-C. Smooth zoom and quiet auto focus when shooting video on my Sony A37.
Useful hood that's easy to reverse for storage. Pairs well with Minolta 100-200 f4.5. Truly a great bargain. Highly underrated.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: rouncey   review date: June-30-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 90 di
Minolta beercan
Minolta 35-105 old
Tamron 70-300di usd
Tamron 55-200
Minolta baby beercan

price paid:

65gbp

positive:

Sharp!!!!!
Colour
Quick focus
Constrast
Bokeh is pleasing

negative:

Hood

comment:

Well for the money this was a fantastic buy.Lovely and sharp,great colours and great contrast,a really superb little lense for portraits,its sharp but pleasing on faces,if that makes sence?.The hood is a bit useless,but seems to work,havent noticed any flare yet,build on mine feels like it might fall apart lol but i doubt it will,its just a real joy too use to be honest,whatever you throw at it it delivers,a real no brainer,if you can get one cheap enough i doubt if you would regret buying one,im impressed by it.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: chriseen   review date: June-25-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

24mm f2.8
28mm f2,8
50mm f1.4
135mm f2.8
35-70mm f4
70-210mm f4
50mm Macro f2,8
100mm F2,8 macro
80-200mm f2.8
500mm f8 Reflex
Sigma APO 300mm f4 ( sold )
Sony Zeiss 16-80mm f3,5-4,5

price paid:

150 euros

positive:

Quite sharp at all apertures on A700
Good and useful focal range on aps,
Small and reasonably light,
Decent hood,
Strong built
Perfect weight, compact
Very fast focus !

negative:

sometimes zoom creep ,
but that's not an issues to me.

comment:

My copy is sharp and contrasty at all focal lengths .
The built is very good, lightweight and small all-around zoom Its an easy to carry around, even whole day long .
It's a nice built lens with a very good quality.
Compared to the kit lens, this lens produce much much better image. its sharpness and color saturation that I like very much .
I find it good balanced in weight for the Sony Dslr's and Slt's.
It produces images with very beautiful and saturated color, excellent contrast and total sharpness .
Almost all older Minolta lenses have something to their colour and this one, in particular, has that dreamy colour everyone talks about .
The difference in color between this lens and the Sony kit lens is like black and white.
Autofocus is really superfast and non problematic.
This is probably one of my favourite lenses and the one I reach for to walk around ,almost matches the 35-105 .
Some seems complain about CA, I've not see any Chromatic Aberration and even less flare-prone than expected.
Keep your kit-lens for wide landscape (use f11 or higher),
take this 24-85 mm f 3.5-4.5 lens as your working horse .
The overall user ratings 4.36 should be higher in my opinion .

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: donniefitz2   review date: February-22-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 35-70 f/4.0 (baby beercan)

price paid:

120.00

positive:

- good zoom range on APS-C
- very sharp
- good Minolta color
- good build

negative:

- a bit heavy
- prone to flare without hood
- a slight bit of barrel wobble

comment:

I bought this lens from KEH and it looked brand new when I got it. It's a large lens and a bit heavy but it really does look awesome (if that really matters to you).

I found the sharpness to be excellent on my a700 and I would say it's as sharp if not sharper than the baby beercan with much better zoom range. And 24mm at the wide end isn't bad for an APS-C camera.

I use this lens for general stuff and for portraits. I really like it a lot and I highly recommend it.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: kaiser_jeff1986   review date: February-02-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

minolta 28-105mm xi, minolta 70-210mm, minolta 28mm, quantaray 18-200mm (sigma rebadge)

price paid:

80 usd

positive:

sharp, minolta colors, good zoom lens...

negative:

soft on corners... have to raise the f stop a bit...

comment:

very good walk around lens light but its built tough. the colors are very vibrant and is very sharp at f5.6+ used it in my a700 most of the time. happy with it.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Ratsters   review date: October-30-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24-50 f4
Sony CZ 24-70

price paid:

175 USD

positive:

LIght, well built, good reach, sharp at f8 and 28mm ++

negative:

Soft at 24mm but gets better at 28mm and up, same result as on the A900 or the a580.

comment:

This lens has good reach, light, well built, but disappointedly soft at 24mm even at f8; it gets better at 28 and up. I've test it on the A900 and it's OK for the price but just so, but on the A580 it is surprisingly good.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Photovisionz   review date: September-17-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24mm 2.8
Minolta 24-50mm
Minolta 35-105mm
Minolta 50mm f3.5 macro

price paid:

320

positive:

Sharp
Good range
Great colours
CA well controlled

negative:

Slight barrel distortio at 24mm and slight pincushion at tele end

comment:

I have bought this lens primarily as a travel / walkaround lens. It performs well. The 25-85 lens is MUCH superior to the 35-105 (which has very low contrast giving a totally flat image).There are few FF walkaround options forthe a850 or a900. This does the job. Colours are great, distortion can be corrected and CA is negligible. The lens is reasonably robust and the lens hood works well. Autofocus is excellent. No barrel wobble on my copy.
The centre is sharp but the corners are a little soft wide open. By F8 when this lens is sharp across the field.
SUMMARY
This is a good walkaround for Sony FF with some compromises.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: derekw   review date: June-26-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-105 RS
Minolta 35-105 original

price paid:

70 GBP

positive:

Sharpness
Minolta colours
Range

negative:

None for the price

comment:

Very sharp at all apertures through the range and almost matches the 35-105 at comparable focal lengths.

IMHO one of the best'budget' zooms you can buy.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Robin   review date: June-04-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

130 USD (used)

positive:

- range
- sharpness
- great minolta colour
- flare control
- distortion
- great boken

negative:

- build
- litte CA in 85mm

comment:

This the very best lens for this price!

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 2 

user: Aleksey463   review date: March-20-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Kit lens 18-55
Minolta 35-70 F/4

price paid:

4000Rub(=140usd)

positive:

Smooth zoom wheel
Good range

negative:

Flare
bad at shooting against light

comment:

I've bought this lens for movie at A55 because it has good zoom range. I can't say nothing good about IQ because Kit is better.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: MikeRG   review date: February-20-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-70 F4
35-105 F4
18-70 kit lens

price paid:

70 GBP (used)

positive:

Sharp
Lovely colours
Wider than the 35-105

negative:

Not easy to put the hood on backwards for storage.
Made my 35-70 baby Beercan totally redundant.

comment:

Picked up an immaculate copy of this lens from eBay. Delighted to say this seems to be an extremely sharp example, from what I've read they can be a bit hit and miss.

Wide open and even stopped down it beats the two older Minolta lenses every time, it's sharper and the fabled Minolta colours are just as apparent. Has the added advantage of a much more useful range on an APS-C body - don't miss the 20mm at the long end (compared to the 35-105) and really appreciate the extra 11mm at the wide end.

Might not be quite as wide as the kit lens, but it's in a totally different league in terms of build quality and performance.

This lens is an underrated little gem, pick up a copy if you can find one.

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: JNPhoto   review date: November-29-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

75.00

positive:

Light weight, small, nice wide angle

negative:

not the sharpest lens, too contrasty for my taste

comment:

A great used lens. I love the range, and the close focus range. It's a bit too contrasty for my taste.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 3 

user: Mark_k   review date: November-09-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

350

positive:

Sharp lens, well built,

negative:

Not compatible to newer dSLRs

comment:

That was a huge step for me when I bought this from my rubbish kit lens on Dynax 7000i. It was sharp, well built and incredibly well. It served me through the ages of Dynax 7000i, Dynax 800i till Dynax 7 and replaced by a 24-105. Too bad found it not compatible with A100 and onwards. Sony politely asked me not for further repair...since they think this lens does not worth the cost

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: mrggt   review date: September-17-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

£80

positive:

good sharpness,colour,distortion,
filter size,
PRICE!!

negative:

zoom creep

comment:

looking for a zoom lens for my a850 and wanting something that could give me a resonable wideangle for landscapes. i must say i really am pleased with this lens because the quality really is very good. distortion control is very good and worthy of a 4.5 if i could have given it this grade. all in all for the price this lens is, i would say buy one because if you ever go full frame this is a great lens capable of excellant results, the samples i've posted are no crop to the original and no sharpening at all! and shot at f22!! i wanted to push the lense to its limits and it did'nt let me down.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: freelock7   review date: August-26-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 35-70mm
Minolta 50mm 1.7

positive:

colors, sharpness

negative:

comment:

One of my favorite lens with the 50mm 1.7 prime.
Produce wonderful colors

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: leung0323   review date: July-24-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

166 USD

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: donalf   review date: July-24-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

sony 18/55 cz 24/70

price paid:

130 euros

positive:

sharpness

negative:

none

comment:

very good lens got in from ebay as new better than a lot of primes get one you will not regret it ,

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: JWG   review date: June-19-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-70 f4
35-105 f3.5-4.5 RS
28-80 f3.5-5.6D
50 f1.7 RS

price paid:

120 GBP

positive:

Sharpness
Resolution
Colour
Current price

negative:

Build quality
Zoom Creep

comment:

Optically this seems to be one of the best Minolta zoom lenses. If you are an architectural photographer you might fault it on distortion but then you probably would any zoom.

This seems as sharp as the 50mm prime and 35-70 f4 but has the extra range (great on full frame and not bad on APS-C).

If image quality is all you are looking for this is the lens for you. I've marked it down on build quality because I don't feel it matches the optics very well. It's ok but because of the weight of the glass I feel it should be more solid which would probably help with the zoom creep.

Ergonomically I much prefer the 35-105 but this is a small sacrifice to make for the quality I've produced when this is attached to my cameras.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: paso144   review date: May-26-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70 kit
24-105D
35-105 org
28 F/2.8
50 F/1.7

price paid:

75 euro

positive:

Acceptable range on APS-C
Price
Build quality

negative:

Zoom creep
lack of sharpness

comment:

My father uses this as his walkaround on his A100. The lens fits very well esthetically and balance wise on this body. I was slightly disappointed in the sharpness of this lens after reading the reviews, even the old kit lens is sharper at most focal lengths. Only around 50mm this lens shows a good sharpness (might be this copy). In the end my dad missed the wide angle and upgraded to the 18-55 kit which is a lot better.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: ThisIsIT   review date: May-19-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony SAL1870 18-70/3.5-5.6

price paid:

~140 USD (used)

positive:

Light weight
Sharp (comparing with the kit lens)
Better colours (comparing with the kit lens)
Low price

negative:

Rubber focus ring can come unstuck with the time

comment:

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: jmmmerwill   review date: March-31-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta AF 28-105 3.5-4.5

price paid:

88 EUR used

positive:

sharp - stopped down f5.6
minolta colours
light, well built

negative:

soft - wide open
zoom creep

comment:

I compared the Minolta 24-85 to my favorite Minolta 28-105. In my opinion the 28-105 is much sharper wide open than the 24-85. I took some nice portraits and street pics with the 28-105 aperture wide open. Unfortunately the 24-85 is too soft wide open for portraits! I would recommend the 28-105 over the 24-85 for this purpose even though the 24-85's range is more comfortable for everydays fotography. Stopped down to at least f5.6 the 24-85 is a recommendable standard lens. I sold this lens again and kept the IMHO better 28-105.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Ovas   review date: March-27-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24-105mm SR 4.5-5.6
Minolta 35-70 f4

price paid:

215US$

positive:

The best walkaroundlens on my A900, with less vignetting than 24-105, less weight than CZ 24-70, better than 35-70 f4.

negative:

distorsion, easily corrected in Post prosessing.

comment:

I was dissapointet by my 24-105mm on my A900 and the CZ I found too heavy to log around. I found this on E-bay in Demo condition new in box. I have tested it specially against the 24-105 and find that the vignetting is at least one f-stop less, stepped more down, like f8-f11, it is even better. Sharpness is clearly better wide open, stepped down it is about the same. Compared to the 35-70 f4 it is better in all aspects. So my 24-105 will stay on my 7D where it is doing a good job.
And now also works great on my A77.

Higly recommended as a normal zoom for A850 and A900.
If you find it buy it, I did.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Lukas07   review date: March-11-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

DT Sony 18-55
Sony 18-70
Minolta 35-105 old
Nikon 18-105
Nikon 18-135

price paid:

700 RMB

positive:

cheap and amazing sharpness,wonderful color(especially under the cloudy weather)...I like it~worth!

negative:

the build doesn't fit its performance...however,nothing more should be required to this cheap but amazing len....at least on this price,that's it.

comment:

Worthy to buy and own it,and it will not let you disappointed,enjoy its sharpness and color!

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: sudani   review date: February-14-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

beercan
Tokina 19-35

price paid:

USD 110 (used)

positive:

Color!!!!

negative:

zoom mechanism

comment:

Really love the color!! sharpness is good. the only complain is the zoom mechanism, but maybe it's fair enough for lens at its age.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: MRI   review date: February-11-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

M 24/2.8
M 28/2.8
M 50/1.7
M 70-210/3.5-4.5

positive:

sharp
great colors

negative:

Zoom Creep

comment:

This is the lens I keep on the camera, most of the time. My copy is really sharp
and has wonderful colors. The zoom creep is the only thing that bugs me about this lens.
This lens is still sharp with my a850, I am very pleased with the results I get.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Epic Win   review date: January-22-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

573 USD (new)

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: petesidewalk   review date: January-12-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

28-75 2.8
24-105 3.5-4.5
24-70 2.8 HSM

price paid:

99USD

positive:

SHARP, light colors cheap

negative:

none

comment:

GREAT SHARPNESS AN COLORS.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Basil   review date: December-08-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAL 18-70 kit lens
Minolta 24 2.8
Tamron 17-50 2.8 Di II LD
Minolta 35-70 f4
Minolta 50 1.7
Minolta 28-85 3.5-4.5

price paid:

$125 USD (used)

positive:

My walk-around lens. Light enough to carry aroun dall day
The colors are fantastic
Sharp when stopped down, but a tad soft wide open.


A nice portrait lens

negative:

Lens hood could be better. I can get it to produce flare, but I have to try hard to do so.

comment:

This is my outdoor walk-around lens. I can usually work within the range of the cropped sensor. I love the colors this lens produces. The pictures have that classic Minolta look that makes them really pop. It is possible to produce flare, but under most "normal" circumstances it is controlled by the petal hood. (I use the word normal with tongue in cheek. Normal is such a subjective term...especially in photography!)

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: KPaw   review date: December-05-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70 (350 kit-lens)
Minolta AF 28-105 xi

price paid:

N/A

positive:

Vivid color
Light in weight
Sturdy in build
Petal hood
Fast autofocus

negative:

Nothing to speak of

comment:

This is probably my favorite lens and the one I usually reach for. It’s light in weight but sturdy in build and a good balance in weight for the Sony Alpha 350. It produces images with very beautiful and saturated color, excellent contrast and total sharpness (at f8 it’s totally sharp). All my Minolta lenses have a certain something to their color and this one, in particular, has that dreamy color everyone wants. The difference in color between this lens and the Sony kit lens is light night and day. Autofocus is fast and non problematic.
Be perfect if it were wider than the 36mm efl but I am very happy to own this lens. As for flare, I have only noticed a very slight flare and only under extreme sunny conditions.
You will only be pleased with the images this lens will render.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: hans   review date: November-11-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 3 

user: spada   review date: October-02-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 24-70/2.8 EX DG
Tamron 17-50/2.8
Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5
Sony 18-70 kit lens
Tamron 28-75/2.8

price paid:

105 USD (used)

positive:

Very fast focus
Build quality
Compact
Brighter apretures than the kit

negative:

Tiny lens hood
Makes a snapping noise at infinity and MFD

comment:

Well, this lens meets some stiff competition with my previously and currently owned lenses.
I bought this lens hoping to get a nice walk-around lens for vacationing and general use when I don't think the 50mm of the Tamron 17-50 would be long enough.
It's not really the sharpest lens, and I would actually rate the sharpness about the same as I would the Sony kit lens. All of the other lenses in my "compared to" list exceed this lens in sharpness, and I would rather have a Tamron/KM 28-75/2.8 in place of this lens. The reason The 24-85mm needs to be stopped down to f/8 to get a sharp picture, but then again I am guilty of pixel peeping too much with this lens. Printed photos will turn out great with this lens, as they would with the kit lens.
Sharpness is best at 24mm, and it creates very nice images for landscape or closeups. Sharpness seems to have a linear decrease all the way to 85mm. Colors are great all the way through.
I will keep this lens in my "cheap lineup" until I can find something as versitile, compact, light, good looking, and inexpensive.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: shendra   review date: June-15-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAL 18-70mm

price paid:

250 USD

positive:

strong built
great for walkaround lens
the weight is just perfect!

negative:

comment:

It is a nice built lens with a very good quality. Compared to the kit lens, this lens produce much much better image. its sharpness and color saturation that I like the most.

Images taken with this lens, tend to show a better quality on the color gradation.

A Must Have Lens for Sony Users!

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: Rush2112   review date: April-29-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

24-105 (Sony version is sub-par to this lens, by far in just about every category.. get this one before the Sony do not be fooled by the larger range of the Sony)

price paid:

160.00

positive:

Well built, sharp at almost all apertures, good overall useful focal range, small and reasonably light, decent hood, great price, can even find new models to this day.

negative:

Not much to nitpick about actually, some vignetting wide open on 24mp A900, but thats to be expected. Mag ratio could be better as well, but it's not bad.

comment:

This lens is much better than its reviews although they are good overall. It lacks something, perhaps an F2.8 minimum aperture would have sent the reviews into the stars, I really don't know. Build is Minolta good of this time period, solid, no zoom creep, smooth smooth manual focus ring with no play, zoom ring can be a bit stiff-yet it doesn't creep.

Build is a 4.5 to me, but certainly not a 5. Color is excellent and this lens overall will be sharper than you will expect. If you want a budget landscape lens for your A900 while you are deciding whether or not to plunk down 1600.00 for the 24-70 Zeiss, get it and have fun. I have landscapes that are tack sharp in 95% of the frame, with the corners showing only slight softness compared to the center performance. At f8-f11 no real visible difference in diffraction, over f11 it starts to set in.

Barrel is reasonably controlled even on full frame, no real pincushion to speak of at 85mm. Would be nice if it had a bit better magnification ratio. Maybe that is why the reviews don't go through the roof, it does just about everything above average but never one thing perfectly, perhaps with the exception of color. It needs a G badge and a constant f2.8 aperture to be 5's across the board, yet without those two items it is still a steal.

Recommended!

Carl (www.alphamountworld.com)

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: lifeodyssey   review date: March-12-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24mm & 70-210 Beercan

price paid:

140 uSD (used)

positive:

Nice wide to medium length zoom len. Compact and fairly well built.

negative:

Zoom creep problem occured as it goes aged.

comment:

A very good compact zoom . Can get sharp image at @24mm close to 24mm prime at f8, just with little bit more CA but sharpeness are same.

Long end 85mm is a bit soft if wide open but becomes sharp as well at f8. Bolken is ok but not as good as the beercan @80mm

Color is very good, preserve Minolta tradtion.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: Pochmahone   review date: January-18-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG

price paid:

L140

positive:

Quite sharp at all apertures on A900

negative:

Flare

comment:

Just acquired this lens from fleabay. Not many of them about.
Nice walk about lens with great colour. Better colour than the Sigma 24-70 EX DG. Sharp enough if you're not pixel peeping.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Pirate   review date: January-10-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 24-70 EX DG Macro
SAL 18-70
Minolta 24-105 (D)
Minolta 28-135 Macro
Minolta AF 35-105 Macro
Minolta AF 50 F/1.7
Sigma AF 28-70/2.8 EX Asph DF

price paid:

£13.85 (used)

positive:

Weight
Size
IQ
Build
Fast AF
Colour rendition

negative:

None as yet

comment:

I bought this from Dyxum member 'Watty' to replace my Sigma 24-70/2.8 EX DG Macro which was heavy and bulky (IMHO). I wish I'd never sold my Min 24-105 (D), but when this lens was offered I was in two minds whether to buy or not.

I'm pleased that I did. The IQ is excellent, colours superb, bokeh smooth, weight and size are perfect.

I much prefer it to my former Sigma albeit it's not F/2.8, but miss the range of the 105mm (D) and the aperture of the 50 F/1.7.

That said, as an overall compromise, it's just right for me and is now attached to my A700 (A850). This lens is an 'all-rounder' and has shown itself to be most worthy in tests I've conducted and will be much used in future. A definite candidate for anyone looking for a versatile full frame lens in this range.

UPDATE:

I since bought a second 'minty' copy for £13.85 (CHF 20.00). It has a new owner now, and my bank account is much healthier ;o)

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: jvandegr   review date: October-25-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 100-200mm f/4.5
Minolta 35-70mm f/4
Minolta 24-50mm f/4
Minolta 50mm f/1.7
Minolta 24mm f/2.8
Nikon 18-70mm AF-S f/3.5-4.5

price paid:

$150 USD (new)

positive:

Sharp throughout range, compact, decent build quality, smooth zoom action, quick autofocus, decent maximum aperture (although not constant)

negative:

Loses some sharpness beginning in middle of range at larger apertures.

comment:

This lens has been a pleasant surprise. On the Sony A350, 24mm - 35mm is nearly as sharp as my Minolta 24mm f/2.8, and at all apertures. From 40mm - 85mm, this lens shows noticeable edge softening at larger apertures and must be stopped down to f/7.1 to compete with the primes. However, it *can* compete with (but not beat) some of the primes when stopped down, and this is no easy accomplishment for a modestly priced zoom. At all comparable focal lengths and apertures, it is slightly sharper than the Minolta 24-50mm f/4.0, which is a good lens itself. My much newer Nikon 18-70mm AF-S is slightly sharper still for the same price, but not by much. The Minolta 35-70mm f/4.0 is the sharpest of all of these zoom lenses, but the trade off is reduced focal range.

Color and contrast lag behind the Minolta 24mm f/2.8. That being said, this lens still provides natural, saturated colors in nearly all shooting conditions. Compared to my Nikon 18-70mm AF-S, this Minolta is much more contrasty with much better color rendition.

I've noticed no problems with flare or vignetting at any apertures or focal lengths. The included lens hood does help to reduce flare. Chromatic aberration is well controlled and only noticeable in high contrast situations at the largest apertures. Curvature distortion is also well controlled at all focal lengths and is almost never noticeable.

Autofocus accuracy and speed are both good on the Sony A350. Even in low light, this lens tends to hunt very little. I purchased this lens new and as of yet, I haven't noticed any zoom creep even when pointed straight down at the floor. The zoom ring is well-dampened and the manual focus ring is easy to grip and fine tune.

Build quality is good, but not quite as good as the Minolta lenses of old. This is a reasonably heavy lens, which is good because it balances well on the A350 and provides for more stable shooting.

Although I much prefer constant maximum aperture lenses, f/3.5 - f/4.5 is a very usable range. At 24mm, f/3.5 is nearly as fast as my prime, and at 85mm, f/4.5 is as fast as my Minolta 100-200mm f/4.5 zoom. This makes it easy to integrate this lens into my workflow, and also allows just enough light in for those low-light outdoor shots when used in combination with the A350's SSS.

For its low current price, this lens is a must have if you need a zoom lens. I still prefer my Minolta primes, but when I need a "catch-all" lens, this one doesn't disappoint. A much better choice than the Sony 18-70mm kit lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: bluebear   review date: October-06-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 16-80ZA (used on Alpha 700)

price paid:

L199

positive:

Compact & relatively lightweight. Impressively sharp.

negative:

Nothing to speak of really, at least at this price

comment:

Just bought this lens new (L199) from Warehouse Express (old stock) for my 5D, which I use as a backup for my Alpha 700. It's beautifully sharp and perfectly balanced for the 5D. I can see me using this camera/lens combo quite a lot now, at least for general walkabout etc, despite having the magnificent Alpha 700/16-80ZA combo.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: floor6   review date: August-30-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70 alpha kit lens

price paid:

GBP 149 (used)

positive:

color
sharpness
micro-contrast

negative:

not much

comment:

this Minolta lens phenomenal in comparison
to the get-you-started kit lens.
useful focal range for general photography.

i use Nikon F3/Nikkor system for longtime.
Now for digital i think i stay with Minolta.
I like even more. wish i had shot film in past
using KM.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Jeroen   review date: November-16-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-70 F4
28-135 F4-4.5
24 F2.8
Sigma 70-300 Apo Macro

price paid:

100

positive:

sharp
good colors
nice range (just not wide enough for digital)

negative:

almost nothing
distorion at 24mm

comment:

Like it a lot (especially sharpness and colors). Use it a lot. Great alround lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: teejay   review date: September-30-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- minolta 18-70
- sigma 10-20
- Minolta 35-70 f4

price paid:

100 E

positive:

- Sharp stopped down 1 stop
- color neutrality
- high contrast
- good range

negative:

- zoom creep
- plastic on the zoom ring gets loose
- bokeh not so pleasant

comment:

This lens can be had for 100 E and it is absolutely worth it.
From f5.6 onwards you can be confident that sharpness will be good at any focal length. Colors are great, distorsion is very low and range is useful. Detail and contrast is well preserved in the shadows with this lens. However, build quality is not great, zoom creep occurs, and the plastic on the zoom ring is loose on my copy. Also, the bokeh can be a bit intrusive in the pictures sometimes, meaning that you notice its roughness.
All in all, a great bargain and walkaround lens, is well complemented by a superwide angle zoom.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: KJPhoto   review date: May-29-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Cheap Sigma 28-200, AF DT 18-70 Kit Lens

price paid:

$170 USD (used)

positive:

Sharp, vivid colors good stopped down in bright light.

negative:

Zoom Creep

comment:

I have just started using this lens but it works quite well. Very good colors and I love the size. Not bad if you can find it for less than I paid for it.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Photobyronnie   review date: February-17-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70mm kit lens
Tamron 18-200mm zoom lens
Minolta 50mm 1.7 lens
Vivitar 100mm 3.5 macro
Minolta 70-210mm 4.5 - 5.6, Minolta 75-300mm 4.5-5.6

price paid:

75.00 USD

positive:

Very sharp, lightweight

negative:

Flare

comment:

I have only had this lens for an week and have been really amazed at the sharpness and vivid color it produces. This lens can easily become my favoroite lens. If you have the opportunity to pickup this lens used don't pass it up. This is an lens that can easily grew on you.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: jvc2000   review date: February-16-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm F1.7 Old
Minolta 100-200mm F4.5
KM 18-70 F3.5-5.6

price paid:

150 USD (old)

positive:

Fast focus. Good colour, sharpness. Relatively cheap. Small and light weight.

negative:

Not wide enough when used with DSLR. Front cap design is not good.

comment:

This is a very good lens and i put it on my Dynax 5D most of the times, especially during travel. I suggest other owners to buy a Nikon lens cover so that the cover could be put on/off even hood is attached.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: pacorro   review date: January-19-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 200/2.8 APO G,
Minolta 100/2.8 Soft Focus
Minolta 24-105/3.5-4.5
Minolta 28-105/3.5-4.5

positive:

Great picture

negative:

Poorly built

comment:

It has an extremly sharp picture among the zooms, and the zoom range is very well usable. Unfortunately the built quality is not the best... But even so it's a really good lens, it's worth to buy!

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: kathyk   review date: October-26-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-105N

price paid:

170 usd package

positive:

Focuses quickly, nice color, not a large lens.

negative:

Smaller range but still useful.

comment:

While not as wide a range as some zoom lenses this seems to be a very nice lens. It seems to focus quickly and I just like the images better than the 35-105N that I also have. Since it appears the reviews can be updated then I will try to test against 28-85 and/or 28-135 and see how it compares & report back. Flare control was untested so I will have to update that as well.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Alex 007   review date: August-12-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

DT 18-70mm Kit.

price paid:

$:400.00 6 years ago

positive:

Just cover my Sunpak AF-443 flash as it!
Very sharp, built very good, superb color rendition. Show me the subject/body distance.

negative:

Today the zoon moves when it's downside. Sometime disturb me this issue.

comment:

Really I love this lens, I change the lens cap by a "Tamron" one...so now I can cover the lens with the lens hood ON.

Highly recommended lens!

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: alberto   review date: May-11-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Zeiss Planar T* 50/1.7
Minolta AF 50/1.4
Minolta AF 24-105/3.5-4.5 (D)

positive:

Sharp and contrasty enough at 24-35 mm or when stopped down to f/8.
Lightweight and small all-around zoom.
Quite cheaper than 24-105.
Less flare-prone than expected.

negative:

Zoom creep when in vertical position.
Small MF ring.
Not very useful in low light conditions.
Front cap is not manageable (put/remove) when the hood is attached.
AF slightly slower than24-105.

comment:

Great lens in good-light shots, at f/8 put the sun at your back and you will get images with contrast and detail not far from the best glasses, edge to edge of the frame.

When shooting with the sun in the frame, you get some ghosting (obviously it doesn't match the Zeiss' quality), but this is expected for every zoom and many not-so-cheap prime lenses. I've not see any Chromatic Aberration.

Zoom creep can be annoying. Colour quality is just perfect.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Chris GB   review date: February-14-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 18-50 f2.8 EX DC
KM 28-75 f2.8D

positive:

Good zoom range, compact, good colours.

negative:

Sharpness not as good as some, a little PF evident occasionally.

comment:

A good walkround lens. Versatile, sharp and contrasty unless compared to more expensive glass. Focusses quickly and accurately.

sharpness: 4 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: gm4jjj   review date: October-21-05  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

AF 18-70 (5D kit lens)

positive:

Sharp

negative:

Zoom Creep

comment:

I bought this lens used, seems to be noticeably sharper than the KM 5D 18-70 kit lens. Quite a nice carry round lens on holidays. The zoom creeps easily if camera is pointed up or down. With its 62mm front filter thread I have been able to use my Olympus WCON-08B wideangle converter on the front of this lens, I will post some results with that combo later.